Harry woke up for the first time in three months in his red and gold four poster bed. It gave him a sense of security and comfort. His dreams were semi-normal at least compared to most of his dreams over the summer. They weren't about a hallway or a golden door, or even about Voldemort.
Harry noticed that none of his roommates were awake, which wasn't all that surprising as it was just before seven. With breakfast starting at 7:00 and classes at 9:30 most of the students would still be asleep. However, Harry and Daphne had reasoned that if they got to breakfast early enough they would have a least a little bit of time where they could sit and enjoy each others company without the prying eyes of the entire student body.
So Harry quickly got dressed and tucked his books into his bag and headed out of the fifth year boys dorm and into the common room.
Sitting on top of one of the couches was Hermione who was twisting a few lochs of her hair into a long braid. She was chatting quietly with Ginny who looked like she had just woken up. Harry chuckled to himself as he walked over to them.
"Get much sleep Gin?" Harry said with a smirk.
She threw one of the couch cushions at him which hit him in the chest with a very satisfying thud. Hermione tried to hide her amusement but failed when Harry started laughing.
It was well known to any friend of Weasley family that Ginny Weasley hated morning. She hated them more than she hated Malfoy. It was one of the hardest changes she had to deal with when first coming to Hogwarts. In her second year it got to a point where if anyone tried to speak to her before the first class started she'd hex them.
Ginny lurched up from the couch and caught the pillow that Harry lightly tossed back towards the coach, "Lets go." She said with heavy eyes and her shoulders slumped.
Ginny had made a promise to herself that she was going to be a more active friend to Harry especially with her brother being such an idiot. That would mean changes to her routine, changes to her work habits and changes to her views on others, namely one Daphne Greengrass.
The trio walked down to the Great Hall with both girls fillings Harry in about their classes over the past day.
They were greeted at the entrance by Daphne and Tracy, "Morning Harry." Daphne said as she skipped over to him and stole a quick kiss from him.
Both Tracy and Ginny stared wide eyed for a moment at the very open display coming from the usually cold faced Slytherin. They both quickly recovered after Harry gave Daphne a quick hug and turned to walk into the Great Hall hand in hand.
Daphne turned towards Hermione, "What's with those two?" She said motioning towards the two stunned girls.
Hermione smirked and just shrugged, "Hormones?" She asked honestly.
Ginny jogged over and punched Harry in the shoulder before she sat down next to him at the Gryffindor table.
"Owww…. What was that for?" He asked as he rubbed his arm lightly.
Daphne and the redhead shared a glance before she turned Harry's head towards her, "This." She snaked a hand behind his head and pulled him close for a steamy kiss.
God she loved the taste of his lips and the smell of his shampoo. She was shocked lightly as she felt his tongue begin to lightly prod at her lips. However her sense of surroundings kicked in and Daphne pulled away.
Harry was still seeing stars from the effect of his girlfriends kiss. A fierce blush exploded onto his face. He was staring into her bright brown eyes and for a split second he saw bright blue flame beaconing him to her. It was only a split second but it was enough for Harry to remind him how Daphne felt about him.
Harry quickly turned towards his breakfast and noticed that the three girls around him were all smirking and laughing. "What?" He said much more embarrassed than he thought he was.
Daphne grabbed hold of his wrist under the table and gave a soft squeeze which calmed him down enough to eat.
The Great Hall was fairly empty as was to be expected at such an early hour. There were a few sixth and seventh years that were trying usually up early and out late.
"How are you doing Harry?" Hermione asked as she retrieved her copy of the Daily Prophet.
Harry finished chewing his eggs, "I feel much better." He nodded and then turned towards Daphne, "You know last night was the first night I slept in my bed." He said with a slight chuckle.
Daphne's eyes shot wide open and as she finished taking a drink from her water, "Really? I mean we've been back at Hogwarts since Saturday." She said as she worked back the past few days in her head. She and Harry had spent the first night atop the Astronomy Tower, the second night Harry had stayed in the Hospital Wing and last night he was on Prefects duty.
Tracy giggled at her friends face as it contorted slightly as if she was trying to remember a test answer.
The rest of the morning went much like that, with the four of them poking fun at each other and laughing healthily. Albus Dumbledore sat at the Head Table and smiled brightly. 'Maybe there is hope for him to have a normal life.' The headmaster thought to himself.
As students began to poor into the Great Hall the noise level rose and despite the fact that Tracy and Daphne were sitting at the Gryffindor table no one seemed to care.
Soon Neville joined them along with Fred and George who joined in the now raucous noise that was around them.
Harry cast a quick Tempus after he was finished eating saw that it was time for him to head off to his first class of the year. Potions with Snape, he sighed internally, which was noticed by several of the people around him.
"It's not that bad Harry…" Hermione said.
Daphne quirked an eyebrow towards her bushy-haired friend. "He hates me still Hermione." Harry said slightly dejected. "He has since day one." Harry's voice became a bit harsher.
Daphne and Tracy looked at each other hoping the other would know what they were talking about. With a quick shrug, Daphne turned to her boyfriend, "Who?"
"Snape…" Harry said as he pushed his plate away and stood up. The group of the fifth years all stood and began walking towards the dungeons towards their first Potions class of the year.
"Snape does seem to have a rather perverse hatred of you Harry." Tracy said with a bit of a giggle.
"I think it's because he still sees my father. Sirius told me that he and my father went to school with Snape and that they picked on him quick a lot." Harry's voice was back to its monotone.
"Well look at the bright side." Daphne said as she was holding onto his shoulder as they walked through the halls. Harry turned a slight smile towards his girlfriend. "We can sit next to each other and make fun of Draco all class."
"Hey! I thought I was going to be your partner!" Tracy said as she slapped her fair skinned friend on the shoulder.
Daphne glared at her for a second. "You and Hermione can work together." She exclaimed a bit louder than she anticipated, drawing a look from Dean Thomas who was walking several steps behind them.
Tracy stopped in the hallway and stared at her best friend of ten years, trying to figure out what was going through her head. "I don't know what you're up to Daph, but I know it's nothing good." She said finishing with a wicked smile.
Daphne's face dropped and her shoulders rolled forward. "Is all you do think about sex?" She asked her brown haired friend as she turned around to catch up to Harry.
"No, I think about boys, snogging…"
"Tracy!" Came a resounding call from Harry, Daphne and Hermione.
The quintette walked into the potions dungeon to start their first lesson of the year. Daphne and Harry took a seat near the middle of the room, Daphne thought it was odd that Draco didn't make any of his usual attempts to bait Harry into losing points. Tracy and Hermione took a seat right next to them behind Neville and Parvati.
"Welcome to fifth year Potions." Came the sharp and raspy voice of Severus Snape. "For most of you this will be your final year of taking potions." He spat as he turned to face the class from in front of his podium. "Most of you will only hope to receive an 'Outstanding' on your OWLS. You will find that only the most Dedicated." He emphasized. "Cunning, and Observant students will…" He paused. "Succeed." Snape loved the dramatics and his elongating the word that he knew only a handful of the students would strive for.
Harry leaned over and whispered to Daphne, "Two Galleons he gives me an EE just to spite me."
Daphne snickered slightly which drew Snape attention to the young couple, "Something funny. Potter."
"No Sir. Just trying to prepare myself for this year. I am really excited to see what kind of elixirs and Draughts we might have a use for this year." Harry said in an overly cheerful voice.
"Mr. Potter. Just because you are trying to flatter me does not mean that I will grade you potions any BETTER." He finished loudly and turned towards the board. "Today you will be making Draught of Peace. The Directions of which can be found in your books on page 172." With a swish of his cape he marched up to his desk and picked up a quill.
Harry looked slightly perplexed as he expected to lose points for his overly cheerful response. Daphne caught his look of confusion but decided to table it for the future. "Ok you want to handle the cauldron or the ingredients." Daphne asked her boyfriend.
"Ingredients, please. I've been cooking my entire life I am much better at preparing than creating." He said with a hint of relief.
Harry was actually quite good at Potions, after his second year and he, Hermione and Ron had impersonated Crabbe and Goyle, Harry decided that having a working knowledge of ingredients and potions would be vastly helpful.
