Disclaimer: HP universe and characters belongs to - definitely not me.
A/N: Thanks for the Fav and Follows. Read and Review.
Shouting and Scouting
September, 1988, Little Whinging, Surrey.
The summer ended and school started and their routine remained same like last year, though there were some changes.
Anna had asked him if he wanted to join the school football team, and Harry had liked the idea but had hesitated, thinking if he would have enough time. She had arranged his schedule to make time for it and also reducing his time with her for training.
When he had protested it, she had told him they would have time later and he was at a good place in learning magic so it wouldn't hurt for him to do what he wants.
And she would still be there later.
So he had tried for the team and had been selected. He had even made a few friends among his teammates.
Harry thought his life had definitely changed for better in the last year.
Even with all the revelations from Anna in the summer holidays, about her and him being Death's masters, about which he still felt skeptical sometimes, learning all about Voldemort, learning to use his magic, it was all so much. But he was happy with it all.
His life was so different now. He had a proper room, meals, a great sister - for he considered Anna his sister, as he had said she was the older sister he didn't wanted, but loved anyway. He even had some friends now. And was liked by most of the school.
The people attributed it to Anna's influence and he couldn't agree more. She had helped him turn his life around. She says it was all him, but if she hadn't been there it would have been a tough life for him as she herself had told him.
He was going to give her a new album from MJ, he knew she loved his songs and some of her favorite cookies from the elves he had asked them to bake for her, for her birthday. She would again be an year older than him now.
They were going to have a meal together in the local diner to celebrate it after they leave the dojo.
-x-
"Hey, Harry-kun what thoughts are you lost in?" Anna asked.
"Just… Nothing, Onēchan. Here I had bought this for you and the elves made those." He said handing her the gifts as they walked back towards the Dursley house later.
She opened the gift wrap and was excited to see both the gifts.
"You are the best Harry-chan. Thanks for them." She said kissing his cheek.
Harry just smiled at her excitement.
She was so old, not physically but mentally she was older than anyone on the planet, but still acted so child-like, so full of life. How she was still so energetic when she had spend so many lifetimes on earth he just doesn't understand. Though she had her quirks.
She didn't like when he gets angry, won't talk to him until he calms down. Doesn't like fights much either. Would avoid confrontation.
But is ruthless when she wants.
Dudley, though he had stayed away from them last year, had taunted him with his cronies after he was selected for the team. He had walked past them but they had tried to push him around.
He had avoided them after they had tried it the first time, but they continued it in the next week.
When Anna saw them she had gone Mama Bear on them.
Warning them to stay away from him.
He didn't need her to save him or protect him from them. But while he was too polite and nice to retaliate, she wouldn't mind at all, she had said.
They had tried to push her around as well, but they didn't knew of her fame, being undefeated fighter in the dojo.
Nobody could beat her except the Sensei and she had told him it was because she respected him and he was a truly great master and fighter.
Also it would look odd if she could beat him, just being 8, now 9 year old.
Sensei seemed to suspect that she was holding back, but hadn't ever called her on it.
She had all of Dudley's cronies and him on the ground in seconds, and had warned them again to not mess with him or her again.
They hadn't had any serious injuries but the pain from the bruises was enough to keep them away. They hadn't told anyone about her beating them up, just that they got injured fighting each other. So she hadn't had to listen to any complaints.
"They probably didn't liked getting beat by a girl." She had said to him.
While he was quick to temper, but still quick enough to lose it. She was slow to temper and had a hard time losing it.
She had told him her secret to calm down then. She had bought some cheap cup and saucers, and plates and glasses made of ceramic. Then smashed them all one by one on the wall, she had conjured in their clearing.
He had just watched her do it all silently. After all the things were gone she had finally calmed down, then had smiled at him sheepishly.
He had just smiled back and said it looked like a great way to just lose it. She had laughed at his description.
"You got lost in thoughts again, Harry-kun. You need rest. Is the schedule too much for you? Too hectic?" Anna asked bringing him back from his thoughts.
"No, Onēchan. I'm not tired." He said.
"Much." He added when she looked unsure.
"Don't worry. The schedule's not hectic. I love the busy routine actually and I still get time with you. So all's well." Harry said.
She left him at the Dursleys house with a thanks again, not coming inside.
When he got inside only his superior reflex saved him from a blow to his head. He had closed the door so he ducked another hand and moved towards the stairs and was able to reach them safely. He ran towards his room and was faster than the attacker who collided with the closed door.
