Hellhounds Are Not Emo II
04
ISDH
HANE
Peter swore under his breath, as he once again cast [Stupify] on both his 'Master' and that 'belly crawling bitch' he called a Familiar. There were days he missed the Brat, and his pockets of food he was always in the process of eating.
Being grabbed and shoved into a boy's pants pocket is never a good thing. Which is why 'Scabbers' was happy that when the boy started wearing the open front robes, he could climb/jump to a robe pocket where the air was better, and he had more room.
Today, as he was pushing an oversized pram, that was bigger on the inside then the outside, stuffed full of mutated snake, undead mutant baby, the last half of that ministry broad, for the snake to eat when they got to where they were going, and the majority of the supplies Peter would need to brew the potion for the 'Master'.
'By Juda the Betrayer I swear, If I could switch my Bound Allegiance, I would!' He screamed in his skull, 'Even to the Brat! Even if He turns me over to Potter or Black! At least my Death would be quick and humain!'
The human at the Port Authority just waved Peter, dressed as a granny, through the Gate, and onto English soil. Once the Wards had passed over both him and the pram, he hurried to the train station. As he arrived, he cast up 'muggle notice me not' charms and removed his wig, bonnet, and frock. Tossing them on top of the 'baby', he sent a prayer of thanks to Lily who spent a weekend teaching the Mauraders how to 'go muggle'.
Six hours later, he was stepping down from the train depot three villages east of Big Haggleton.
As far as he could tell, No one knew they were even in Country.
HANE
Harry yowned as he awoke from his slumber. The Hunt really took it out of him. He stretched as he looked about. Hermione somehow had found a book, and was reading to the black striped Drake. The one that Harry had decided would be best for Hagrid.
His Little buddy was playing Gobstones with the twins. And holding his own, setting the shooter between the 'horns' on his brow, and using his tail to 'fire' the striker across the circle. Not only was he knocking one or two about with every shot, he was banking his striker off the gobstones, so that on his next shot, he would knock one or more out of the circle. Already he had a pile of shiny 'stones' piled up around him.
Harry squatted behind him. $You realize you have to give those back.$
$No!$ a puff of smoke and flame blew his way. $Mine!$
"Did you give him those 'stones? Or are they just for training?" Harry asked the twins.
"What is…"
"The Difference?"
"IF they are his to keep, I will have to reimburse you when we swing through the Alley in about ten minutes. Otherwise I am just buying for him." Harry ran a finger from the 'horns' to the haunches, and the drake stretched cat like into the stroke.
"We think…"
"We can…"
"Make a deal."
"Throw in one of those Albino rat skin bags you always seem to have on hand." Harry stood up, "He will need something to carry his shinies in afterall."
$She!$ the emerald striped drake puffed at Harry again.
"Shite!" Harry threw his hands in the air and turned to look at the hellhounds sitting in the doorway. "You Sons of a Bitch knew too! Did you Not!" His Great Uncles just doggy-grinned as his grandfather laid a paw over his nose. "And you went along just to what...keep the peace?"
Iggy's tail thumbed twice. "Okay. I am going to look over the stables, and then we are going to the Burrow to check in, shower, change, and then to the Alley. The Twins need to collect their winnings, Hermione needs at least two new books, no idea what they are...Zonko's for the stones? The pet stores for treats for the familiars…" Harry trailed off as he squinted at the twins, "I can understand Scabbers going to Ron over you two, can't split a rat in half and have it live, but with that one I know a few who would like to try and find out. Do you two want a familiar or two?(Vote in Review/PM)"
"Harry?" Hermione stepped to his side with a hand on his left arm. "Why are you swearing and yelling at the dogs?"
"Because the guy I thought I was getting to balance out all the female influences in my life turns out to be a girl too!" Harry ranted. "No offence Granger, but My Best Friend, My Owl, and now My Drake are all gynomorphic! The only Male influences in my life are these two!" Harry thrust an angry finger at the twins, "A Werewolf that I will 'Alpha' once he is in sight, and My Dog-Father!" Before he turns to glare at the three hellhounds in the doorway, "And No, I was not including you, nor Grim! She can not hold to one gender for five minutes to save my life, and DO NOT get me started on you three!"
The drake on Hermione's shoulder snorted, and everybody looked at it as if it had spoken, before looking to Harry for the translation.
"He just snorted." Harry sighed, "But yes, I agree. At this moment I have three providers. Hermione hunts knowledge, Hedwig hunts Mail, and the odd rat and lizard. And my new Beauty is second only to a niffler in finding us shinies."
She glared up at him as she was packing her shinies into her new albino ratskin pouch, that had been ink-runed to be larger on the inside and feather-light. $Verdaim!$(Ver' Dame) She went back to packing her pouch.