The couple worked diligently creating their Draught of Peace, every so often Daphne would give Harry a tip about preparing certain ingredients. Daphne hoped that she'd be able to help him get his Outstanding this year. Harry had only ever mentioned about becoming an Auror once, and all Aurors had to pass their Potions NEWT.
About twenty minutes before the end of class Harry and Daphne finished their potion and submitted their vials to Snape. As they were preparing to leave.
"Potter." Came a call from the professors podium.
Harry immediately tensed and turned around slowly expecting some kind of snide remark or insult from the man who hated him.
"Excellent work." He said with no emotion. "Two points to Gryffindor."
The entire class was stunned. Not only was it school wide known that Snape hated Gryffindors to the tune of almost five hundred points a term. It was also common knowledge across all the class levels that he hated Harry Potter above all other students.
After about ten seconds of silence and Seamus and Lavenders potion overboiling, Snape turned to class. "What are you doing Finnegan? Five point from Gryffindor and Detention Finnegan!"
Harry smirked and turned and left the potions room with Daphne in tow. He was befuddled by the past hour. 'Maybe Snape's being polyjuiced or imperiused.' He thought to himself.
Daphne walked next to him holding his hand as he walked them to the Charms classroom on autopilot. She was quiet the entire fifteen minute walk just observing him, trying to figure him out.
Harry was pulled from his thoughts when Daphne tugged his hand to stop him from going into the Charms room. The class hadn't ended yet so the fourth years were still finishing their class on disarming charms.
"Huh?" Harry said breaking the calm of the hallway.
Daphne just chuckled lightly as she brushed a piece of blonde hair behind her ear. "What's going on in there." She said quietly and with narrowed eyes.
Harry looked at her surprised for a second then sighed, "I can't figure out what's up with Snape. I mean I don't think he's polyjuice. I doubt anyone would imperius him and make him like me. He could be confunded…" He said as he turned towards the window and sat down pulling Daphne with him.
Daphne sat down gracefully and placed her hands on her lap and looked at him. Figuring that it would be better for him to just work things out on his own. Not that she had much to add to the matter, being as she was just as confused as him.
Harry squeezed of one of Daphne's hands t and continued his ramblings to himself until the class was excused.
Walking out of the class was Ginny and Luna who were both talking about how fun this year was going to be. Ginny noticed the odd pair sitting by the window just outside their classroom and was slightly concerned by the sight.
Daphne was sitting on the window sill like a perfect pureblood princess would. She was smiling and watching her boyfriend.
Harry on the other hand appeared to be drawing things with one of his hands and staring off into nothing. He was mumbling something barely audible and when she and Luna approached she found out it was nothing coherent.
Ginny turned to Daphne, "What's up with him?"
Daphne chuckled again, "Snape gave him two points for a perfectly made potion."
Ginny's eyes went wide for a fraction of a second before she started chuckling lightly. "Harry." Came the very whimsical voice of Luna Lovegood. "You look like you've been bitten by a Hinkyfly. They are quite rare. Dad and I found one last summer, though I can't remember where."
Harry had stopped talking and as he was listening to Luna, he had a thought. 'Maybe, just maybe Snape had come around and decided to not hate him this year. That had to be it.' He thought.
"Thank you Luna." He said in his normal happy self. He turned quickly to Daphne, placed his hand on her cheek and pulled her and gave her a quick yet full snogging before jumping up from the window.
Daphne blushed slightly and took his hand as he offered to help her off the window. "Well that was unexpected…" Daphne said in a slightly flushed tone.
Ginny and few other fourth years that were still filing out of the class cat called the open display of affection.
The rest of the day went by swimmingly after that. Harry was excited by this years selection of Charms including both the Freezing charm and Shocking Charm. Flitwick had even gone on to mention that while basic in nature these charms could be combined with several others to create some rather nasty or brilliant effects. Harry was however disappointed when Flitwick turned him down to continue his private tutoring. He did however heavily hint that he would enjoy Fridays.
The diminutive professor was bouncing with excitement over something and it was noticeable in all of his classes. Although anyone that asked was given the same answer, wait till friday.
Things didn't really stray from what Harry thought was normal until wednesday where he noticed a slight change in his head of house. She seemed only excited and instead of being the stoic and aged professor she was, how did Ginny put it, gitty.
Hermione figured that it had to do with his special assignment that he and only he was attending. Daphne also agreed and while she was jealous of the one-on-one tutoring that Harry was being offered, she had hoped her boyfriend would be willing to share said knowledge with the rest of their slowly growing posse.
Harry arrived in the Transfigurations Classroom after dinner, where he found Cedirc Diggory, Remus Lupin and Professor McGonagall.
Harry immediately got excited by the sight of his old defense teacher, "Moony!" He shouted as he ran across the room and gave the aging man a big hug. McGonagall smiled at the show of affection and excitement.
"How you doing kid?" He asked as he released his tight embrace with his best friends son.
"It's been a shaky start but, things are looking up."
"Well good. Do you know what we are doing here tonight?" The ex-defense professor asked as a small smile crept into his face.
"No clue, though Hermione had an idea about how Professor McGonagall was going to teach me how to become an animagus. That got a laugh out of Daphne and myself." Harry said as he laughed slightly remembering the conversation from lunch.
Remus' eyes twinkled slightly, "Wouldn't that be a hoot?" He asked testing the waters a bit.
"I mean I knew my dad and Sirius were animagus' and it would be kinda cool to follow my dad's footsteps." Harry said as a warm smile crept across his face.
"You know who else was an animagus?" Minerva asked as she walked over to Harry and motioned for Cedric to join them.
Harry arched an eyebrow and shrugged his shoulders, "Lily Evans." She said happily.
Harry's jaw dropped, "Wait my mum? She was an Animagus too?!" Harry was getting very excited now.
Lupin stepped forward, "Yup, she and James decide in our fourth year, in an effort to find a way around my furry problem." He said with a bit of sadness in his expression. "They created a potion that would if taken correctly allow the person to know if they are capable of becoming an Animagus and what form they would be able to take." Lupin said while he reached into his pocket and pulled out two small vials of bright blue and yellow substance.
"Wait… Are you telling me…?" He said turning back and forth between his two professors. Both of which nodded, "This is to teach me how to become an animagus?! Brilliant!" He exclaimed as he jumped and slammed his feet into the ground.
"Professor?" Cedric asked for the first time. "Why am I here?"
"I asked for you join them" Moody walked in his peg leg slamming into the ground. "I heard from your father that you have quite a few Animagus in the family. I've known some very good Aurors that have been saved from death because they were Animagi.
"Really? I only knew of my Uncle Elric was one but he died before I was able to walk." Cedric was now getting excited.
Harry skipped over to his fellow Triwizard champion, "We have more things in common the more I get to know you Cedric. Seeker, Triwizard Champion, Animagus, love of brainiac witches." He said as he jabbed an elbow into the light haired boy who blushed slightly.
Harry had been very good these past few days in regards to Hermione and Cedric's attraction towards each other, however figured now was a good enough time to make a joke.
Cedric leveled his eyes on Harry and with a small smirk, "You know Potter. Your an arse sometimes."
Harry and Lupin both laughed, "Yeah, I get that a lot."
"Enough!" Yelled Mad-eye sharply. "Let's just do this already. We have already wasted enough time." He walked over to the far side of the room.
Lupin and McGonagall began drawing a series of runes on the floor of the emptied out Transfiguration Classroom.
As the two of them were etching out the runes, Harry began to get very anxious, "Professor. How does this work?" Cedric also focused on one of his long time favorite teachers.
Cedric had for a long time considered a specialization in Transfiguration but his desire to help people pushed him into the war and eventually the Aurors. Maybe after the war was over… If he lived.
McGonagall was still drawing runic symbols in a circle pattern mirror what Lupin was drawing. "Well we are going to draw a few runes on your body to protect you and your mind as the transformation will be forced. Then assuming we do everything right…" She said looking towards Remus.
"Don't look at me, I just helped prepare the runic arrays with Lily. If you remember James and Sirius were the ones that did it first." Lupin was happy and Harry could see it all over his body. He had no idea why but figured it must be a good thing.
