AN: Sorry it took so long to post this. This chapter was really hard for me to write for some reason. I must have re-wrote it about four times already and cut parts out. Orginally this chapter had three more sections in it, but I felt that that layout would rush the story and result in an un-unified chapter. It does also mean that I have a good chunk of the next couple chapters done so be looking for them in the next few weeks.

WARNING: magical creature harry, eventual slash H/D, AUness, and most likely swearing.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A Fantastical Feat

-Back room, Apothecary, Diagon Alley-

Harry plopped down on his mattress with a relieved sigh as his new play mate slid down from his neck and landed softly in his lap. So tell me Snake-Child, the Blizzard Corn Snake turned to look up at her new friend and stopped. Snake-Child, what happened to your face?

Harry stopped playing with Grizzle and looked at the white reptile in confusion. What do you mean?

Your face, and arms, and…Snake-Child you've turned gray and black.

What? Harry jumped up in a panic causing his friend to fall to the floor, and ran to the bathroom to look in the mirror. The small white snake followed him and heard his surprised and upset squeak as she entered the bathroom.

Harry kneeled on the sink staring horrified into the mirror and holding his face in his black hands. Looking back at him was a face much like his own, but the skin around his eyes and nose was as black as his hands, his cheeks where an opaline white and the rest of his face, hair and neck were a powdered gray. His gaze turned from the mirror to himself. His arms and legs, he found to be a similar gray, then around his waist up his back where black stripes.

The white snake climbed up the sink and curled around the youngest Potter's arm resting her small head against his shoulder in an act of comfort. Snake-Child, what has happened?

Harry didn't respond, rather he sat in studded silence and stared into the mirror. For many minuets he didn't speak and moved only to turn around so he was sitting with his feet dangling facing away from the frightful mirror. The raccoon looking boy didn't stir, until he heard a disturbingly familiar voice calling his name.

Out in the back room Ron Weasley looked around for his friend. And seeing Grizzle lying abandoned in the middle of the floor, knew his friend must be close by. "Har-wey" He called drawing out the name. When there was no response he called again, "Har-wey, where are you?" The red headed child looked up the stars to see if his friend was hiding on purpose, but found nothing.

Truthfully though, his friend was hiding from him. Harry jumped from the sink and locked the bathroom door to stop Ron from finding him. What do I do? The rapidly panicking boy grabbed his now gray hair and passed back and forth. If I go out there Ron will known, and if he knows he'll tell my mum, and if she knows she'll find out I left the store, and then I'll get inta trouble, and never ever ever, be allowed to stay back here alone again.

No Snake-Child, your mother does not need to know you ever left the store, the white snake lifted her head and looked Harry in the eyes. We shall tell her only that what she needs to hear. You changed when you where climbing right? And then you changed back, mostly, after you were back on the ground, right? Harry thought back and nodded. Well then, we shall change our story. You saw me up in the rafters and decided you wanted to come up and pet me. You tried to jump but it didn't work, so you climbed up the stairs and then slipped over into the rafters. You had a hard go of getting through them without falling, but then it got easier, and when you got back to the floor with me you realized you'd changed.

What if she doesn't believe me? cried Harry.

She will, Snake-Child. The blizzard snake hissed as she climbed up onto Harry's shoulders. So long as you stick to your story and don't fidget, you'll be fine.

Harry sniffled and nodded as he slowly opened the bathroom door. Out side Ron turned just in time to see his friend stick his head out of the doorway.

Harry stared at Ron who stared back, for a moment all was quite. Then Ron screamed.

-Front Room, Apothecary, Diagon Alley-

Lily was having a nice chat with Molly Weasley as Remus was trying vainly to keep the twins from destroying the store. The large crowd of students and their parents had faded out as it was around lunch time, but would no doubt be back in roughly an hour. In the meantime, Molly in her infinite wisdom had come to the small shop with her large brood in tow during lunch hour to speak with her friend and let Ron keep Harry company.

