Harry watched through the corner of his eye as his two ex-best friends had what looked to be a serious conversation. Several times he could see one of them say Dumbledore and each time Ron would shake his head and look grim. All Harry knew was that he'd never trust either one again no matter what because the damage had been too great.
"What do you think they're talking about?" Neville whispered.
"Not sure but it seems like she's arguing for Dumbledore." Harry said, "Every time she says his name Ron frowns and shakes his head."
"Do you think he's coming around?" he asked.
"I don't really care." Harry sighed, "I was just making sure they aren't plotting against me."
"That sounds a little paranoid." Neville chuckled.
"It's only paranoid if they aren't really out to get you." Harry cocked his head as he made his point.
"Too true." Neville shook his head, "Just don't go all Mad Eye Moody on me and we'll be fine."
"Constant Vigilance." Harry yelled slamming his fist on the table and scaring most of the people in the room. He followed that with, "Sorry we were just discussing Professor Moody and I couldn't help myself."
Neville was laughing so hard he had to lay his head down on the table. A few others at their table were laughing too but none as much as Harry and Neville.
"Priceless." Neville gasped as he finally began to get himself under control.
"If you two are finished having fun I have your schedules." Minerva interrupted.
"Well you better keep mine then because I will never stop having fun." Harry laughed until he felt something smack his forehead, "Did you just stick my schedule to my face?" he reached up and pulled it off giving the Professor a mock glare.
"It was fun." she sniffed before moving on and handing out the rest of the schedules.
No one in the hall knew what to make of the Headmistress making a joke until Harry fell off his bench because he was laughing so hard. Seeing that she didn't hex him the rest of the room began to chuckle. Neville was trying to hold it in as he helped Harry back to his seat.
"If you keep having moments like this we'll be laughing all year." he said as he resumed his own seat.
"This." Harry gave a grand gesture, "Is what life is about. I plan on having lots of moments of fun because I've had more than my share of moments that suck."
"What do you have first?" Neville knew Harry didn't want to talk about those moments so he changed the subject.
"Herbology." Harry glanced at his schedule, "Did you already pass your NEWT on that one?"
"Yes but I'm going to be in the class as an assistant." he shrugged, "Did you get your DADA?"
"Yes, I'm not assisting in the class." he grinned in response, "I'm doing some independent study, I'm hoping to get my Mastery."
"Who is your mentor?" Neville glanced up from his schedule.
"Kingsley is I'm also going to start a self-study on Runes and Arithmancy. He said it was good to have at least a base in those subjects. Professor." he called as McGonagall made her way back past him. She stopped to see what he wanted, "Why don't we have career counseling before third year?"
"Why would you need it?" she was truly perplexed.
"Well it would have helped me pick better subjects for my electives." he shrugged, "I didn't know what subjects would help me in the long run."
"Most people haven't decided what they want to do at that age." she countered.
"True, how about having a thing where the professors of the third year electives talk with the second years." he said, "They can explain what their class is about and what kinds of jobs require it. Honestly I would never have taken divination if I knew that many of the most interesting jobs take Runes or Arithmancy."
"That is a thought." she conceded, "I'll speak to the professors about your idea. If they like it I'll award you points."
"If the professors don't want to then maybe the older students can." Blaise Zabini didn't try to hide the fact that he was listening, "I took what my mother said I should but it would have been nice to know about the class beforehand. I took Runes and wished I hadn't. It's not necessary for any of my career choices."
"I think both would be the best." Hannah Abbott added, "The teacher and a few NEWT students. It could give them a more rounded idea of the class."
"Both valid suggestions." she added, "I'll let you know if you receive any points."
"If you're taking suggestions I have another." Dean Thomas was the next one, "I would have liked to attend a class about being a wizard. You have muggle studies to teach wizards about muggles but nothing more than one visit with you to tell them about the wizarding world. It would have been nice to know some of the customs ahead of time before embarrassing myself to death. Lessons in using a quill wouldn't be out of line either."
"Why lessons in using a quill?" a first year Ravenclaw from behind Dean asked, "Didn't you learn to write before you came here?"
Harry chuckled as Dean tried to explain to the young boy the differences between muggle and magical writing utensils. He left breakfast and headed for his first class with Neville at his side. His first day of classes went well. Better actually than any year that he could remember. That night instead of hanging out in the eighth year common room with most everyone else he decided to get a breath of fresh air.
It was a warm evening so he left his robes in his room and headed out for a walk. Once it was dark he moved in close to the castle and changed into his Night Stalker form. He rather liked the form. The only downside was his clothes disappearing but since he was covered head to toe with black fur he was at least warm. The thing he liked the best about his form was the eyesight. He could see more definition on everything in the dark than what he could see with his own eyes in the light. Looking around he spotted what looked like a ladder of stone running up the side of the castle. It wasn't much but he was able to climb up the wall using the protruding stones as hand and foot holds. He reached the top and pulled himself up. He crouched on the edge of the building and looked around. The view was amazing.