McGonagall continued, "Then at a quarter to eight you'll both step into the Transfiguration Circle and drink your potions. Where hopefully." She said with a bit of uncertainty in her face. "You'll be forced into an Animal form. The potion should create all the necessary intent and focus. The Transformation should only last for about a minute and then you'll be forced back…"
Harry nodded as Cedric began to twitch slightly, "How safe is this?" Cedric asked.
Moody smirked, "James Potter and Sirius Black created it."
Lupin looked up as he was finishing his half of the circle, "Hey! Lily and I helped too."
Professor McGonagall stopped drawing as well, "Mr. Diggory, this is as safe as it can be. I wouldn't be facilitating it if I had a doubt it wasn't safe." She was perspiring a bit from the drawing and magic consumption. While drawing runes didn't seem like a hard job, you had to create a low level magical field from your wand in order to create the runic array needed to power the runes. While most wizards and witches can create a low level magical field in their sleep. What makes drawing runes hard is the intent on pushing that magic field into them. Sure the first ten or fifteen runes are easy but this circle was almost 12 feet in diameter and had over two hundred runes. So suffice to say it was very draining.
McGonagall conjured up a dark blue and gold glass that twisted and looped over itself. She quickly filled it with water from the nearby sink and drank half of it. She took out a handkerchief and wiped her brow that was now sweating slightly. Then with a quick Tempus saw that it was time to begin.
"Ok it's time. Mr Diggory, Mr Potter. If you would please take off your shoes and remove your cloaks and shirts."
Harry looked aghast for a second before Moody interrupted, "Boy's I'd hurry up if I were you. IF you want to survive this war your going to have to be comfortable in any situation." He said with a sinister grin before walking over to the door.
Harry and Cedric both started taking off their respective clothes while Lupin walked over to his bag and took out an Azure colored pen.
He walked over to Harry who had just finished taking off his shirt. "Now Harry this is going to tingle but it shouldn't be painful." He said in a reassuring voice. He really did care deeply for the boy and while he didn't have much time to spend with Harry, he wished that things had gone differently with his growing up at the Dursleys.
Harry nodded and Lupin proceeded to draw another set of runes along his chest just over his heart and two lines going up the sides of his neck.
Five minutes later both boys were covered in runes and standing in the center of the Runic Transfiguration Circle both lightly grasping the blue and green liquid.
The Professors were all on the outside of the circle and looking onward with anxiety and a bit of a worry.
Harry was facing Cedric and raised his potion to the air slightly. "Bottom's up?"
Cedric looked at the boy with a bit of envy, he sure was taking this whole thing quite well. "Sure why not." He shrugged and both boys drank the potion, throwing it into the back of their mouth, knowing that it likely would taste foul.
As soon as the potion hit his throat, Harry began to cough, a few seconds later he was fine. Both he and Cedric were standing looking around expecting for something to happen.
"Well that wasn't so bad." Cedric said shocked.
Harry looked over his body and was slightly confused, he had expected it to be similar to when Remus transformed that night that Sirius was saved. Violent and sudden.
Subtly Harry's nose began to twitch and he sniffed the air, he realized that he could smell Cedric musk from a few feet away. The smell wasn't very strong but he definitely hadn't smelt it before taking the potion. And soon the edges of his vision began to darken and a panic began to creep over him.
Harry's breathing quickened and his heart began pounding so loud that it echoed throughout his whole head. Harry then heard a small gasp to his left and as he turned his head he saw McGonagall was still putting her hand to her mouth to cover the gasp that she had just let out. The world around him felt like it was moving incredibly slowly, The professor's movements were sluggish and the air around him was getting heavy.
His eyes were darting around the room rapidly at every small sound or movement. His senses were exploding everywhere. Powerful sense of smell, he could now detect four distinct sets of smell and figured it was likely Cedric, and the three professors.
Suddenly Harry began to fall to the ground as he reached his hands out to stop his fall they landed and he noticed he had no fingers anymore. They were replaced by a light blue and white furry paw that had fully formed.
The next thing he felt was a rush of cold flow over the room and it felt really good. His head perked up as he noticed a faint breeze that he hadn't before. The very faint wind that was running over his ears that were now coated in a thin layer of fur, it was very soothing and comfortable.
As his transformation was coming to a finish he began to feel a pool of magic filling him unlike he ever had. It wasn't foreign or even uncomfortable, the magic was almost calling to him from inside his body.
Harry heard two loud gasps and saw that Mad-Eye and Moony were both looking above Harry. He turned his head quickly and his slightly less colored vision saw a bright bird with four wings flapping above him. He locked eyes on the creature that had golden feathers and a large hammerhead of white and red long feathers. The bird had two long golden tails that extended from the back of its head. As the bird flapped its wings Harry could feel the power that it was creating its gust as the wind brushed over his fur.
Harry was standing stoically with his shoulders slightly bent on all fours. His blue and white fur glimmered with the bright light that was reflected from the candles in the room. He stood at about three feet tall and larger than even Padfoot had been. Suddenly without warning Harry felt a wave of power coming from his core, he let out a sharp bark that echoed loudly throughout the chamber as a blast of cold ricocheted around the entire room. When Harry looked around he saw that the entire room was coated in a thin layer of ice and noticed that the large Sun Bird in front of him had small shards of ice hanging from its wings.
The two large predators stared at each other silently testing each other for about ten seconds before the entire process reversed itself in the span of five seconds.
Harry awoke several minutes later and found himself in Lupins arms with a warm black blanket over him. "Harry you in there?" Lupin was saying loudly.
Harry opened an eye and saw the worried look on his father's friend. "I… I… feel so cold…" He said through a large coughing fit.
Lupin relaxed quite a bit when he noticed that Harry was now awake and back in control of his mind. "Not surprising kid. You froze the entire room."
Harry's eyes widened, "What?" Harry took in his surroundings.
Lupin was over him holding his back and shoulder. McGonagall was standing just above him with a very concerned and hidden look of excitement.
The normally well lit Transfiguration classroom was now coated in a thin layer of ice, and there was a mist that was floating over the room. He noticed that his clothes were dripping wet. He then looked over to where Cedric was, he was on all fours throwing up. He was also slightly wet however his skin looked as though it was almost burning.
Before he could say anything he turned his head to the side and threw up all over the stone floor.
"There it is." Lupin said as he rubbed the kids back. "Happened every time." He said as he turned up to his long time friend Minerva.
She chuckled, "Mr. Potter, how do you feel?"
Harry wiped his chin off with his shoulder. "Like someone just ran over my head and chest with a herd of hippogriffs." He managed to push himself to a sitting position.
Lupin held out his hand and offered him a piece of chocolate, "I know it's normally for Dementors but Chocolate has a wondrous effect on us. " He smiled as Harry took a rather small bite of the dark candy.
Harry noticed that for the first time since his transformation that his sense of smell was greatly increased and it was very disorienting. "I can smell everything." He said after he finished coughing and brushing off his jeans.
"Hmmm… Interesting." Lupin said as he pulled Harry up to standing.
"Makes sense." Minerva said. "One of canines strongest attributes is smell. I remember when I first learned that I could be an animagus my sense of sight changed."
"Canine? Wait what am I?" He asked the room as he looked over to Cedric who was propped up against a window sill still throwing up.
"I can't be sure yet," Lupin said with a smile, "but I believe that your Animagus is called a Winter Wolf."
Minerva nodded in agreement, "It's VERY rare for someone to have a magical creature as their Animagus, usually only exceptionally powerful witches or wizards can take on the form of another magical being. However Mr. Potter, I am not at all shocked seeing as everything you've done is exceptional." She chuckled to herself as she regained her stoic posture.
Harry turned to Cedric and Mad-eye. "What kind of bird was that?" Harry asked in a weezing voice. His body was still adjusting to being human again.
Cedric turned towards Harry and his chest and arms were still slightly covered with vomit, "I believe it's called a Sun Bird." Cedrics voice was very horse and grainy.
"Quite a useful form Mr. Diggory." Mad-Eye said. "I daresay we can expect great things out of you both." He said as he slapped Cedric in the back causing him to spit up slightly.
"Wicked." Harry commented as he walked over to the Hufflepuff and gave him a high five.
