"Because there is a ghost bunny hopping toward us right now."
Puck turned to where Finn was pointing and sure enough it looked like there was a ghost rabbit quickly hopping towards them over the rocky hills. Harry gasped and Puck glanced away from the rabbit to see Harry jump to his feet.
"Flibberty! Finn, that's not a ghost, it's a Patronus like Prongs! Merlin, how did I not thing to send Prongs to them?"
"Well, it looks like a ghost bunny to me," Finn grumbled.
By this time the rabbit had reached their camp. It was easy to mistake for a ghost, Puck thought. There were white wisps coming off the small creature as it bounced all around the camp, hopping between the boys. Finally it slowed to a stop in front of Harry who was looking awfully expectant. Puck watched the rabbit, amazed when it began to speak.
"Harry? Have you been captured by the Galumping Gorloft? It's been doing that a lot lately." The voice was obviously a girl, light and spacey. When the message was complete the rabbit faded away leaving the four boys stunned.
"She's here! I need to reply," Harry was practically jumping with excitement. Harry called up Prongs again and began to speak to him. "Luna! I'm glad you are ok. Are you safe? Who is with you? Where are you? I'm sorry I didn't think to send Prongs to you sooner!"
After he sent the message they all watched the stag fade into the distance and waited for a return message.
Harry was muttering to himself. "I can't believe I didn't think. I was so distracted trying to figure a way out I completely ignored the most obvious solution."
Puck reached a hand over to pat Harry's bare shoulder. "Hey, man. Don't worry about it. You can't think of everything. No one's perfect. Except for me, of course."
His statement worked to bring a small smile to Harry's face. Within minutes another white form appeared to be making its way toward them, but instead of a rabbit it was a huge sea turtle. The turtle looked like it was flying as it swam through the air and went directly to Harry and circled him once before speaking, this time it was a boy's deep voice.
"Harry! Good to hear from ya, mate. We're safe for the moment. We woke up on a beach with a bunch of muggles but most of them disappeared. Luna thinks it's a Gargling Gorgon. Oh...I'm being told it's actually a Galumping Gorloft. All that's left is me, Luna, two muggles and... Malfoy. Where are you? Are you safe?"
"It could be Tina and Kurt! Harry, you have to ask if it's them!" Finn exclaimed.
They watched as another stag appeared. "Neville, I'm glad your safe. I'm with two...er three muggles. They know about magic now. The same thing happened here with the muggles disappearing. The blokes with me are looking for friends they had on the plane. They're names are Puck, Mike and Finn and they are looking for Kurt and Tina. We are on the beach now, but were planning to move inland tomorrow. We need to meet up. Have you seen Snape?"
When the stag was gone again Puck turned to Harry. "Why did you say three muggles? I'm a wizard, man." Internally Puck was giggling like a little girl. He would never tire of saying that.
"I know, but I didn't want to have to explain it this way and your friends would tell them you were a muggle. We still don't know what's going on so it will be easier in person."
"So when can I get one of those things?"
"You mean a Patronus? They are really advanced magic. Just producing one takes a lot of practice and using them to send messages takes even more. Most adult wizards can't even do it. I can teach you, but I don't think it will be any time soon."
"If most can't then how come you and your friends can?" Mike asked.
Harry shrugged. "I had to learn when I was 13. They can be used to fight of certain creatures that I was having a problem with. In my fifth year I lead a study group and I taught all of my friends how to do it. "
"So everyone's is different then?"
"Well, I'm sure some overlap. You don't get to choose your Patronus' shape. Sometimes they are the same animal as your animagus form could be, which is kind of like a spirit animal. It represents you as a person. And sometimes, like me, they take the form of an important person in your life, someone you love. They have been known to change as people do. I was glad mine never did when I went through animagus training."
Puck wanted to know what his would be. It would be cool to know what animal represented him. It was probably something badass like a t-rex or maybe a basilisk. Something Harry said caught Puck's attention though.
"Wait. Animagus training? That means you can change into an animal, right?"
"Yeah, I am. It took me over two years to get it. I finally accomplished it a few months ago. You know you really are picking all this up very quickly. You must have done well in school."
Puck snorted. "Don't change the subject. What kind of animal can you turn into? You're not going to make me guess that too, are you?"
"You would never guess," Harry said waving a hand as if to dismiss the possibility.
"Hey! I'm already working on guessing on how that magic cop knew who you were. Don't think I forgot about that. I bet you I could guess that too, no problem."
"Well, I'm here to keep you entertained."
"I can think of better ways to keep us both entertained," Puck flirted with a grin.
Harry blushed and turned away quickly, "Oh, look. Here comes Titan."
"Hmm... saved by the turtle."
The Partronus stopped in front of Harry again.. "How extraordinary. What are the odds? Kurt and Tina are with us. Tina said to tell Mike she loves him, and Kurt said to tell Finn to not get into too much trouble. We haven't seen Snape since the crash. Malfoy lost his wand in the crash. so I had to send Titan to find him. I never got a return so I don't know if the bat is just ignoring me or can't answer. Can you see the big dark looking mountain from where you are? We could meet there?"
Mike and Finn had huge grins on their faces, as they gave Harry their return messages.
"How long do you think it would take us to make it to the mountain," Mike asked.
"I can't see past these hills, so we don't really know the terrain. The island is pretty huge, so I would guess based on how far we went today probably two days if there are no problems. We can catch fish in the morning, and I will freeze it to bring with us so we don't have to worry about food. What do you guys think?"
"I think I'm tired of fish. Can't we catch some chickens or something?"
