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A/n: We are starting with Hedwig! Sorry that its a bit late for Christmas! Enjoy!
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It seemed like an eternity as the former Snowy Owl looked through her choices.
Fire or Ice Phoenix, Occamy, 4 unknown Dragons, Abraxan, Thestral, Griffin, Hippogriff, a Large Magical Wild Cat, Nundu, Zouwu, Kneazle, Sphinx, Basilisk/Other magical serpent, Unicorn, Veela, Centaur. These were what remained of what she could actually officially pick from. The Veela and Centaur were out because they would take too long to grow old enough to be able to find and protect her chick. The others she could work with even if finding herself as a baby dragon would be a serious stretch to protecting her Harry-chick.
As Hedwig looked over her options as offered by the being she now concluded was a representation of Death and a sneaky thought crossed her mind. Death let her add one ability to help protect her chick what about more? Then too something told her there were hidden options...
"^I am willing to sacrifice more to reveal hidden options and know if I can add more extras,^" Hedwig told a very patient Death respectfully.
"Oh? Have you any in mind to sacrifice or will you risk loosing what form you want in trade?" Death asked with a chuckle. "You have already given up more than half of your options for eternity to claim a permanent ability to resize yourself at will and boost any familiar bond you form."
"^I will sacrifice the Thestral, Abraxan, Veela, Centaur, and Hippogriff if you are willing,^" Hedwig offered quickly. She thought it was a good thing she had asked as she hadn't known about loosing the forms for eternity or about the other two abilities being permanent. The familiar bond being boosted was also a surprise in and of itself. Then again the permanent ability to resize on a whim? That basically removed her largest reasons for looking at the Occamy as she had purchased its primary magical ability. She would leave it as an option for now but there wasn't as much drive to pick it anymore.
"Done," Death said in satisfaction. The chosen forms disappeared in a flash. "There are no hidden forms per say but you may purchase the opportunity to have multiple forms of no more than 3 total. You may also purchase no more than 3 specific additions to your forms which will create a new magical creature in the end that will carry down to your children. One option which will not carry down in your line's blood is a form of immortality or rebirth for this first returning bond with your Harry-chick so that you can not die permanently until he does. The rebirth would manifest similar to a Phoenix's Burning or Freezing day depending upon the chosen forms. This would cycle your base form for each rebirth if you choose to have multiple forms. By sacrificing everything but your chosen forms you will gain all of the specific options I just listed as well as placement in a location near your Harry-chick so that he will receive you shortly after rebirth. Once your Harry has died and moved on to be with his parents your immortality and rebirth cycle would end. Your mortality would revert to what amounts to normal for your forms."
"^I will sacrifice the Kneazle, Zouwu, and Sphinx for the 3 forms now if you are willing?^" Hedwig chirruped. She assumed that he would want at least 3 forms to pay for the option to have 3 forms and was shortly proven correct.
"Done," Death agreed with a chuckle, vanishing the three illusions with a flash.
This left her with a Fire or Ice Phoenix, an Occamy, 4 unknown Dragons, a Griffin, a Large Magical Wild Cat, a Nundu, a Basilisk or other magical serpent, and a Unicorn to pick from. Decisions, decisions.
Hedwig had to be careful. There was no doubt in her mind that once she had chosen her 3 forms she would sacrifice the others for the remaining gifts that Death had offered. Oh she knew what he was doing. He was purposefully limiting her so that she couldn't become an immortal terror until the rebirth of all things and permanently locking her in her chosen forms. She just didn't see it as an issue.
"May I assume that you will be sacrificing those you do not pick for the remaining options?" Death asked in open amusement. Hedwig nodded her agreement and watched as the Unicorn disappeared. "The Unicorn is incompatible with too many of the others and the mix could drive you insane so that you kill your Harry-chick. I will take it now as I do not believe that one who has sacrificed so much to get back to their child would be willing to take such a risk. You may pick an additional 4th ability with its loss."
Hedwig hooted in fervent agreement. She did not want to kill her Harry-chick! Right then she knew that it didn't matter how long this was going to take to pick her forms she would not risk her Harry-chick!
"^The rebirth,^" Hedwig told him, after a moment of thought.
"Rebirth as necessary for the duration of your bond with your Harry-chick, permanent resizing at will, a stronger than usual familiar bond, and 3 base forms are what you have attached to your soul thus far," Death listed again helpfully. "I would list them as Limited Rebirth, Resizing, a Strong Familiar Bond, and 3 Forms for short."
"^The Ice Phoenix, Nundu, and one of the Dragons are to be my forms,^" Hedwig said, finally coming to a decision.