A scream came from the back room, grabbing the attention of those gathered in the Apothecary. Lily and Molly, who were closest to the door, dashed into the backroom to find Ron staring in shock at a rather raccoon-looking and crying Harry.

"Oh dear," mutter Molly in soothing between worry and amazement.

Remus made it in the door with the twins as well as the other Weasley children close behind, and stood slack jawed.

"Harry?" Lily walked over to her son and knelt down.

The small boy continued crying as the pearly white snake wrapped closer around his shoulder in a comforting jester.

"Harry, where did you find that snake?" Lily demanded her original inquiry side-tracked by a more urgent danger.

The blacked haired child pointed at the rafters and began crying harder.

"You found it in the rafters?"

"I j-just wanted to pet-t it," the small boy burst into a fresh fit of tears. "She'was pretty."

"Harry what happened?" Remus asked gently as he came closer to his sotto-godson. The snake hissed softly, causing the werewolf to stop moving.

Harry sniffled in an attempt to stop crying, "I wanted to…to pet her…and, and I couldn't jump…so, I climbed, but it was hard and I kept falling and I was scared but I couldn't get down and I wanted to pet her and…" Harry took a long, gulpply breath. "But, but then it wasn't hard anymore, and I got her, and came down and now I'm all funny color-hu-her-rd," the young Potter stared to cry again.

Lily and Remus exchanged an astonished glance. "It's not possible," whispered Lily.

"Well apparently it is," Remus shot back as he turned to look at Molly who was quietly speaking to her children, especially a very distressed Ron. "We need to go to see Dumbledore," he called grabbing her attention. "Could you watch the store?"

"Of course I can," Molly smiled with understanding.

Remus nodded and picked Harry up, letting Lily lead the way out of the room. "Are you sure you'll be okay?" she asked, stopping in the doorway.

"I'll be fine. I have Bill and Charlie to help me and Percy should be able to keep the twins from blowing the place up."

"Maybe, we should take them with us," suggested Remus. "The store can be insane when the students come in."

"You could be right. Fred, George you're going with the Potter's." She stuck her sons with the patented Mrs. Weasley stare, "If I hear that you misbehaved just once you'll be de-gnomeing the garden for a month. Now off with you."

Lily took the twins by the hands and lead them to the fire place were Remus was already holding the jar of floo powder.

"Ready?" Lily accepted the jar and scooped up a small handful of the powder while nodding. She tossed the fine gray matter into the fire resulting in a bright green flame to spring up. She stepped in, holding the twins tightly, "Hogwarts, Head Master's Office." Lily and the twins disappeared in a flash, before Remus repeated the procedure with Harry.

-Hogwarts, Head Masters Office-

Dumbledore sat behind his desk sipping tea and humming softly. School was about to begin again and teachers had been in and out of his office for the past few days. Just that morning poor Professor Flitwick had been in looking for an encyclopedia set that had apparently grown legs and run away, Professor Snape had been by to okay the addition of some more difficult potions to the fifth year curriculum (Dumbledore suspected this was to kept more students out of his NEWTS class) and Filch would probably be around in a few minutes to add some more items to that ever growing list of his. Suddenly, the old wizard was pulled from his revere as his fire flared up in a telling green revealing Lily Potter and what appeared to be the Weasley twins. He was about to inquire why they had come to see him when the fire flared again answering that question.

-Remus' POV-

From behind his desk Dumbledore looked at Harry with odd expression. It seamed as if he was thinking of something that hadn't crossed him mind in a long time, thus catching him with a mixture of pensiveness, surprise, and nostalgia or awe. Before the werewolf could figure out which, however, the Headmaster's unusual twinkle was back.

"I would ask why you had come, but it seams painfully obvious," Dumbledore waved his hands and extra chairs appeared. "Come, sit. Have some tea, or perhaps a lemon drop?"

Lily guided the twins over to the extra seats before situating herself. Remus set Harry in the seat usually occupied by squirming students, and had a permanent place in front of the desk, and sat in the chair beside him.

