Chapter 7 A Good Day.

Kingsley was in the hall with the rest of the group but was the only one facing the correct way to see Harry port in. He immediately pointed him out to Duncan who raced over and grabbed Harry's arm with the intentions of pulling him back into their apartment then ripping strips out of the boy's hide for pulling such a stunt as to go off on his own. Instead he found himself face down on the hall floor with one broken arm (his own) one arm wrapped around his neck (not his own) and one knee planted firmly in the middle of his back. Being the intelligent and clear thinking man he prided himself on being he said the most intelligent thing he could think of under the circumstances. "Aggghhaa" It was enough. Both knee and arm shifted and he was gently helped back to his feet by the embarrassed teen.

"I'm sorry, so sorry. I broke your arm didn't I? Here, let me help you to the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey will have it healed up in no time." Harry realized he was babbling and shut his mouth as three of his guards took up positions around him. One of them took his place at helping Duncan and Kingsley fell into step beside him.

"I'm a bit disappointed that you took off without us Harry. Where did you go?" he asked.

"I did but I asked you first if you wanted to come too. You told me to just be back in time for dinner. I went to my aunt's house. She called me."

Kingsley's face got red with embarrassment. "You asked me?"

"Yeah I did. I take it you don't do well when you first wake up?" Kingsley shook his head no. "Alright. Like Ron and Dudds. I'll remember that and won't believe anything you say till after your morning cup or tea or do you do coffee in the morning?"

"Tea. So what did your aunt need?"

Harry grinned at the auror before he answered. "Two of my 'damn cats' were visiting my old room." Harry shrugged, "Kingsley, I can understand them a little. They speak a combination of parsltongue and some sort of chittering and clicking sounds."

"Harry, you do remember that those things are venomous? I hope you didn't get to close to them. Remember what the healer said about them? Two bites would be fatal."

Harry's face got a bit red and he tried to look remorseful instead of guilty when he answered. "Umm well…I did sorta pick them up." At Kingsley's disappointed look Harry was quick to explain and defend himself. "It was a sick baby and I think his mum. I know their poisonous but I don't think they're immune to their own poison or at least all the way immune. Perhaps just tolerant. The baby had an impacted fang and poison was collecting under his cheek. I think he was dying I kinda helped the fang break through the gum then squeezed a little bit of poison out. The kid perked right up after that."

Kingsley shuddered. This kid had absolutely no survival instinct. "Let me get this straight, you milked basilisk venom from one of them." He was really doing his best to stay calm. "Did it never occur to you that you could have been bitten and then died? Your aunt would have no idea what to do to help you if you got bit. How do you think she would have felt if that happened? Harry, it's our job to keep you safe but we can't do that if you go off half cocked and do stupid things like what you just did."

Harry's back became as straight as if a ruler had been shoved down it. His eyes snapped straight ahead and his cheeks got pink. "I'm sorry Kingsley I wasn't trying to endanger myself and I certainly wasn't trying to cause anyone any trouble but I have to tell you this much. I won't let a child die if I can prevent it. Even if the child isn't human." Deciding that a change of subject might be in order he asked, "So what's going on here? The halls are even busier than during a class change."

"What did you call them? Your 'damn cats' invaded the school. One of your dorm mates was bitten. He's with Poppy now." Kingsley looked around at the milling students. "They all vanished about an hour ago."

"Who got bit? Is he gonna be ok?" The group was almost at the infirmary by now but Harry still increased his pace.

Kingsley reached out and grabbed Harry's arm. After having witnessed how quickly Harry had put Duncan down the two aurors bringing up the rear of the procession thoughtKingsley somewhat daring and more than a little bit foolish."Slow down a bit. It was Dean and yes, he'll be ok. Remember what we were told at St. Mungo's? Two bites are fatal. Dean got bit once."

Harry slowed his forward momentum but just a bit and the group reached the infirmary. Passing through the open doors Harry's eyes searched for Dean. The boy was laying down on one of the cots. Seamus hovering over him and his girlfriend sitting on one of the uncomfortable hospital chairs holding his hand. Just a glance was enough to let Harry know that the boy would be ok. His face didn't have that moribund look that he had come to recognize but Harry could tell that Dean was hurting. The rest of his dorm was hanging around the edges of the infirmary reluctant to draw attention to themselves least they be sent away by the medi-witch. Poppy had cut the bite open and had gotten as much of the poison out as she could but everyone present could tell that Dean was still in pain. Poppy looked up at the new comers and spotting the broken arm she accio'ed a potion and rushed over.

Without missing a beat she summoned a pair of the patented white hospital pajamas in Duncan's size and reaching the man passed both potion and pajamas to him. "Drink this and go change. I'll get your bed ready." She gently pushed the man toward the loo before tuning down the covers on another bed for her newest victim.

Harry snickered at Duncan's disgusted expression. "Mind telling me what this is before I drink it?" Duncan asked holding the vial up for inspection.

Poppy raised an eyebrow up at being questioned but answered "Skelle-gro Now move Mr. Brames."

Duncan jumped at the tone before downing the potion. He seemed to be having trouble remembering that he was now an adult and not really under her control anymore. With a grimace he swallowed a few times in an attempt to keep the rancid tasting stuff down before he handed her back the vial along with the pajamas. "I'm sorry madam Pomfrey, I won't be staying."