Hedwig knew that she would likely favor the Ice Phoenix form just because of how similar it is to her original owl body. Its transport and healing abilities would be a major bonus if those dangerous fat idiots had hurt her Harry-chick again. The Nundu with its ability to pass for a normal kitten would be best for letting her Harry-chick cuddle but still dangerous enough to let her fight in a pinch. The dragon... well it was powerful, dangerous, could breath fire, and was closely enough related to oversized serpents that she should be able to talk to her chick with a little effort. The only downside to her picks was that only the Phoenix form would be seen as an acceptable familiar for her chick.
"Done. Your descendants will have one base form with the option to acquire two more as they age, similar to a human animagus. The resizing at will is also attached to your blood for your children as well as the stronger familiar bond. Until you have bonded with your Harry-chick the other two forms will be locked to you," Death told her as the remaining options vanished. Hedwig barely managed to flinch in shock before experiencing pain as the forms merged with her soul and she passed out. Blackness engulfed her for a good long while after that and it was only much later that she would realize how unspecific she had been about her dragon form...
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Harry slowly ate his breakfast, clearly doing his absolute best to avoid going to the Ministry with his Captor/New Head of Family and his Potions Professor/New Father. The summons had arrived the night before listing all three of them as different witnesses to the same event. The official citation title was "to present memories in regards to the resurrection of the Dark Lord and the events leading up to said resurrection". Harry had winced at that phrasing. At a guess they only thought they were going to cover the Third Task and the actual resurrection ritual. The problem was that the phrasing actually covered every single "adventure" for each of his previous four school years. He had, after all, stopped Voldemort from actually resurrecting twice and in third year Pettigrew's escape was vital to completing the resurrection at the end of the tournament. Harry just knew that this was going to blow up in his face.
"Brat, at worst you will be writing out essays on how to do better and lines on thinking before you act," Severus scowled, entirely fed up with Harry's quiet worry. "We may be working with the Aurors for the moment but we are still officially captives and hostages. We can't be arrested for any of your foolish stunts. Depending upon how badly you risked your life and the lives of your fellow students you might be turned over my knee for swats to your rear end and your broom confiscated. Alternatively, I may have you cleaning cauldrons nightly for the next thirty years. In all of that you still won't be harmed. Am I understood?"
"Yes, sir," Harry muttered distractedly. As odd as it might sound he now trusted these two wizards not to hurt him physically. That might change once his deal about not being tortured or killed officially ended with the Dark Lord but for now he was completely safe... physically.
Oh, he knew why they were irritated. They didn't know yet, beyond the tournament, exactly what he had needed to face each year. Harry was under no illusion that he would get out of this with only a scolding. The thought of the wizarding world turning on him again wasn't pleasant either.
Voldemort impatiently sorted them out ten minutes later and they flooed to the Ministry complete with Harry's usual attempt to face plant as he was flung from the fireplace. The original healer exam had explained part of why he was so terrible at most magical transportation. Simply put with how many times Petunia had slammed her iron skillet into his head she had cracked his skull often enough that each time his magic repaired it there was a slight residue left behind. That residue of magic resonated so strongly with the transportation magics that his skull literally rattled his brain slightly every time it took effect. It didn't apply to brooms because the broom's magic formed a weak protective bubble around the flyer to help protect from the G forces when breaking. This meant that the magic was wrapped more loosely around Harry when he flew than at any other time using magical transport. The Knight Bus didn't count as it was its own manic insanity.
They were met by an escort which immediately led them to the elevators and not a word was spoken between them until they were led out on to the courtroom floor.
"I am afraid that there was enough official interest from multiple ruling parties that we will need to view them from a projector pensive down in courtroom ten. It was one of the reasons that it took us so long to contact you for the memories. Instead of just sending an Auror around to collect them, thanks to Dumbledore's clear insanity during the Conclave, several standing treaties now rest on viewing them jointly," Amelia Bones told them apologetically, finally speaking. "The extra memory copies will be sealed before we start and handed out to each group at the end of the viewing for later detailed examination by those attending. The press will be restricted in what it can publish and kept away from all of you in the public seating area."
"This was not in the missive," Voldemort growled lowly. The offered safe passage was certainly more understandable with this set up though. He didn't like taking this risk but he had offered his own memories and it wasn't like they could get out of sharing Harry's as well. Besides, he was extremely interested in viewing things from Harry's side for his own sake. If nothing else it would help him counter the damage that Dumbledore had already done to his human Horcrux and ward. That didn't mean he was going to be stupid and let his panthers out of arm's reach but needs must.