Lupin and Minerva walked over and quickly erased the runic circle with a few complicated flicks and twists of their wands. "Well Mr. Potter and Mr. Diggory, I am proud to have you both as students. Two amazing individuals who will no doubt make great use of their new found abilities. It will however be something that you will have to hone in solitude or with each other." Minerva said with a stern face. "As you know it is required for all Animagi to register with the Ministry. However I believe that given the nature of your involvement in the upcoming…" She stumbled for a second as she felt the gaze of Mad-Eye on her. "War. It is in your best interest to wait and hide this ability as much as possible."
Mad-Eye stepped in, "We know that Voldemort has spies inside the Ministry. So if you register." He looked at Cedric, "You'll be targeted and killed."
"Sir?" Harry raised his hand, "Won't Cedric be targeted anyway? He's working with you and Tonks on the Muggle Protection Program. I know it's just a cover for the Order of the Phoenix." Harry said boldly and with out fear. He knew the people in this room were all members.
Cedric looked at the black haired teen with more respect, "Harry" He said quickly and slightly under his breath.
Harry however was staring straight at Mad-Eye, "Mr. Diggory made a choice Potter. He knows the risks involved. For now you both must train to control your transformations and tell no one, not even your friends!"
"I am not saying that he made a wrong choice, I am saying that you need to stop acting like he's a liability. Cedric is a Triwizard Champion and has on numerous occasions shown his ample knowledge of spells and curses and no lack of courage, he's also shown that he's completely trustworthy as he to this day has never told anyone what happened at the end of the final challenge." Harry argued for his hopeful friend. Cedric nodded appreciatively towards him.
"Potter!" Moody spat as he took two steps towards the black haired teen. "You will watch you tone or so-" He never got to finish his sentence as Harry had his mouth sewn shut and his hands bound behind him.
Harry's wand was in his hand and back in its holster before Mad-Eye could realize that he was bound and silenced.
The three others in the room look stunned as a fifteen year old kid had effectively rendered one of the best Aurors in the past half century useless before he could even finish a sentence.
Harry walked towards the door and before leaving released his ex-defense teacher from his bindings. The elderly Auror turned around to yell at the teen but only had enough time to see the door swinging shut. He smirked brightly as he was impressed with the boys finesse and speed. "There's hope yet." he said mostly to himself.
Harry had left in a bit of a rush but he was pissed and excited at the same time. He was very excited about the idea that he is an Animagus like his mother and father, but pissed at the way that Mad-Eye was treating him and Cedric. Sure Harry was a bit young, but Cedric was an adult and could make his own choices.
Since moving in with the Greengrass' he'd been getting a new look on the way the adults in his life have treated him starting with his aunt and uncle all the way up to Dumbledore. Harry was getting tired of being used by everyone else for their own agenda. It was time that Harry started his own agenda, one that he would need allies to accomplish.
Harry wandered the halls, it was now close to curfew and he was nowhere near tired. In fact he felt like he had an overabundance of magic flowing through him. He figured it was likely a result of the Animagus transformation. However as much as he wanted to be able to explore that, he was too worked up at the moment.
Harry's autopilot took him to the Gryffindor Common room where he spoke the passphrase, "Lions Pride."
He walked into the still busy Common Room. He saw that Ron was sitting at a table with Seamus and Collin. Ron made eye contact and shuttered away slightly. Harry wondered what his problem was. Harry scanned the room and saw that several people were staring at him with odd looks about them.
"What do you want?" He asked angrily.
Parvati spoke up, "Harry, you're glowing…" She said with fear.
Harry looked down at his arms and his wand arm were glowing white and gold. "GREAT!" Harry exclaimed loudly as he walked back out the common room without hearing Hermione's calls for him to stop.
Harry marched off down the stairs heading to who knows where. Why couldn't things just be normal? Why did everything have to be so complicated?
As he approached the entrance he felt a chill flow from outside and it felt really nice. He was also drawn by the smell of wood and burnt mutton…? Where did that come from? Harry turned and walked out and followed the pleasant smell towards Hagrid's hut.
After a ten minute walk to Hagrid's, Harry stopped by the firepit where Hagrid was slowly roasting a sheep. Harry leaned over and took a deep inhale of the still cooking mutton. It smelled very rich and he wanted nothing more than to just eat the whole thing. 'Where did this appetite come from?' He thought to himself. Harry was about to knock on Hagrid's door when he was drawn to a new smell that entice him towards the lake.
The Black Lake which Harry had spent many an afternoon staring off into over the years was calling to him, or rather to the wolf inside of him. As he looked out on the lake a few hundred feet in front of him he saw a faint magical field projected onto the lake. It was amazingly beautiful. The deep greenish blue that the lake radiated was now a brighter green and he involuntarily began to relax as he inhaled the cold September air.
He found himself sitting on rock along the shore a few minutes later with his feet dangling shoeless over the lake. The sky was slightly clouded over and the breeze that was flowing over the lake was comfortable as he stared into the depths of the lake.
"Why am I so angry?" Harry yelled out to the lake. His voice echoing across the great expanse.
'You know why…" Came a faint voice in the back of his head.
Harry spun around facing the castle with his wand drawn and a flicker of red on his wand tip. "Who's there!?" He called with rage and fear.
Silence, the air was still and the grounds unmoving. Harry shook his head quickly and scoured the area around him looking for where the voice might have come from. After a few minutes of looking he went back to sitting, although his wand was in his hand as he twirled it around looking at it.
"Now I am losing my mind." Harry sighed.
"I don't know about that…" Came a voice that he very much recognized. Harry turned around and saw Hermione standing there wearing a light jacket and her Gryffindor sweats. Harry and her stared quietly at each other for quite a while before Hermione walked over and sat next to him. She leaned her head against his as they sat there for what felt like hours.
"I'm an Animagus." Harry said dejectedly.
Hermione's eyes opened wide but fought to reign in her excitement. "Is that what your special assignment is?" She asked hesitantly.
"Yeah. Cedric and I are going to be training to use our Animagi forms." His voice just sounded tired.
"Oh!" Hermione gasped slightly now understand that Cedric wasn't just overseeing the class. While she knew that he possess great skill in Transfigurations and would make a perfect training partner for whatever Harry would be learning. She never figured that the class was for him as well.
"Then I lost it with Mad-Eye and likely will have to serve detention for the rest of the year for hexing him." He said in his monotone that he slipped into when he was upset.
"You hexed Mad-Eye?" She smirked at him. She'd had little experience with the real Mad-Eye Moody since it was discovered that the one last year was an imposter. However she had met the man a few times over the summer when he came to Greengrass manor for the occasional Order of the Phoenix meeting.
"Yeah… not my brightest of decisions." He and Hermione both chuckled and sat quietly for another twenty minutes or so before Hermione's curiosity got the better of her.
"Do you know what your Animagus is?" She asked slowly and hesitant to even ask the question.
Harry nudged her off his shoulder slightly and turned his shoulders towards her, "Yeah, its something called a Winter Wolf." Harry pulled one of his legs up to sit under him and left the other leg dangling over the rockface.
"Winter Wolf?" Hermione asked in clarification.
"Lupin thinks so. I apparently froze most of the room when I transformed."
Hermione's jaw opened and was stunned, "You froze the room?"
"I don't remember much from the actual transformation. All I remember is, I took the potion that my parents created in their fourth year. Then I remember waking up and throwing up."
"Your parents made it?!" Hermione was even more surprised by that than she was of his animagus form.
"Yeah apparently my mum, dad, and Sirius all worked together to figure out how to be animagi so they could go be with Remus during full moons." Harry picked up a small rock and chucked across the lake, it skipped about four or five times before falling into the dark lake.
"Your mom was an Animagi as well? No wonder you can do it." She was excited for her best friend, this was something that he's been wanting to learn since he learned that his father and Sirius were both animagi before they graduated.
"Apparently, Cedrics grandparents or something were also Animagi, that's why he was their tonight. I got mad and Moody for telling us that we had to keep this a secret. He implied that I couldn't even tell you or Daphne." Harry was now working himself up again.
"Harry, who the fuck cares what Moody thinks." Hermione said in a spout of anger, not at him but at the way Moody had treated them.