"Tell you what, Finn, you catch yourself some chicken, I'll cook it for you," Harry told him causing Finn to perk up a bit and Puck to roll his eyes. "Until then it's fish, the fruit you guys got before we left the jungle and what ever we find on they way. So we have a plan?"
They all agreed and Harry sent the message. They agreed to message if anything went wrong, other wise they would be meeting at the base of the mountain in two days.
"I need to get word to Snape, too," Harry said as he produced another Prongs. "Professor, we are unsure if you are receiving messages. I just wanted to let you know Longbottom, Lovegood, Malfoy and myself are safe and will be meeting up at the base of the largest mountain on the island in two days. Meet us, or get a message to me if you can."
As Harry sent the message to his teacher Puck had been thinking. While Finn and Mike were excitedly talking about meeting up with their friends, Puck leaned closer to Harry.
"Panther," Puck guessed.
"What? Oh! No. Not a panther."
"Wolf?"
"No."
"Llama?"
"Really? No."
"Snake?"
"Nope," Harry replied, popping the P.
"Flamingo?"
"I'm not that gay. No."
Puck snickered at that. "Hawk?"
"Nu-uh. Don't you think if I could fly I would have already?"
"Good point. So no birds. Can you at least give me a hint," Puck begged.
"Fine. Um..." Harry looked thoughtful for a moment. "I have fur," he revealed, sliding a hand down his chest and stomach as if petting himself. The movement might have been innocent, but the thoughts that popped into Puck's head were decidedly not.
Puck snapped back to the conversation. "Fur? Really? Neat. So when I guess right, and I will get it eventually, will you show me?"
"Maybe, depends." Harry stood up and held out the wand he had taken from Puck after their earlier training. "You want to practice some more?"
Puck rolled his eyes and stood up reaching out for the wand. "Do you really have to ask?"
Even though the spells he was learning were pretty easy, Puck still got a thrill every time a shell came zooming towards him. To be honest, he could be pulling a rabbit out of a hat and he would still be happy. How many people got to have an impossible dream and have it come true? Knowing that is was him that was making a rock float through the air was still unbelievable. Puck had never been one for learning or school, but right now he wanted nothing more than to learn everything possible when it came to magic. The plane crash was quickly turning into the best thing that had ever happened to him.
The light was fading fast, but they were able to get some practice in before they couldn't see any more outside the light from the fire and the bright moon. Harry took the wand back from Puck before stretching and yawning.
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired. We're gonna have quite a walk tomorrow and I want to be rested. I'll see you in the morning." With that Puck watched Harry's still bare back as he made his way into one of the two tents that had been set up on the beach. Puck wondered at what he saw there, but still hadn't asked. Harry had run for the ocean when they first saw his back and the boys had shared a look before wisely taking the hint. Puck had been surprised, they all were. He didn't really know why it was a problem, but he knew better than to make the wizard angry. They figured Harry would explain when he chose to.
Once Harry was out of sight, Puck looked back to his boys to find them staring at him with huge grins on their faces. Puck slouched in his chair trying for nonchalance. "So...Kurt and Tina are safe. What do you think they are doing over there with their own wizards?"
This worked to distract them, and the two were off again. They were both excited to know they were safe, and Puck was glad for them. While he wasn't close with Tina or Kurt, Puck was relieved they were safe at least with someone who could protect them. Harry had given enough clues to know that his friends on the island had had some sort of training with him and if Harry had done even half the stuff he had talked about then they were in safe hands.
"So how is it with wizard training?" Finn asked excitedly a few minutes later.
"You've been there, man. You are learning the same shit."
"Yeah, but I'll never be able to use it. It's different, Puck, you know it is."
"I know, I know. It's...I don't even know how to explain it. You know when we were kids and for like a whole year you wanted to be an astronaut. We'll imagine if one day you woke up on the moon. That's how it feels, dude. I'm on the moon."
Mike giggled while batting his eyelashes. "Oh, how poetic, Noah."
Puck kicked sand at the boy. "Shut up, Other Asian. You're just jealous I get a hot teacher."
"Yes, Puck. You've figured me out," Mike replied, rolling his eyes.
Finn gasped, clutching the pink pygmy puff to his chest. "Really, Mike?"
Puck and Mike groaned in unison. Finn would never change. "Oh, shut up, Finessa. Give me the cotton ball. I wanna see it."
Finn held the Puff tighter. "No, Puck! Harry said I could keep him."
"Come on, man. I just wanna see it," Puck pleaded, giving the taller teen his best puppy dog eyes.
Finn sighed, but held out the pink ball and Puck scooped him into his hand. Puck would never say it out loud, but it was adorable the way the Puff could coo when he petted it.
"What are you going to name it?" Mike asked Finn.
"I already did. His name is Max."
"He doesn't look anything like a Max. He looks like a she and her name should be Barbie," Puck broke in absentmindedly, focused on the making the to-be-named puff giggle.
"I am not naming him Barbie!"
"Oh come on! She's neon pink! Barbie is the perfect name," Puck argued.
"No, dude. When you get a cool magic animal you can name it whatever you want, but I am not naming him Barbie. Not happening," Finn declared. Puck pouted while Mike just laughed at the both of them.
Knowing they had a tough couple of days ahead of them the three glee kids went to sleep soon after. When he entered the tent Harry was already asleep, so he quietly readied for bed. Puck could only hope the next day would be as easy as they day they had just had. After all, how bad could it be?
AN: I thought long and hard about Harry's animagus form. It won't be revealed for a couple chapters yet, but there will be hints. You are more than welcome to make guesses along with Puck.
AN2: Thanks to everyone who took the time to review. It really helps get me motivated to write.