Over the next week he found himself drawn more and more to the roof of the castle. He wasn't sure if it was getting up high and seeing the view that drew him or if it was the memories of the battle and all the death making him want to escape the halls. One thing was for sure with the changes in his physical appearance the girls had taken a far more active role in trying to gain his attention and that certainly added to his desire to escape. He so wished they'd just leave him alone.
The only problem came the day after the first astronomy class. All of the students who were in the class were talking nonstop about a large cat like creature roaming the roof. Harry could have kicked himself for not thinking of the classes. Rumors were quickly getting out of hand. It didn't take long before Hagrid was being inundated with questions.
After a few days of guesses and rumors Harry decided to let Hagrid in on his secret. Minerva and Poppy were the only others at the school who knew. After dinner he followed Hagrid back to his restored cabin and sat for a visit. He waited until it was curfew for most of the school before he protected the room and checked for animagus forms.
"Hagrid tell me what you know about the Night Stalker." Harry sat and asked a shocked Hagrid.
"Well we don't know much of nothing." he stated, "They are associated with death the same way a thestral or grim are. They're cat like creatures that walk upright like humans. That is all we know for sure. Everything else is speculation. Is that what everyone thinks is roaming around?"
"What about the speculation about who they are?" Harry asked ignoring his question for now.
"Well it is supposed to be someone who had been murdered and either didn't really die or they came back." Hagrid stated, "But I don't know if that part is true or not…"
He stopped in mid-sentence as Harry changed into the thing. Hagrid gaped until Harry changed back, "I think that part may be true."
"Blimey Harry." Hagrid grinned when he got himself back under control, "I thought you were going to suggest it was Voldemort or something."
"I don't want anyone to know." he said, "I need you to keep this a secret."
"I won't tell a soul." he said, "Would you come to my class so I can show everyone you're harmless?"
"I'm not harmless." Harry grinned, "But I won't hurt anyone unless they attack me first. I've gotten some pretty wicked skills and things that go along with it."
"So what are you doing out at night?" Hagrid asked, "Do you think the school is in danger?"
"No, I'm just getting out." Harry chuckled in a self-depreciating way, "I forgot about Astronomy classes. I don't sleep much anymore and I find the castle to be a bit stifling."
"Maybe you should see Pomfrey about your sleep." he suggested.
"Already have, I just don't require the amount of sleep most people do." he shrugged, "I normally get three or four hours at night and then I find a few cat naps during the day keep me going."
"Cat naps, that's a good one." Hagrid slapped his leg, "Does anyone else know?"
"McGonagall and Pomfrey are the only ones here at school." Harry sighed, "The Weasleys know, minus Percy, Ron and Ginny of course, and Kingsley knows."
"Can I get a good look at you again later?" Hagrid asked, "I'd like to be able to answer questions better."
"Sure, McGonagall suggested we talk so you can stem the panic tide." Harry grinned, "Ask away."
"Most of them ask if you're dangerous so I can address that." he grinned, "You wouldn't harm anyone."
"Actually I am very dangerous. I am capable of killing anyone here." he said, "But I won't. As long as they don't attack me I won't retaliate."
"What are your abilities?" Hagrid asked.
"I'm very fast and agile and I have wicked claws." Harry said, "I can jump higher, run faster, see and smell better than any human could ever do. I can move along the very edge of the castle without losing my balance. In certain sections I can climb the walls."
"A normal cat can jump several feet." he stated, "How far can you jump?"
"At a standstill I can jump about eleven feet. With a running start I have jumped over forty." Harry explained, "Those are horizontal jumps though. For a vertical jump standstill I can jump up about six feet and a running jump of twenty five."
"Defense mechanisms? Hagrid was making notes.
"Claws, strength, and speed, we are hunting creatures for the most part." Harry answered he decided to leave out the fact that he could do magic. He didn't think it was the Night Stalker that could do magic since he had absorbed the wand.
"What do you hunt?" he asked.
"Criminals." Harry answered, "I find myself searching out the very dark and protecting innocents."
"Do you kill them?" he asked.
"I haven't killed anyone since Voldemort." he replied, "I've injured a few but nothing too terribly bad."
"Are you the one that caught Yaxley?" he grinned when Harry nodded, "That was amazing. Kingsley said he was begging to be put in Azkaban."
"I probably went a bit overboard on the scaring him part." Harry shrugged, "But he wasn't injured very badly. Greyback was a different story."
"They said he got trampled and cut up." Hagrid hesitated.
"He was trampled by a thestral. I had some help with that one." He truly meant that Bill had done some magic but he wasn't ready to let Hagrid know about his other forms, "My claws range in length depending on what I'm doing, they generally run about half an inch, but up to five inches long when I'm attacking something."
"That was a good idea. Thestrals are one of the few animals that can make a dent in the werewolves hide." Hagrid nodded along, "Hippogryffs are another one that can do that but they have to use the claws of their front legs. I guess we can add a Night Stalker to that list now too."