Harry was too shocked by Hermione's use of bad words. "You certainly have been through enough experiences to know whats right or wrong. Who is he to tell you how to live your life?"
Harry nodded and let the words sink in and she was right. Why should Harry let anyone dictate how he is going to live the rest of his life? Especially someone who doesn't know him at all, like Moody. "Your right Hermione. I think from now on I am going to make my own choices and not let anyone else make them for me." He said sitting up a bit straighter.
"Aren't you cold?" Hermione asked him after a few minutes of staring off into the starlight night.
"Nope, I am pretty sure that it has something to do with the Winter Wolf. Every since I walked out of that room, I have had an increased sense of smell and much more appreciative of the cold. Something about the way the breeze tickles my ears and the coldness relaxes me. Like it's a part of me." Harry had a soft smile and his eyes had a faraway look about him.
Hermione hadn't seen him this relaxed ever, even when he was with Daphne, he was always alert. This was a new Harry, and Hermione was hopeful that his life was getting better.
The two Gryffindor Prefects sat outside for another few hours in companionable silence, neither one of them falling asleep. Just as the sun was breaking the hillside the two of them stumbled up to the castle.
Hermione pulled out the Marauders Map and Harry gave her a curious look, "What?"
Harry just laughed and smirked at her, "Mione, thank you." He gave his friend a one armed hug. "Where would I be without you?"
"Dead." She said deadpanned and with heavy eyes which lightly fluttered as they both held each other.
'Don't I know that.' Harry thought to himself as they walked back to Gryffindor tower as the sun rose.
As Harry entered his dorm he was assaulted by a smattering of new smells, most of which were horrible. Ranging from mold, to sweat to chocolate mixed with pumpkin juice, he could also smell a strong smell of cinnamon coming from Seamus's trunk.
He'd have to try and control this new sense of smell if he was to have any hope of living in this room. He had never realized before just how smelly the five of them were. Harry grabbed his towel and a change of clothes and went to take a long shower. He and Hermione agreed to meet in an hour and head down to meet Daphne and Tracy.
As Harry walked down the stairs of the boys dorm he heard two voices chatting at the bottom. As he approached he saw Angelina and Hermione talking. "Heya Harry!" called the Head Girl.
"Angie, what's got you up this early?" Harry replied with a bit of cheer.
"You, actually." She said as she cocked her hip out slightly and turned to face.
"I didn't do it." Harry said quickly.
"Uh huh, sure, but that's not the point. The point is, you need to set up try-outs." Angelina said as she picked up her shoulder bag.
Harry sighed, he had totally forgotten about that. "Who do I talk to about getting field time?"
"Madam Hooch or McGonagall, it doesn't matter when you reserve it as long you get it for at least 3 hours." She said as she was walking out of the Common Room with a wave.
Hermione floated over to him with a slightly tired face and slapped him on the shoulder. "If you need anything you know I am here." She smiled to herself knowing that he wouldn't ask for help unless it was offered.
Harry grumbled something about why him, as he moved to leave forgetting that Ginny wasn't down yet. "Harry."
He turned to face Hermione and huffed his chest and crossed his arms, "Ya?"
"Don't you get cross with me, young man." Hermione said as she narrowed her eyes on him.
Harry smiled and relaxed, "Sorry Mione. I'm just tired."
She held her glare for a few more seconds and then softened, "It's a lot to ask of someone. Not many would be standing if they had your life." She smiled and walked over putting a hand on his shoulder.
Harry nodded as he tried to hold back a tear that had just formed in the corner of his eye. "Thanks Mione."
Hermione moved them towards the door and they walked to meet Daphne and Tracy talking about what Harry was going to do with his free period as Hermione and Daphne both had Arithmancy after breakfast.
As they walked into the entrance Harry's nose twitched as a smell of lavender and cherry hit him like a ton of bricks. He looked around to see what might have happened. When he locked his eyes on where the scent was coming from he saw that Daphne had an almost ethereal silver and blue glow around her.
Daphne heard the two of them approaching and she turned to walk towards them when she was stopped dead in her tracks by the almost feral look on Harry's face as he was staring at her. A great heat began to radiate from her chest and a few butterflies began fluttering as her heart began to beat faster.
Quickier than anyone could really react, Harry and Daphne slammed together arms wrapping around each other and lips locked.
'God she smells so nice.' Harry thought as he ran his tongue across the bottom of her lip. She let out a low pur causing Harry to shiver slightly. The smell of lavender engulfed him as they kissed and held each other.
Daphne had a hand around his shoulder prying at his robes for any amount of friction, while her other hand was holding him by the hair on the back of his head. Her body was now lighting up like a firecracker. Harry's hands were roaming all over her back and hips.
After a few moments Harry and Daphne stopped when they heard someone clearing their throat. They both looked over at Tracy and she had a huge grin on her face. "Oh, I am sorry, am I interrupting?"
Both Harry and Daphne blushed and tried to hide their faces. Daphne tried to slap her friend but she dodged under it and backed away. "Trace, I am going to hurt you." Daphne glowered while Harry chuckled.
She turned back towards and him and noticed the black rings under his eyes and the wrinkles on his face, "You look tired." She told him softly.
"Well…" Harry said as he took her hand and walked into the Great Hall, "I stayed up all night by the lake."
Daphne gave him an interesting look, "Why? That sounds awful. It was like 40 degrees last night."
Harry guided her to the table and they both sat down while Hermione and Tracy sat across from them. "Well let's just say from now on, I am going to be much colder." He began loading food onto his plate. Harry was ravenous he hadn't eaten after class like he had planned and staying up all night had only made him more hungry.
Daphne turned towards Hermione who just shook her head and held her hands up, "Don't look at me." She was nibbling on a piece of buttered toast.
Daphne frowned she hated not being in the know but decided that eventually Harry would tell her when he was ready. In the meantime she shifted closer to him and gently rested her head on his shoulder letting her hair fall in his face.
Harry took a quick inhale of her scent. Cherry and a faint spattering of something Harry didn't know what it was. As he took in the smell of his girlfriend his breathing began to increase and his heart sped up.
"Daph…" He said huskily. "Daph you need to stop."
Daphne looked at her boyfriend and was about to yell at him but saw that he was having a really hard time keeping himself calm. His eyes were halfway closed and his bottom lip was slightly curled.
Daphne just nodded quickly and slide a few inches away to give him space. "Better?" she asked quietly and with worry.
"Loads." Harry nodded and took a few deep calming breaths, "As a result of my class last night." He said still in a bit higher octave than he normally spoke in. "I have been able to smell everything much more…" He struggled with the word. "Vibrantly." He finished then took another deep swig of Pumpkin juice.
"What did you guys do last night?" Tracey asked from across the table.
"I'll tell you but not here." Harry said as he focusing on finishing his fourth egg and fifth piece of toast. He was starving and it seemed to have no end in sight. Daphne was slightly humored by it but not surprised since most of the boys she'd seen had massive appetites.
"You better." Daphne responded with a hint of jealousy. She saw in Hermione's face a worried look for her friend. Daphne figured that Harry had told her about it last night. She also noticed the black circles under the brunettes eyes and put two and two together that she had sat with him at the lake.
'Why am I Jealous?' She thought to herself. It's not like either of them have feelings for each other. Harry thinks of her as the sister he never got and she sees him like the brother she's always wanted. Daphne huffed softly as she finished eating a piece of fruit.
"Daphne, you ready?" Hermione called as she was standing.
Daphne turned and looked around and saw that the entire Hall was getting up to go to class. "Oh, what time is it?!" She said in a slight panic.
Harry cast a quick Tempus, "9:05." The blue spectral numbers displayed.
"Right time to go." Daphne stood up and pulled her back onto her shoulder. "See you at lunch Harry." She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss and then left. Leaving Tracy and Harry at the Gryffindor table with a few other fourth and sixth years.
"What are you gonna do for your free period?" Tracy asked him.
"I am going to the library to do a bit of research and then maybe going to see Hagrid." He downed his glass of water and stood up to walk out. "You coming?"
Tracy was excited, yet confused. Here was Harry, Boy-Who-Lived and supposed menace of Gryffindor asking her as if it she was part of his inner circle. She was excited by the idea of being accepted as his friend. "Oh, Ok." She said nervously.