"I see you have found yourself a new pet, Harry," Dumbledore smiled at the shrinking boy who was nervously petting the snake in question. "What is it's name?"

Harry stopped petting the snake and looked at Dumbledore in surprise. Remus pulled back a bit as the snake began hissing in protest to the lack of attention. The young Potter looked down and complied with the snakes demand. "Sibylla ," he nearly whispered.

The name stopped Remus. Where on earth had Harry gotten that name from? He glanced over at Lily only to see she had an expression similar to one he surly wore, and as for Dumbledore? The look he had had upon seeing Harry was back; only now the nostalgia and awe were gone replaced by what appeared to be a hint of concern. Just as before, however, the look disappeared to be replaced by an eye-twinkling smile before Remus was sure he had seen it.

"That is a wonderful name. Now tell me, did Sibylla happen to have anything to do with this transformation?" Harry nodded not meeting the headmaster's eyes. "And how did this happen?"

"I was climbing up to get her, and I almost fell. I was scared, but I wanted to pet her. So, I kept going and it got easier. And when I got down I was all funny colored."

"Do you remember if you got smaller at some point in this?"

Harry looked up in thought and chewed on his lip a bit. "I think so, yeah. It was easy to get through small places."

"Ah, well. You always were a surprising child. It would appear," Dumbledore said leaning back in his chair an addressing all present. "That young Mister Potter has managed and accidental animagi transformation. Quite impressive really, I don't think there has been an animagi this young since Merlin and even he was, I believe, ten at the time. Yes, very impressive indeed. Now, what to do about his current state," he passed before turning to look at one of the many portraits on the wall. "Everard, would you mind fetching McGonagall for me?" The portrait left silently and Dumbledore turned back to those present. "As I was saying, this sort of thing doesn't happen often. However, I feel it would be best if Harry learned how to shift on his own, rather then one of us force the shift back."

"You mean Harry's going to turn into an animal?" shouted what could be Fred excitedly.

"Actually, I believe he is a raccoon animagus, to be more specific." Dumbledore answered simply.

"Harry is a tanuki!" George sang only to be joined by his brother, both of whom had clearly been watching too much anime. "Harry is a tanuki, Harry is a tanuki."

"Cut it out," the alleged tanuki cried. "I am not a tanuki."

"Tan-tan," the twins called happily in defiance.

Inside Remus grinned knowingly, but outside he deafened his sotto-godson, "It's not nice to call people names."

"Huh..." George gasped.

"Calling names?" Fred cried indignantly.

"He says that like it's a bad thing, George." The George now identified as Fred sputtered.

"As if we would ever call our precious Tan-tan a hateful name," Fred now George replied.

"You two are not helping matters, now stop!" a very distressed Lily finally ended the banter. "Do you really think Harry will be able to change back on his own, Albus?"

"He had enough power to change in the first place, so he should be able to change back. If not, we can force the change."

"Albus?" Remus turned to look at the door when he heard the voice of his old head of house. "What is going on?"

"It would appear, Minervia, that young Harry here managed an animagi transformation, but is unable to fully turn back. This I believe is more within your skill range then my own."

"Oh dear," McGonagall looked at Harry with a critical eye. "This could be difficult."

On the wall the clock struck one with the sound of bells. "We need to get back," Lily fretted looking at the clock. "The store will soon be over run, if it's not already."

Remus nodded. Molly was a good friend and she'd take care of the place, but he couldn't ask her to deal with the utter chaos that was pre school season in Diagon Alley. "I'll stop by and check on Harry in a bit."

"No need," Dumbledore stood and came around his desk. "I'll bring Harry to you when he has transformed back, but you might not what to take him into the shop for a while. We'll have to register him, and when the press finds out…." He trailed off but they understood the message. Rita Skeeter would have a ball.

Sorry this took so long. This hasn't been betaed because my beta was taking to long.:( I feel bad it's true.