They talked for a while longer before Harry headed back up to the castle. That evening he sat on the roof of the Headmistress's office as he thought about what he had done over the summer.
***Flashback***
"Harry you know a few of the death eaters escaped after the battle right?" Bill asked the first evening Harry and George spent at the shop's apartment.
"I heard do you know who it was?" he asked.
"Yaxley and a few minor ones." Bill hesitated for a moment before taking a breath, "And Greyback."
"You want me to go after him?" Harry asked thinking of his new abilities.
"Not alone." Bill corrected, "I want a hand in it. With your new abilities and my own skill I think he'll be down in no time."
"Do you know where he is?" he asked.
"Yes, I think so." he swallowed hard, "A child was attacked last night even without the full moon, he didn't make it. Remus once told me where the colony Greyback like to stay was. It isn't far from the site of the attack."
"Let's go." Harry said, "It's nearly dark we can scout the place out."
Bill held out and arm and Harry grabbed it and apparated them to the country, "This way, I can smell them."
Harry transformed into his grim and sniffed the air for a moment. Then he changed to his cat and sniffed again. Back to his human self he spoke, "I can smell him in my cat form. He is my prey."
"What do you mean?" Bill asked.
"I don't know how to explain it." Harry shrugged, "All I can tell you is that my cat thinks that puppy's time is up. I can track him anywhere he tries to hide. He'll be ours in no time."
"I wish you could talk out loud in that form." Bill sighed.
"I don't have to keep eye contact for long to communicate." Harry smiled.
"No but from far away it's not really feasible." Bill stated and Harry only shrugged.
The two of them crept through the trees until they spotted the camp. Greyback was easy enough to find as he was in the middle of the camp. Two men were lying off to the side obviously injured. The rest of the camp was trying to get them out of his reach as he ransacked the place. The full moon would be rising soon so they decided to stop him now.
Harry motioned for Bill to keep an eye on the others as he took a few running steps before leaping. Two sets of claws raked across the Werewolves back as Harry sailed past. He didn't want to stay in reach of the monster. The rest of the pack took off into the woods in fright when they saw the cat creature tear into the most feared man in the clearing. Bill climbed into a tree to make sure they all left the area and didn't circle back around. Harry managed several more attacks before the moon came up enough to start the transformation.
"Thestral." Bill yelled.
Harry changed and ran at the beast and began to kick and stomp him into unconsciousness before he could finish the transformation. When he succeeded Bill threw out several spells to tie him up and keep him out until morning. Harry stayed to make sure he didn't leave and Bill left to get Kinsley. Through the night Harry had watched and anytime the thing had moved he had walked over and kicked it in the head again. Kingsley arrived the next morning to take the battered werewolf into custody. Aurors were rather surprised to find a thestral grazing in the clearing. It flew off as they started their work.
***end Flashback***
Harry sighed and began to look over the grounds again. Another sigh escaped him as he noticed the astronomy tower was full of students. Harry didn't want to sit there and be stared at so he jumped off the ledge and turned to catch the window sill. He then let go of it and slid down the tower until he could safely push away and land on the roof. He heard several screams and gasps until he landed and then walked towards astronomy tower a few steps before blinking himself out of view.
He silently laughed as he heard them stampede out of the tower. When he blinked back into being as he sat on the edge only one person remained. He turned and looked them in the eye before he did his mind speak thing.
"Not terrified Zabini?" he asked.
"No just curious more than anything." Blaise stated, "McGonagll wouldn't let you stay if you were a danger to any of her students."
"Very true." a smirk made its way onto Harry's face.
"Are you using Legilmency to speak to me?" he asked but the question didn't show on the emotionless mask the Slytherin always wore.
"No it's a Night Stalker talent." Harry's huffy sounding laugh escaped the grinning mouth.
"What happens if you try to use your voice?" Blaise was very curious.
Harry moved his mouth and several growls, hisses and oddly enough purrs were emitted from his mouth.
"Well that makes conversations difficult." Blaise's mouth twitched, "Do you always look like this?"
"Of course not." Harry laughed again.
"This is your night look?" Blaise wondered.
"No I can look like this or my other ways at any time." he answered.
"Ways? As in many forms? How many?" were his next questions.
"I won't tell you that." Harry's grin showed his feline teeth.
"Adult or child? Male or Female."
"Do I not look fully grown?" he asked back.
"I honestly can't tell." Blaise sighed, "You're in a shadow and I really can't see anything but green cat eyes, black fur and white teeth."
"You see all you need to." Harry was enjoying the conversation and the hint of frustration that was sneaking into the other man's voice. Unfortunately he could hear someone else coming, "Well time for me to go."
Harry jumped off the tower and turned himself invisible. He then changed into his thestral form and flew up into the air. He chuckled to himself when he saw Zabini wildly looking around from the spot he had been sitting on. Malfoy and Nott were beside him trying to get his attention. After a few moments the three of them left. Harry flew over the tower again and then changed into his cat and landed silently on the roof. Still invisible he made his way back to his own room.