Tracy and Harry walked quickly through the halls on their way to the Library. "So Harry." She started. He turned towards her with an intriguing smile. "Why so secretive this morning?"
Harry let out a single laugh. "Tracy, you haven't spent much time around me yet, so I'll give you this one pass. My whole life has been an open book to everyone. Whether its adults trying to control me or use me to further their own agenda or students using me for my fame. I rarely get to make any decisions for myself. That and every year it seems like something terrible happens centered around me. I've decided that I am going to take charge of my life and start doing things my way, adults be damned."
Tracy listened and really related to the boys rant. She had only known him a little bit before this summer and even over the summer they never really talked much, however as she listened to him talk now she was very drawn to him, and not just in a want to snog him sort of way. Harry had certain qualities that made it easy for him to lead people. Tracy realized right there that Harry was born to lead, he had all the right characteristics. Kind, compassionate, realistic, loyal and open to other ideas.
"That being said." As the two walked into the library. "We are here to do a bit of research on Wolves." Harry grinned as he guided them to the section of the library on beasts.
Tracy put her back down on the nearby table, "Wolves huh? Any particular kind?"
Harry noticed that she did not ask why and that raised his respect for the brunette. "Winter Wolves specifically but really just any magical wolf."
Tracy had all kinds of questions, but Harry made it very clear that if he wanted her to know it, he would have told her. The two of them searched shelf after shelf looking for books and finally coming across one was Tracy.
She took it back to the table where Harry was just finishing thumbing through Arctic Beasts and their Cold Heart. Which detailed several kinds of magical bears and deer but no wolves. Harry slumped into the table. They had found many mentions of Winter Wolves but nothing detailing them beyond descriptions and to say beware.
"I am beginning to think these things don't exists…" Harry spoke with his face pressed against the table.
Tracy opened her latest attempt, "There has to be something somewhere. We've found people mention them, someone had to have found something." She was quickly skimming pages looking for keywords or anything that stood out.
Harry sat up a few red marks on his face, "Even Newt Scamader didn't have anything to say about Winter Wolves, and he's supposed to have seen it all."
Tracy was about to respond when she turned the page, and saw a very lifelike depiction of a Winter Wolf.
The picture was of a wooded forest covered with a fluffy layering of snow. In the center of a cluster of trees stood a large almost five foot tall white wolf with bright blue eyes that appeared to melt into the falling snow. The creature had slight shading of azure and cerulean, its fur was waving in the snow like water on an ocean. Suddenly the wolf reared and showed its teeth which were razor sharp and tainted slightly with red blood. The beast then opened its mouth and a blast of ice erupted from its mouth and the picture returned to its original state.
Harry watched look of terror followed by the look of excitement washed over his friend. "What? What did you find?" He asked as he stood from the chair and walked around the table.
He laid eyes on the creature and for the first time had an image of what he looked like. The Winter Wolf depicted was in one word, Powerful. "Woah… I become that…?" Harry said without thinking.
Tracy's eyes went wide at his gaff, "What do you mean, become that?" She asked worriedly. Tracy was not as knowledgeable when it comes to the more complicated of magics.
"Oh!" Harry said as his mouth shot open and his eyes darted to Tracy. He really hadn't meant to share that piece of information. "Uhhh…"
Tracy saw the look of fear on his face and put a hand on his shoulder, "Harry, its ok." She smiled trying to reassure him.
Harry took a few quick breaths and then went back to looking at the picture in the ancient book. "I'm an Animagus like my mother and father." He said it while his eyes stared straight into the wolf in front of him.
"Animagus? Like McGonagall?" She asked clarifying what she was beginning to piece together.
Harry blinked a few times to force him to stop staring at the picture and he turned towards Tracy, "Tracy you can't tell anyone yet. Not even Daphne."
Tracy took out her wand and held it with both hands in front of her pointing it at Harry. "I Tracy Emily Davis swear on my mind and magic that I will not tell anyone that Harry Potter is an Animagus without his permission." She said it with conviction, and when she was done there was a faint blue light that flashed and was gone just as quickly.
Harry's shoulders dropped and he relaxed, "You didn't need to do that." He said somewhat under his breath.
"Yes, I did. Harry, I like you and I know Daph would do anything for you, but honestly I've never seen her as happy and relaxed as she is with you. Daphne means the world to me and to see you two together, it gives me hope." Tracy's eyes drifted off towards one of the nearby windows and she was staring out at the sun. "Hope that good things do happen to good people."
Her eyes quickly focused and she had a look that said she had made a decision. "Harry," she turned back to him. He quirked an eyebrow at her. "Voldemort's back and he's after you right?"
He nodded, "He thinks that I am the only thing stopping from him being immortal. Almost like it a fact."
"Like a Prophecy?" Tracy's eyes shot wide. Unlike her friend, Tracy actually took Divinations quite seriously. Tracy had on a number of occasions had dreams or visions and they would always come true. Usually it was about small things like, breaking nails, grades on tests and one time about how Marcus Flint tried to hit on Daphne.
"Prophecy? You mean like Trawlany?" Harry asked as his interest was peaked.
"Yeah, the things that you've said so far about Voldemort, you make it seem like it's written in stone that he has to kill you." Tracy was sitting down now and was pulling out a piece of parchment and one of her quills.
"He does seem oddly obsessed with me and me only, and I don't think it's just a pride thing." He sat next to her and leaned over her shoulder to see what she was writing.
"Let's start with what we know and, I am sure we'll get a better look when Hermione and Daphne get looped in, but If I were to guess…" She said as she was writing out a series of numbers and runes. "If there was a Prophecy made of you, It would have been before you were born, and likely the reason that your parents were killed."
Harry couldn't help but agree with her assessment. From the things that Harry knew of Voldemort he wasn't usually the one to go and kill people. He'd always send his followers and unless it was a really important mission or target, would he even step foot onto the battlefield. So why would he personally attack his parents unless he had a good enough reason to do so. "What would it say?"
Harry asked after several moments of silences while Tracy scratched out more unknown symbols. "Huh? Oh, the Prophecy. Well…" She said leaning backwards. "It could be anything really, Prophecies are made every few months and most of them never come true and some take decades to come true. Could be as simple as if he kills you he becomes immortal or it could be very complicated like You're destined to kill him." She shrugged. "This is a part of Divinations that a lot of debate has taken place. Most people think Prophecies are a big hoax and some people just make up fake Prophecies to make money."
"Is there anyway to find out if there is a Prophecy?" Harry asked hopefully.
"No, not unless you know who made the Prophecy and can ask them yourself." Tracy said with a disappointed look on her face. She knew what this would mean to him, she saw it clear as day on his face.
Harry sighed, "That'd be too easy right?" He joked and looked back down at the Winter Wolf. "So this is my Animagus form…." He said mumbling to himself.
"Wait?!" She said as she leaned her head so that it was resting just under his chin "You're a Winter Wolf?. That's so cool!"
Harry couldn't help but agree with her. Since he had taken that potion yesterday he began to feel another consciousness in his head, one that was very protective and predatory at the same time. Harry hadn't had a lot of time to explore it, but he knew it was there watching and listening.
"We'll see, I've only just started my training so I imagine I am a long way off." Harry was excited, McGonagall had been correct when he asked her on Saturday. "I can't wait for next week." He said as he leaned back quickly in his chair.
Tracy laughed, "You're so cute." Harry shot her a look while she was laughing still. "What? Oh you better get used to it, Daph and I make fun of each other all the time."
"I can tell. Why do I get the feeling we're gonna be spending a lot of time together this year?" He smirked at the Tomboyish Slytherin.
"Because every Thursday we are gonna be hanging out." She winked at him and punched him in the shoulder causing him to laugh and swat her lightly on the top of her head. She roared with laughter drawing the attention of a few students nearby.
"Good." Harry said to himself after he had stopped laughing. He then checked the time and saw they'd be leaving for Potions and they had a bit of a walk to dungeons.
"We should go, I am going to check this one out and do some research." He said folding the book up. "Thanks Tracy." He said as he reached for his bag.