They entered peacefully into Courtroom 10, the largest of the currently used Courtrooms, and saw that everything had been set up already. Among the audience Harry recognized all of the three remaining Heads of House from Hogwarts and many of the people who had attended the conclave. Severus stayed at his son's back, guarding him, even as Voldemort kept the lead and made certain that they stayed close to him. Their seats were obvious and not one comment was issued as they sat down in their own area off to one side.
"Before we begin, I would like to remind you all that this is a formal joint inquiry and that no charges can or will be filed at this time. The press will be restricted on what it can publish on pain of summary execution as a threat to our world has been established and what memories we view today are to help clarify certain facts. That said, under magical law, the Dark Lord can not be charged with any crimes prior to his regaining his body due to the Rebirth law. Medical evidence has also been submitted proving his previous lack of sanity and his current return to sanity. You will be given copies of that evidence as well as duplicated copies of the memories viewed in this inquiry. Questions?" Madam Bones announced to those assembled.
"Gringotts would request that Mr. Potter's most impressive feat of combat be viewed first to establish a warrior baseline," the goblin representative quickly informed her. There was a mutter of interest and agreement from the various others present.
Harry mentally winced as he had no idea how to pick that. Was it the time he fought the Basilisk? The time he out flew a Dragon during the tournament? The graveyard duel? Facing off against those Dementor hoards in third year? He just didn't know. It wasn't like he was trying to fight anything. His only goal during all of the "combat incidents" was to stay alive and get away to safety.
"Er, I don't know what qualifies," Harry offered quickly, hoping they would just drop it.
"List them," Severus ordered, his tone brooking no argument. Harry, hoping to avoid showing a few memories opted to go with the most well known incidents first. He wasn't even going to bother with anything minor.
"There was the time I out flew a dragon for the first task of the Triwizard tournament last year. The times I had to deal with the Dementors in third year. The time I fought a Basilisk inside the school in second year... and the Graveyard duel," Harry offered up reluctantly.
"Salazar's Basilisk?" Voldemort asked, his tone ominous. Harry nodded reluctantly. He knew the older wizard had met the Basilisk since the Diary was the reason for Harry to meet and kill it.
"My Lord?" Severus asked cautiously. Clearly the other two knew something about that mess that he did not. Not that he was particularly surprised at this point that Dumbledore had been lying to him. After all if the old goat lied about Harry's home life (something which Harry's medical check had practically screamed in their faces) then what else had he lied about?
"The Basilisk memory first then," Voldemort instructed with a grimace. This was not going to be pleasant.
"Include any attempts to seek help," Severus ordered, his stomach filling with dread. Harry nodded reluctant agreement and worked with the person who was manning the projective pensive to place the memories into the artifact in the correct order.
The first memory to be projected on to the wall had Ron and Harry discovering the paper in Hermione's frozen hand with them rushing off to find a professor. Those assembled watched as Harry's memory face showed a quickly hidden flash of terror at the mention of the school closing, making most of them wonder why. Severus and Voldemort just kept their imp trapped between them, hugging him without using their arms. The discovery of Ginny's disappearance and the capture of Lockhart came next.
"He does not count as a competent adult," Severus muttered disdainfully.
"12," Harry reminded him just as quietly. They both knew his age had been a major factor. "Besides, we tried to get help in first year over the stone and McGonagall told us the staff wouldn't even check. You already hated me and we thought you were the danger anyway. You are the only one that really pays attention to my friends and I judging mostly by the detentions I get."
"That is not exactly accurate," Severus said, clearly hiding how disturbed he was by the assessment. The staff had, after all, been dealing with all the extras that come with teaching a huge celebrity. For instance Black and Voldemort were not the only ones trying to stalk, dose with potions (love potions and others), harm and/or kill Harry. They were simply the most successful at actually getting in range to do anything. The extra potions Severus had needed to brew combined with Dumbledore's harassment instructions and prodding (saying that Harry was a miniature James) as well as the unresolved magical feud had all but boiled over during that first lesson. Knowing what he knew now made him very uncomfortable thinking back on that first year potions lesson. It also made him ridiculously glad that Harry had agreed to start over even if it immediately moved into a magical adoption.
Harry didn't say anything more as the memories lead to Myrtle and her bathroom. He knew this next sequence was going to be the start of how things changed and he wasn't looking forwards to it at all.
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A/n: Alright, Next section we meet the Basilisk!
Be aware that the memory sequence will not be in chronological order. I will try to keep them in some related order but I may also pull a "oops, wrong memory" at random.