The look of surprise on Harry's face was priceless. He clapped his hands over his ears to block out the explosion he was sure was going to follow and he cringed away from Duncan. Even the dullest first years learned in short order that here Madam Pomfrey reined supreme. No one told her no in her own domain and lived to tell about it and yet Duncan was foolhardy enough to try.

Surprisingly enough the verbal assault that Harry was expecting never came. Poppy just chose to cast a rapid sleep spell at the man. Using her wand once again Duncan was stripped and dressed in the hospital pajamas before she levitated him into the bed that she had prepared for him. She ran her wand up and down his body once again checking for further injuries before she almost contemptuously threw a sticking charm on the sleeping man to insure he didn't make a premature escape once he woke up. Almost too softly to be heard came the answer to Duncan's statement of intent. "I believe you will be staying." Then in an even lower voice "And if you give me anymore grief I'll keep you for another two days instead of one."

Glancing around at the rest of the occupants of the room she said in a brisk no nonsense tone of voice. "If no one else is hurt you lot need to clear out and let my patients sleep." Not even Kingsley felt brave enough to argue with the woman and the ward was abandoned by all except the two who were injured and the medi-witch.

Things were going well. The searchers were getting closer all the time. They had found the place where the last likeness was made and plans were even now being gone over about making it into an open air temple. Once the searchers went inside the building they could find his scent everywhere. It was so strong it was intoxicating and the magic traces they were picking up…ummm wonderful. Giddy from the drugged feelings the creatures split up into three groups of about one hundred each and the search began.

The first floor and down the stairs into rooms with jars of ….things….plants, animals, some minerals and metals along with things they couldn't reason out. Lots of pots stacked along one wall. The stench here almost covered the scent they were searching for. This area was marked for a thorough cleaning and indeed several of the peoples got ahead of themselves and vanished expensive potion ingredients before being called back to order once again. Another door but no trace of the scent they looked for although they could smell many others close by but what was this? A likeness of god when he was older in a heavy frame above the fireplace. It was respectfully done. A grouping of seats around the likeness conducive to sitting and gazing at him. This would be allowed to remain as it was.

Down a short hall and into a room that had three beds, trunks desks and wardrobes. Three young gods asleep in the beds. None of them anyplace close to the power levels of their god though. One of the three had lingering traces that were reminiscent of their god but his powers were stopped somehow. Blocked. Moving closer the group studied the young blond god. The thing around his neck interrupted and broke up the flow of power this god had available to him. Climbing up onto the bed the group swarmed over the god trying to understand why his powers were blocked.

Draco woke up and fortunately did by accident the one thing guaranteed to save his life. He froze and allowed the creatures to study him at their leisure. The two dorm mates he had left after Voldermorts destruction woke up and seeing the creatures swarming over Draco quietly snuck out of the room to get help for the boy. With the amount of popularity Draco suffered from after the arrogant behavior displayed in the past they would have sat and watched him suffer but it was well known that Draco was under Harry's protection and no one wanted to get on his bad side so Blaize ran off to get Slughorn and Goyle thinking to garn a few brownie points went in search of Harry himself.

Draco lay there stiff as a board his breath labored in his fear. 'Oh Merlin, this can't be happening' he thought as his covers were pulled off and he was poked and prodded by the little creatures. Draco screwed his eyes closed as one of them began playing with his ear pulling and tugging on it as if to see if it was detachable or not. Another one of them sat on his neck and stuck a couple of fingers up one of his nostrils and began tugging on the hairs that grew there. He felt a tug on his pajama top and taking a chance he opened one of his eyes only to snap it shut when he came eye to eye with one of the surprised creatures. Imminently that eye was attacked as his lashes were tugged on. The creature was trying to open the eye again but this time Draco decided not to help. A button popped loose and one of the creatures squirmed inside of his top and pulled on one of the few hairs he had managed to grow on his chest. The right leg of his pajama bottom was pushed up and creatures attacked his foot. Toes were separated and pulled on. Toenails were examined and if Draco wasn't mistaken one of the creatures even licked his big toe. Another creature made its way into his pajama top and found his belly button. Fingers poked inside it and Draco felt a puff of warm air as the creature explored the folds of skin. One of the creatures was sitting on his crotch chewing on a button that it had managed to pull off the top when the call came. All of the creatures froze and adopted a listening pose before scrambling down off Draco and the bed and for a few fleeting seconds all chattered in excitement before they all vanished without a trace. Draco just lay there on his bed to afraid to move because although he wasn't being touched anymore and although he couldn't hear them anymore he wasn't 100 percent positive that they were all gone. He was still laying there frozen when Slughorn burst into the room…

Excitement was very high…God had been found and he had healed a sick child. Tears streamed from the eyes of the parents of that child as the cub was cuddled by all of the peoples. This child would be revered amongst them. He lived because god had in his infinite wisdom and mercy taken pity on the youngster. Flowers were gathered by the thousands as all of the tribe prepared to go to the shrine where god had been found. They would celebrate and make sacrifices and pray. It would be a good day.