"For what?" She asked him honestly as she too picked up her bag and got ready to leave while patting down her skirt.
"For being a good person." Harry replied with a smirk and gesturing with his hand for her to go first down the walkway towards the exit of the library.
"Oh I am not a good person Harry. I can be bad, very bad." She said in a low drown out sexy voice causing Harry to shiver slightly.
"Tracy…" Harry said as he finally got a hold of his emotions.
"Ya huh?"
"Thank you." He just smiled at her as they headed off towards the Dungeons making fun of each other the whole way with an increased mutual respect towards each other. Who would have thought that Harry Potter's life would change so greatly when he first met Aurora Greengrass three months ago.
Potions went by rather uneventfully, except for Daphne and Hermione agreeing to meet with Harry and Tracy after classes were done. Daphne was in a very good mood apparently she and Hermione had been talking all throughout Arithmancy.
This was very much a relief to Harry, somewhere inside of him he was worried that Hermione and Daphne wouldn't get alone and that he'd have to choose one or the other. He was very excited that they were getting on so well.
As dinner ended Harry, Daphne, Tracy, Hermione, and Ginny all walked out together and found an empty classroom. Harry and Hermione took about five minutes putting put some privacy enchantments.
"Ok. What did you two want to tell us?" Daphne asked her best friend and boyfriend.
"Well, it wasn't so much me as Tracy." Harry said with a slight blush. Tracy walked up to the front of everyone.
"Well It's just an idea…" She started nervously. "But I think the reason that Voldemort is so hellbent on killing Harry is because of a Prophecy." As she said it, her chest relaxed. She had no idea that she was so worked up over this, it wasn't as if Voldemort was after her.
The room was silent for a moment before Harry stood up, "I think she might be right. Based on what he was saying in the Graveyard, he thinks that I am the only thing stopping him from becoming immortal."
Daphne continued, "It makes sense. If he had become aware of a prophecy about someone that was to kill him, he'd take every measure that said person never got the chance. It's what I would do." She said matter-of-factly.
Several moments passed before Hermione stood up and started pacing back and forth, "Lets just assume that he tried to kill you when you were a baby because of said Prophecy. That would explain why the Killing Curse couldn't kill you, but not why he's still alive today." She was pacing back and forth and Harry swore he could see small puffs of smoke coming from her ears.
Ginny spoke next, "So let's assume that there is a Prophecy about Harry and Voldemort. How do we find out what it says?"
Tracy took over, "Well I did a bit of looking during last period. Apparently the Ministry catalogs all Prophecies made in the Department of Mysteries."
"THE DEPARTMENT OF MYSTERIES" Harry, Daphne and Hermione all shouted as they spun to face Tracy.
The shorter hair brunette jumped backwards, "Woa, no need to shout."
The three of them turned to each other and began sharing looks, before Ginny stood and was glaring hard at Harry. "Spill!"
Harry's excited expression dropped and he slumped back into his chair. "Gin, I was going to tell you Saturday but…"
"You don't have to apologize, Harry." She walked over to him and crouched down and looked him in the eyes. "You can tell me when your ready." She patted him on the knee. Harry rolled his shoulders up and patted her lightly on the head and walked up to Daphne.
Daphne knew what he was doing, she wasn't sure she agreed with him entirely but he knew his friends better than she did. She gave him an encouraging kiss and waited for what she expected to be a long story.
Harry proceeded to tell the four of them everything that had happened over the past five years leaving out no details. Tracy and Daphne both gasped when Ginny added details about their experience in the Chamber of Secrets. Hermione even started crying when Harry told them about his duel with Voldemort. It took several hours to get through all the questions and all the tears.
Harry turned towards the room, "Look, I don't think this is a surprise but I am going to fight Voldemort till he kills me or dies. That doesn't mean that you have…"
"STOP!" Hermione almost cried.
"Harry James Potter! Don't you fucking finished that sentence." Daphne said sternly.
"You can't do this alone. You and I both know what it's like to face him and even on your best day he's just too strong." Ginny said passionately.
"Like I'd let you have all the Fun and Glory. You need us, all of us!" Tracy said as she stomped her feet.
Harry stood completely stunned at the display of courage and friendship before him. Sure he figured something from Hermione. She'd always been with him through everything. Even Daphne made sense since he was family, but Ginny and Tracy willing to pledge themselves to fight with him. It showed him that he wasn't alone.
"Guys…" Harry started
"Girls actually." Tracy corrected which caused Daphne and Hermione to both shoot her a funny glare and Ginny to snicker. Harry's mood lightened and his face relaxed.
"Ladies." Harry said nodding with a smile.
"Honey just stop." Daphne said as she smiled. Harry's chest began to warm slightly, he'd never had a term of endearment like that before. Sure Mrs. Weasley called him sweetie or love a few times but this was different. He smiled dumbly at her for a second before seeing that his girlfriend still had more to say. "Your going to embarrass yourself and me in the process."
Daphne walked over to him and grabbed his two hands and held them loosely. "Harry we all know that you're going to fight Voldemort. WE know…" she said gesturing to Tracy and Ginny. "...that by associating with you that we are endangered." Daphne looked him straight in the eye. "We. Don't. Care. I am going to fight this fucker and his dipshit…" she stammered quickly trying to find the right words to use. "Psychonutbags." Tracy nodded and Ginny smiled.
"Harry, you can't possible do this alone." Hermione added. "Heck the past four years you've never been alone. Sure during the Tournament you had to compete alone, but Flitwitck was tutoring you in advanced spells."
"And we spent hours with Neville and Hermione in the library trying to figure out how you could breathe underwater for an hour." Ginny added.
Daphne nodded supportively as the three others helped bolster her courage. "Basically what we are leading up to is…" Daphne stumbled a bit and turned to Hermione, who just nodded and pushed her on with her facial expression. "We want you to teach us how to defend ourselves."
Harry went to put his hands up but Hermione spoke before he could. "Don't even think about giving that crap about how your not good enough. Like hell your not." Harry was shocked at Hermione's use of foul language, he figured it was likely due to her associating with Daphne. "You've scored the best in Defense out of almost the entire school. You've fought with Voldemort how many times?"
"Yeah but…"
"I DON'T care." Hermione interrupted as she marched over and stood next to him grabbing his shoulder and turning him to face her. "You are the best person to teach us and,Umbridge is a fucking Fraud." This earned a gasp from both Ginny and Tracy and Harry's jaw fell slightly. Daphne smirked inside knowing that she had corrupted the Gryffindor Golden Girl just a little. "She won't teach us because she and Fudge are scared of you and Dumbledore starting an Army to overthrow the Ministry." She was on a roll now. Harry found it hard to find logic in that, he'd only had a small interaction with the woman and he could tell that she was useless.
Hermione was steaming mad and twitching slightly, her eyes were glaring hard at Harry. "Alright."
"Harry You have to…. What?" Hermione started what was likely a very well rehearsed speech to convince him to do it, but stopped flabbergasted at his response.
"I said alright, Mione." He was giggling slightly causing Hermione to blush and look down. The other girls in the room started giggling.
Hermione soon straighten up as Daphne and Tracy put and arm on both of her shoulders. She looked like she was about to cry but quickly wiped her eyes with her sleeve and looked at him. "Good." She huffed and then gave him a quick hug.
After a few moments everyone walked back to their desks and leaned or sat on them. Harry turned to the girls, "So you all were in on this?" He didn't wait for responses because they all just nodded or smirked. "How will it work?"
Daphne started, "Well first we'd have to find a space to practice."
Hermione followed, "Then we'd get a few of the other students that we know and trust." Harry got nervous at the idea of bringing in more people.
"Wait… other students… Just how many?" Harry said, his voice rising a few octaves.
"Not many; people like Neville, Luna, Hanna, Susan and Dean." Hermione answered and Ginny nodded next to her.
"Blaise would want to join." Tracy said smugly looking at Daphne.
"Zabini?" Harry questioned, "Doesn't he report straight to Malfoy?" He said slyly remembering that it was likely that Malfoy would want to be part of this group but for appearance would have to remain unseen.