His heart was beating erratically in his chest as he moved away from the door.
Nyx, who had been lounging on his bed was alerted at once when she saw him running inside the room.
His attackers identity was confirmed as Vernon started shouting from outside the door, "I know you beat Dudley, you freak. Open this blasted door and I'll show you what happens when you mess with my son."
"I didn't beat him Vernon. He was trying to harass me so Anna retaliated for me. We had told you we wouldn't take anything lying down. Now leave me alone. Or I wouldn't mind making you leave." He shouted back.
He locked the door securely with his magic, even though he knew Anna's wards were working well. Then sat at the bed stroking Nyx scales to calm her down.
"~Its alright, Nyx. Calm down. I'm alright.~"
"~What happened Harry? Why was that fatty after you?~" Nyx asked still agitated.
"~Anna beat Dudley when he tried to harass me. So he was trying to get revenge for him I guess.~" Harry replied.
She just gave a series of curses as he tried to calm her down.
After making sure Vernon was gone he changed his clothes and laid on his bed. He wasn't able to sleep till late and when he did fall asleep, he slept fitfully.
The next day he was tired from having only a little sleep the night before, but still alert. After making sure Vernon was gone for the day he left quickly, not even eating breakfast.
He had seen Petunia with a pinched look on her face. Though it seemed she wasn't angry at him but Vernon.
When he reached their meeting place Anna took one look at his face and dragged him towards the playground. There was still time for school, so they went to the clearing. She asked him if he had breakfast. At the shake of his head she called Folksy and asked her to bring him something.
After he had eaten the food Anna asked, "What happened?"
"Vernon was lying in wait for me. To beat me I guess. I escaped unharmed, don't worry. Ran straight to my room. He said he knew I had beaten Dudley so he was going to retaliate I guess. I told him I didn't do it. And you did it because he was harassing me. I told him to leave me alone or I would make him leave. He didn't tried anything after that. But I don't know if he had backed down." He let out a sigh.
"You are absolutely alright? He didn't get you?"
"No. He didn't get me. I am really alright. Though really tired now. I didn't sleep well last night. You could guess why." He said stroking Nyx's scales. She had decided to go everywhere with him, to protect him.
He had shrunken her down and she had wrapped around his arm under the sleeve. He had warned her to attack only if he was in danger, but just scare Vernon if he tried to attack again.
Anna remained silent. "I'm sorry Harry. If I hadn't beaten Dudley and his gang-" she started unsure.
"-then they would have been still harassing me. You did what you had promised. You wouldn't let anyone hurt me. I'll too, do, as I promised and retaliate if he did that stunt again."
"I'll come with you tonight."
"No Anna. You wouldn't be always there for me. I know you will try. But I can handle Vernon. Yesterday my reflexes saved me. I guess I did make the right decision joining the dojo, eh? I would be more alert now. Don't worry."
"Are you sure? Please be cautious Harry-chan." She said hugging him.
"The ass, Vernon. I would beat him worse than Dudley if he hurts you. But it would be best if he doesn't touch you at all. I'll remain in my cat form. But I'll come with you." She added decisively.
"But what about the matron?" Harry asked.
He didn't know if he should be happy for her protective behavior or exasperated at her being overprotective or angry she wasn't listening to him.
"I'll just pretend I'm going to bed early and then sneak back out. Then I'll follow you disillusioned and in my cat form. If he does anything, we will show him. I'm sure he will piss himself just seeing Nyx threatening him."
On seeing various emotions on his face she added, "Don't be angry, Harry-kun. I wouldn't interfere if you retaliate. I just want to be there as a safeguard. I know you can take care of yourself. I trust in your abilities. I will just worry about you, if I wasn't with you."
He just smiled with a shake of his head. Settling on being exasperated.
"No worries, Anna. What had you called it Hakuna Matata, right?"
"Right. We are definitely going to see the movie when its released. You will love it. The Lion King."
"Yes. We will. For now let's go to school. We are going to be late if we don't hurry."
"Want a piggyback ride?" Anna asked, then didn't wait for him to answer and just ran after depositing him on her back.
He protested all the way to school and she put him down before they reached it, because he had a reputation to maintain after all. They jogged to the school from there, reaching it just as the bell rang.
After school, Harry had football practice, then they would go to the dojo together. She practiced her piano in the time of his football practice.
