This copyright thing is getting on my nerves. I'm running out of jokes to make!
Ron found Shift laying face down on the single bed in the Shack. "Oi, what's up, Shift?"
The group had decided to name the boggart and the 'human' separately, to avoid calling Shift 'Harry' and blowing his cover.
"There's going to be so many people at the first class! What if I panic?"
"You're panicking now, mate." Harry ignored him.
"What if I can't teach?"
"You can't if we don't get there in time."
"What if a teacher finds out?"
"Then you're Shift and not Harry, so it won't tarnish your perfect reputation." The redhead rolled his eyes. "Come on, or you're going to be late. And stop worrying! Everyone loves you after that prank. Except Percy, but who cares about him?"
Percy had taken all possible steps to stop the classes, deeming them and Shift as dangerous, but he knew he wouldn't convince the teachers of this until he had proper evidence.
Harry got up slowly and they set off for the castle.
"I'd like you all to know that I am amazing nervous about this class, and I have forced myself to come here today. I am only- well, I was going to say human, but good luck with that." The class of fifty, including many from the other three houses, chuckled and Harry felt ever so slightly better. "Now, who wants to learn an extremely difficult spell? It's the first spell I really found useful. I would show you it myself, but since I'm form locked, I can't perform transfiguration, which uses the same kind of magic."
Ron and Hermione stepped forward. "This isn't exactly a spell," Shift corrected himself, "It's harder to explain than that. It doesn't use a wand or words and relies on force of will. It's also highly illegal to perform without a licence, but only because of the possibility to splinch yourself."
That gained a few gasps, several winces and a great deal of muttering. Shift waited for the chatter to die down, before gesturing to his friends. "This is the magic in all of its glory." And the two transformed with all eyes upon them. Hermione became an extremely bushy owl, and Ron... A dragon. A six foot long, blue eyed, black skinned, red tipped dragon, which then proceeded to breath fire.
Not any old fire, though. This was a ball of lavender, which bounced. A lot. Unfortunately, it rebounded towards Shift. There were screams of "look out!" But how was the spider-boy supposed to know the class was talking to him? The ball smacked him in the head, and the class winced and looked away.
when they finally felt brave enough to look, they saw Shift.
Playing keep-ups with a ball of dragon fire. Two people started a round of applause, and although the three on stage couldn't see them, they each suspected the Weasley twins. All of a sudden the massive room was filled with clapping, and Shift could have laughed.
He could do this!
His voice now a lot stronger, he continued playing with fire to distract him from the crowd. "As you can see, this transformation can take any shape and size. What form you take depends on your life. For example, I lied a little. I am a wizard, and my Animagus form is a boggart." The room became silent at this, daring him to continue. "I actually have been form locked, so I can't show you my human form, but it is one that many people are frightened of. I was feared, not because of what I was, but because of what I could have been, so my form is a boggart."
"Usually, an Animagus form isn't magical, but the usual stuff never happens to me so I'm not surprised to be honest."
A train pulled into the room, and people recognised it in a glance. "The Hogwarts express!" They yelled, and Shift grinned.
"I would like you all to board the train and head to a compartment. Once you do, you shall need to calm your mind and keep your eyes closed. If you see an image, even a blurry one, you are ready for the next step and should leave the train for your next task. I shall be checking on random compartments, so if you need me simply stick a hand out the door." The students turned towards the train, but Shift stopped them. "One final thing," he told them. "Being in the same compartment as a friend can be extremely helpful."
After over four hours, the first two students sauntered out. Predictably, they were Fred and George Weasley. Shift had left the train with them, understandably gobsmacked. "How did you know?"
"Well, it's-"
"-elementary, my dear-"
"-Potter."
"Speak together or only one of you speak. It's annoying when you do that," Shift admonished them, and they bowed their heads in mock shame. "Anyway, do you mind not telling anyone? The fact that Harry Potter's a boggart probably wouldn't go down too well."
"Sure, Shift," they chorused, and then, "how did you learn all this, anyway?"
Shift smiled thoughtfully. "Can you keep another secret?"
"Yessir!"
"I found a book on my bed at Hogsmead. It's called 'A Marauder's Guide to Magicks'."
"Mind if we-
"-see it, Harry?"
The boy sighed. "Later, I guess. Meet us in the Shrieking Shack."
The twins paled. "You mean you've been in there before?" They asked, completely forgetting to finish each other's sentences.
"Sure, you just hit the knot on the Willow and it lets you through."
Gred and Forge would later enchant the tables in the great hall to build themselves up into words saying, 'Potter is our God!'
The first lesson has gone by!
I've just realised that I'm still only around two weeks into the year. This is gonna take a long time, so maybe I'll timeskip at some point. I can tell that the triwizard tournament is going to be fun to write.
On a related note, does anyone know of any fics that include Harry in fourth year, beating the tournament with different powers? I can't seem to find any.