"No, actually he and his father are fairly neutral." Daphne corrected as she kicked off the desk. "He, Tracy and I have been sorta allies for the past four years. He only acts as though he's part of camp Draco so his life is easier but he'd sooner see Draco strung up than see you get hurt." Tracy smirked while Hermione was intrigued.
'Fine, so we bring these folks together and bring them into a safe place then what?" Harry asked honestly.
"Then you teach us how to defend ourselves and fight back." Ginny said soundly.
"Harry, you can produce a fully corporeal Patronus. Most of our parents can't even do that." Daphne said gesturing to the three other witches in the room. "The way that you fought at Hermione's house was amazing. I've never seen wand work that quick."
Harry was starting to get a bit red and he started to hide his face. "That was one time, and if you remember I broke my leg that night." He corrected.
"Yeah, after you took down a Death Eater who would have killed any or all of is without hesitation." Hermione finished.
Harry was beat and he knew it, he was the best one outside of the teachers to teach them, and if what the girls said about Umbridge was true and they weren't going to learn any spells. Then of course he'd step up and help his friends. Friends that in all likelihood could be attacked or killed without reason. Harry let out a big sigh, "Fine, let's find a space. BUT!" He said as all the girls heads rose. "I am not going to be teaching alone." He stopped for a second gauging reactions. "You are going to help me, I've never been a teacher before and I don't know two things about how to teach."
Daphne let out a breath she had been holding for almost a minute. "Of course Harry. I'd be happy to help with teaching and demonstrating things."
"I'd be more than happy to help with lesson plans." Hermione said excitedly.
"Ginny and I can help you research and test new spells." Tracy said helpfully.
"You didn't think we'd come to you and expect you do everything did you." Ginny joked and slapped him hard on the shoulder.
Harry nodded at all of them as they had gathered in a semi-circle around him. "Thank you, all of you."
After a few moments Tracy let out a big yawn. "Ohhh! Excuse me. I think its bed time." She said mischievously while wiggling her eyebrows at Daphne.
Ginny faked looking at her watch, "Oh my time to go, I got a potions paper to start." She too smirked at Harry and Daphne.
Hermione walked over and handed Harry the Marauders Map and his Invisibility Cloak and just waved goodbye quickly following the other two girls out of the room quietly.
Meanwhile Daphne was standing a few feet away from Harry twirling her blonde hair over her shoulder and shifting nervously on her toes.
"Why do I get the feeling that they didn't really have to leave…" He said walking over and grabbing Daphne by her waist causing her to jump slightly.
Daphne nuzzled backwards pressing herself against his chest, "I may… have asked them… to cover for us…" She said as she slowly turned around and snaked her hands up to his chest. "So we could spend another… night together…" She said hopefully.
Harry smirked at his girlfriend as he quickly located the most direct path to the Astronomy Tower. "You're coming with me," he said, throwing the Invisibility Cloak over their shoulders and pulling her towards the tower.
Knowing the tower had just been searched by the Prefects, meant they had several hours before the next patrol would be back. Harry's eyes glimmered with mischievous flickers of magic knowing full well what he wanted to do with his unsuspecting girlfriend.
Daphne, of course, had an entirely different idea as to how she wanted the evening to go down. As they wound their way across the castle, Daphne couldn't believe the level of excitement building inside her. By the time they got to the top of the tower she was breathing heavily, but not entirely because of the 200 flights of stairs.
"Thank go-," was all she was able to get out before Harry was pushing her against the cold stones, kissing her with animalistic force.
As he slowly started to kiss her neck and collarbone, he growled and then quickly pulled himself away from her.
"I'm sorry Daph, I don't know if this is me or the Wolf." His eyes turned downward as he turned his body away. He didn't want to hurt her, but after yesterday , he wasn't sure where he ended and the wolf began.
'Wolf huh…' Daphne thought to herself and quickly filed away.
"Harry, it's okay." Daphne reached out to him and put a hand on his cheek. Her normally icy eyes softened as she studied his features. "I want this and I want you. Besides, it was kinda fun being pushed against the wall."
Her shrug and smiled, quickly putting his plan into action. Harry leaned back into her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pushed her back against the stones. He gasped as her normally cool hands felt like fire as they brushed across his arms before snaking into his hair.
Not wanting to stop kissing her, Harry slowly started to inch his hands up Daphne's shirt, every so often digging his nails into her skin, which caused her to push herself into him even more. This time his growl was quieter but he felt it echoed through his body.
Daphne was starting to breath heavily again as her hands roamed through his hair and across his neck and shoulders. She had felt his growl, which caused her to whimper into him. She wanted more, and frantically started undoing the buttons on his shirt. She was thankful that his tie was loosely hanging around his neck, making it easy to slip over his head and toss it aside.
As Daphne started undoing his shirt buttons, Harry had unknowingly grabbed her shirt and ripped it open, causing several buttons to go flying. "Harry!" Daphne cried out, "I don't want to have to explain why my buttons are missing."
"Don't worry, I'll help you find them later," he said as he slowly started kissing and licking her now bare shoulders. "God you smell amazing Daph."
She instinctively shuddered and moved her hands down toward the top of his pants where she could feel his growing erection aching to be released. She had quickly taken off his belt and slide his pants down, but before she could get to his boxers, he had pinned her hands above her head.
"Not yet, you are still wearing too many clothes." And he quickly pulled off her robes, shirt and bra, leaving her in just her skirt and stockings. The cool air quickly wrapped around her, and when he noticed her slight shiver, put her robe back on. Harry greatly enjoyed the cold air and was perfectly content to stand in front of her wearing nothing but his boxers.
Tracing his fingers up and down her torso, he relished the feeling of her hand slowly moving around his groin. It amazed him, the way she could make him feel electrified with the softest of touches. Wanting her to feel the same electricity, his fingers began moving over the tops of her legs and her inner thighs.
"Harry, I… I...," she whimpered softly, her eyes begging him to touch her.
Harry's fingers started to dance across her skin before slipping under her skirt, slowly moving upward until he felt her underwear brushed his fingertips. The lacy fabric made him moan and throw his head back before setting it between her breasts. His fingers quickly pushed the delicate fabric to the side and started to explore her folds, as his tongue circled one of her nipples. He grinned into her, and gently pushed two fingers inside her.
"HARRY!" She called out, moaning. Her breathing increased as she felt him slowly push in as far as he could.
For a moment he didn't move. Letting her get used to him, and once her breathing evened out, very gently pulled out. He could hear her pout as he did, and then quickly pushed back inside. The teasing of a quick push and slow pull out was driving her mad. Every so often, he would curl his fingers into her, which always resulted in her calling out his name.
Daphne was losing her mind with the careful teasing of Harry's fingers inside her and his mouth still wrapped around her breast. "Please Harry, I can't take it, please."
Hearing her beg was all it took for him to slowly increase the speed of his fingers. Getting a little more forceful and pushing as deep as he could, he could feel her starting to clench down around him. He was relentless, and kept speeding up until he felt her explode on him. Panting and calling his name, he pushed her against the wall to ensure that she would not fall over as his fingers continued to move insider her, her orgasm causing her body to shake as she continued to feel him move.
Harry smiled and gently removed his fingers and gathered the now panting Daphne in his arms. He carefully brought her to the floor of the tower, and laid down on his back, looking up into the spire. She curled up against him with her head on his shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"Night Daph."
She mumbled some inaudible which made Harry chuckle. Harry laid awake for another twenty minutes or so thinking about the predatory drive that took over. It felt good to give into the power but also scared him at how easy it was to lose control. He made a note that he would have to learn a way to control it otherwise someone could get hurt.
As his heart rate returned to normal, the smell of lavender began to lull his brain into a rhythmic sleep. He found it difficult to keep his eyes open. He then remembered they were still on top of the Astronomy tower and it wasn't even midnight yet.
He grabbed his wand and cast a simple alarm charm to wake him at three so he and Daphne could return to their dorms before the change of Prefects. He then conjured two soft pillows and tucked one under his head and the other right under Daphne's rib cage that was resting uncomfortably on the stone floor.
Harry tucked his wand under the pillow so it would wake him. He closed his eyes and pulled his arm a bit tighter pulling Daphne closer to him. He was asleep in minutes after that, hopefully to have dreams about his blonde brown-eyed girlfriend.