She had an electronic keyboard she had bought in a music store in London and secured it away in a magical pocket in the clearing. She practiced it there most days.
They had a meal together in the diner and then first went to the orphanage, there Harry said goodbye, then walked around the corner waiting for her in an alley.
He soon saw her in her kitten form and scooped her up, scratching behind her ear making her purr and hiss at him alternately.
He knew she did that to make him smile and he appreciated the gesture.
They reached the Dursley house and he put her down disillusioning her. Then kept a shield around himself as he opened the door. Everyone was in the living room. Deciding to get it over with he went inside and saw all of them sitting on the couch watching the TV.
On seeing him enter, Vernon had gone purple in the face, Dudley had smirk on his, while Petunia looked sour. She was, miraculously, siding with him in all this.
"Why are you showing us your face, freak? Wasn't enough that we gave your own room, such large portions of meals, allowed that freak girl of yours inside our house at all, and that venomous snake. You pay us back by beating Dudley and his friends. That freak girl can't possibly have hurt them, I'm sure it was you. What do you want now you ungrateful brat?" Vernon said angrily.
"First of all. You didn't give me the room out of your own conscience, but because I asked for it. And my portions in the meals aren't large, they are more than you used to give me before and are called proper portions. And don't call my friend freak. You are the freaks. You don't have the human decency to treat others properly. I had warned you I wouldn't hold back if you started anything. I still didn't do anything to Dudley. Even after your darling son was harassing me. I don't care about him or you all. You could drop dead and I won't mourn any of you. Anna only defended herself after he and his cronies tried to hurt her. I didn't touch Dudley. Maybe you should look after your own son rather than blaming me for everything. The way he is going he would probably die of an heart attack at 21, after you die of the same in a few years."
He let some of his power out in the form of an aura to intimidate them and said, "I am just asking you all to leave me alone, just like last time. Its not asking much. Dudley tries anything again you could visit him in the hospital. Cause I won't hold back. And if you tried the stunt like yesterday, they could come to meet you in the hospital. I wouldn't mind to sick my venomous snake on you."
He left them all shell shocked from his threats on the couch and ran to his room.
Anna, who had watched the whole thing astonished, followed him. He collapsed on the ground after closing the door, pulling his knees to his chest and putting his head on them.
"Am I a bad person Anna? For threatening them like that and saying all those things. But its true I don't really care what happens to them. They haven't ever shown any kindness towards me. I had to ask them for even the basic things like a proper meal and a room. And they are calling me ungrateful."
She had sat next to him and on hearing him put her arm around his shoulders, hugging him to her side.
"Oh, Harry-kun. You are asking the wrong person. I don't have much morals you know. But I still do think that you are not a bad person for standing up for yourself. Yes you threatened them, but this time they asked for it. You were all about live and let live. But they just won't let you alone. And if you don't care about them, then its perfectly alright. You can only pity them I guess for being so horrible, though I don't pity any one. Even Voldemort has the excuse of lost sanity and worse conditions of living, what excuse did this people have. Maybe they too had a some bad childhood I guess, eh?" She said with a sarcastic smile.
"You know what, I still stand by my belief, don't pity them. They have a comfortable lifestyle but still didn't learn any good behavior to go along with it. You don't care about them? Good. Great, I say. They aren't worth your notice. And don't take whatever they say and had ever said to you as the truth. There isn't even a kernel of truth in anything that sprouts out of their mouth. You are wonderful person. You put up with me after all, you had to be, to do that." She said trying to make him smile.
"They told you magic wasn't real, you use yours daily; as you said to them they are the freaks -I liked it by the way- it is spot on, they are the liars and thieves, using your money to pay their bills. Don't think much about them now, stay alert when you come back and I will give you meals again like I used to do before, we will eat the dinner in the diner, you don't need to spend anymore time than needed in here. Alright?"
Harry just nodded his head with a sigh.
"Come on. Cheer up. We are going to find Pettigrew with the goblins' help and then we could have Sirius and you could get out of this hellhole."
"What if he's like the Dursleys, Anna?" Harry asked in a small voice.
"Hey, hey! You had loved him very much in your last life. And you love me now - and I love you too, otouto." she added with a kiss to his cheek.
"But you love me now, with all my faults so you are going to love him too. You had gone to save him in the ministry, thinking Voldemort had him in the last life, you definitely would like him now. Not everyone is like the Dursleys you know. And the time change doesn't change who a person is, it only changes certain events. Like I was born in the year before you last time, and of course I changed the events after that. But other things like the goblins I met in last life, some other people like Cato, I haven't ever met them before, even though I had gone to Gringotts. So such changes occur. You and I met because I decided to get your help but I couldn't have met Sensei before or even being with you, so chance still occurs now. But now I am confusing myself with all the talk of time." She finished frowning.
"Its alright I got that Sirius wouldn't be like Dursleys. And I will like him very much. " Harry said with a smile.
"Yep. Definitely. Now come on. Let's listen to some music to cheer you up. Oh, I know just the one for you."
She played the song from the cassette Harry had given her for her birthday the day before.
As the music started she smiled mischievously and sang along, starting to dance,
"Come on Harry-chan."
She danced on the song and wiggled her brows at him. Asking him to dance with her, showing him the steps.
He just laughed at her but cheered on her dancing.
They had warded the room to prevent the noise from going out so Dursleys didn't come up, though maybe they wouldn't have come if they had heard the noises anyway, not wanting to mess with Harry again.
She finally was able to make him dance with her.
"Bad, I'm bad, really, really bad... Yeah."
Nyx just watched their antics exasperated.
After they finally collapsed on his bed, Anna bid him goodnight and went back towards the orphanage, after making sure all the wards on his room were working properly.
-x-
School Days, 1988, Surrey - Malfoy Manor
The days after the confrontation with the Dursleys, Harry stayed away form the house even eating his meals out.
Breakfast he ate with Anna before school, asking Folksy to bring it for them, Lunch was spent sometimes with his teammates and other times with Anna in the cafe of the school, and Dinner again with Anna in the diner. They were the regulars there now and nobody said anything about it.
The case with Sirius was finally seeing some success, they were going to give him a trial. They had been able to convince Fudge to do it, with some bribe and reassurance that his name won't be in the mud because of it. As they were just going to give the trial denied to Sirius by the previous ministry, along with few others who were also chucked in the prison without trials, he couldn't be held responsible for anything.
Fudge was sure everybody would be proven guilty so he wasn't much worried. And even if someone was proven innocent it would be the previous administrations fault, not theirs. So the fingers would be pointed towards Bagnold, Dumbledore and Crouch as they had over seen all the things back then.
They were going to spring it on the members, in the winter session of the Wizengamot, so that nobody would be able to sabotage the trials. Only a few people knew about the happenings occurring for the trials.
They hadn't told Cato about Pettigrew yet, as they weren't sure if they could find him. They had talked about it with Bloodaxe when he had come to update the wards of the manor along with others.
He had told them they would have to wait a while before the ritual could be performed as the ritual masters they had last time, had gone out of country for another job.
So instead they had concentrated on breaking inside the Malfoy manor.
The wards, Anna had been able to identify all of them. But it was going to be a tough task getting inside. Unlike Hogwarts or other places where they searched for the horcruxes, this was more difficult as the wards weren't friendly like those of Hogwarts and the place wasn't abandoned like the Shack and Grimmauld Place.
Hogwarts wards weren't friendly with everyone, but with her being a timeless place, the castle had been able to identify them and had given them entry, finding their intentions harmless towards her, that's why even the room had helped them so much.
Malfoy manor had strong wards and Anna instead of disabling them was thinking of getting some help.
Kreacher was a Black Family elf and Narcissa Malfoy was a Black before marriage so he should be able to get inside and take them along with him. Well it was a theory and Harry was very skeptical about it.
They had been debating how to get in the Malfoy manor on a Sunday, in the middle of school term, after their training for the day was complete.
"Even if he could get in why would the wards allow both of us entry?" Harry asked.
"Well, they could allow entry to anyone coming with him, right?" Anna said.
"Like we had done for Grimmauld Place." She added.
"I'm not sure about this Anna." Harry said.
"Well what if we turn into our Animagus forms?" Anna thought out loud. "Then the wards won't be able to distinguish us. They don't have wards against Animagus. At least not any that prevent them from moving around. I'm not sure if it would be included in the wards for intruders." She continued.
"Of course they would have included it. It would be idiotic not to. And I hadn't been able to transform fully yet." Harry objected.
"Wizards do many idiotic things Harry-kun. Don't be so sure. Come on. Let's go check out the wards again. And you can transform, you are just scared of not being able to transform back. I can understand that, so we could wait till you complete the transformation to break in. For now you could try to see the wards like I have shown you." She replied.
Anna stepped them in the forest near the manor.
She had scouted out the best place to observe the wards from and took Harry there.
They watched the wards again trying to find any chink in the armor.
She wasn't the best in espionage or being subtle, her usual style would be breaking the wards like a glass screen and charging in, which would be disastrous for their job here. But she was good enough in it from her experience, so she examined the wards with a sharp eye for the faults in wards.
"They are brilliant." Harry said seeing the wards, that is the magic in the wards, showing them clearly to them.
Anna had shown him the trick to see the magic surrounding them. It was a trick she had known and learned in her last life too and places like Hogwarts had been a treat for her eyes then.
"You need to infuse your magic in your eyes, like you do with your hands to use your magic. First you had to try to focus it on other body parts before you try focusing your magic on your eyes. Eyes are a delicate part of your body, you don't want to harm them because you didn't take precautions. If you don't feel confident don't try it yet. You still have got plenty of time to try it later. Start with your hands and legs, making them sensitive to magic." Anna had instructed him on it.
"Won't the contacts in my eyes be affected because of it?" Harry had asked.
"No actually. It definitely won't. Because your magic is a part of you right? Like the blood in your veins. The contacts won't be affected because of the magic. Don't worry. For some things you had to be careful but it won't affect the contacts."
"So I try to do it like when I use my Metamorphmagus ability?"
"Exactly. I mean, in that you use the innate magic to change the part's morphology and anatomy, to change their appearance, and your whole appearance. With it you can just infuse your magic with the part of body to enhance some characters of it, like the muscles in your legs to make you run faster or in arms to make you stronger, to some extent. Just like that, you could make your hands and other parts, like legs, sensitive to magic, recognizing the magic in an object with your touch. For eyes just infuse the magic like you would to your hands to make them sensitive and then you would be able to see the magic surrounding you, in the magical objects, places and wards and all."
He had gotten an instinctual grasp on his Metamorphmagus abilities after some practice and so he was able to grasp that as well.
"Yes, they are. We will go see Hogwarts sometimes. In the winter holidays maybe. It is a treat for eyes." Anna replied.
"You see? There are no wards against Animagi or house-elves from other houses. Wizards don't think much of house-elves, wouldn't consider them intelligent even if their life depended on it. They could be dangerous if they ever decided to rebel against us - they can use wandless magic, can go anywhere they want, are allowed to go anywhere they want even, wizards don't ward against them. But they are peaceful creatures and just like to work and live their lives as it is, satisfied to serve wizards. And Animagi, only seven Animagus has been registered for this century in the ministry, so they didn't think that they need to guard against them." Anna said after they had checked the wards for it.
"Who's the registered Animagi? And do you mean to say that there are 'unregistered' Animagi?" Harry asked with raised brows.
"Professor McGonagall, transfiguration professor at Hogwarts, she's registered as a tabby cat. She's the only one I remember. And yes I do mean to say that there are 'unregistered' Animagi. We can transform right? And we few can't be the only Animagi in a century. Not all people are law abiding citizens. Malfoy should know that, being a Death Eater himself."
"So we could get inside in our Animagus forms." Harry said.
"Yes. We could. Now we just need to observe when they all go out. Or at least Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. The son wouldn't be dangerous. And the house-elves won't hurt children."
"But the Malfoys wouldn't hurt children either right?" Harry asked confused.
"No. They won't. But they would ask questions, if we got caught. The elves we could hide from or subdue easily and if we got caught just say we are Draco's new friends or something. And also, while he is a death eater, I am not sure if Malfoy would help us. If we go to him for help, he would want to know how we know all this. Take all the credit for himself later." Anna said mock angry.
Harry just smiled back but then said mischievously, "Well then Tom's anger would be directed towards him and not us, when he comes back."
Anna laughed along with him at his words.
"We should try it in winter holidays. When all of them would be gone to a party. They held a ball on Christmas eve in the manor, but go to other parties before it. You have a lot of time till then to complete your transformation." Anna said after thinking for a while.
Harry nodded his head and then they left the place, Anna stepping them back in their clearing.
-x-
A/N: Fav, Follow and Review. Constructive Criticism appreciated. See you on next update, Novarkek.
P.S.: Song mentioned, 'Bad' By MJ.