$You got a name?$ Harry hissed at the charcoal smudged drake with ruset racing lines from snout to tail tip.
$Snuffer.$ He spoke softly. $Male.$ He rubbed his snout with a forepaw. $Nest-tender.$
"Nest-Tender?" Harry held his hand out, palm up. The male eased over. His claws were blunt, he had no crest, while the Male that rode the Herd Stallion had a two inch crest. Overall, 'Snuffer' looked to be more egg-tending than Verdaim, as she was a hunter, a gatherer. $How many Nest-tenders are in the Inferno?$
$Me.$ Snuffer sounded ashamed.
"You're the only one?" Harry burst out. The drake bowed his head and nodded. "And who cares for the eggs if not you?" both Drakes froze, as their heads snapped around to stare in fear at Harry.
$No!$ Verdaim Roared.
Suddenly the hutt was filled with the Inferno. The Speaker Landed before Verdaim as the rest found perches elsewhere.
$What brings you distress, child?$ Speaker hissed.
$Snuffer!$ Verdaim wailed. $Nest-tender, Leave!$
The Speaker raired back on his hind legs and tail, as his wings unfurled for balance. His wedge pointed face pointed up at Harry $That is something we never considered. As we have no clutch, and won't for another spring!$ He gathered himself and jump-flaps to Harry's arm. $We can not just let him go, as he is the only one to tend to the eggs, but to deny him the right to bond with another…$
"Does the Nest have to be here?" Harry asked "The guy I was taking Snuffer to would Love to oversee a nest of dragons, and he can provide them with an environment for hunting, flying, and feasting. When the time comes, they can return here, or we can find you/them new hunting grounds."
The Mini-dragons started chittering loudly.
Harry whistled louder. "I am taking Snuffer. If you want the Nest here, Then I will bring Snuffer and his Companion here. If you will let the Nest be Outside… well. But that is something for the Inferno to talk about, while the humans go. Verdaim, Pack 'em or leave 'em!"
HANE
The Four Humans exited transit in front of the Floo.
"MOM! WE'RE HOME!" the twins choursed as they pelleted up the stairs.
"BOYS!" Molly hurried into the living room, having just missed them as they rounded the landing and slammed their door shut. "Damn!" She turned to see the non-ginger kids 'dusting' the 'ash' off their clothes. "Did you get your Breaky?"
"No Ma'am." Hermione smiled at the woman.
Verdaim chirped $Food?$
Harry turns to look at her, "Damn, you keep this up, and you will be twice as big as 'Speaker'."
"Hold still Harry." Molly drew her wand, "You got something on your jumper there."
Only to find herself looking down Harry's shaft of Holy. "Mum Weasley. I could be mistaken, but it looked like you were getting ready to cast at my passengers."
"So they're not… unwanted?"
"They are with me." Harry lowered his wand, "Molly, Allow me to introduce Verdaim, the newest lady in my life, and already she is making demands of me." He shifted his right Shoulder forward, allowing the glossy jet black with an acid green stripe down each side, from her eye to her tail tip, running over and under her bat-like wings. "And this little guy is Snuffer." he pulled the smaller drake off his shoulder. Just as He did, a Storm of White dropped on him from above, barking as only a pissed off owl could. "Hedwig! Easy Girl! Do you want to yell at me, or eat my Bacon!" the owl froze, resettled herself on his left shoulder, settled her feathers… count of three… and cuffed him with her wing. "Feeling Better?"
Bark!
"Mum Weasley. It has been a long night, with the attack on the campground. Then the Twins, Granger and I had a pitstop. We were safe. No one could get to us, unless I personally let them in." Harry placed his hands on the woman's non-wand arm. "We came to check in, clean up, grab a bite of good home cooking, before heading back to the Alley. Me and the Twins have some Business with the Goblins, Hermione wants a book or three, I promised Verdaim a few pretties, and need to collect supplies for Hed and Crook."
As he guided the woman into the Kitchen, he saw Albus sitting in Arthur's seat, sipping tea. Now he was glad he did not put away his wand. Ginny was sitting in her spot, on the far side of the table from the Headmaster, nibbling a tea-cake, and feeding a second to a purring Crook. Though it looked more like she was smushing it into his face than feeding him. Then they saw Ron chuck a gnome for the fence.
"Ginny." Hermione sighed, as she sat beside the girl, "You need to get it into his eyebrows without getting it in his eyes. Makes it look like he just stuck his head in the Hamper and ate everything."
Molly frowned, as she moved to the stove, "What have ya?"
"Jacks, bangers, any eggs you have left, easy up, scones if you have them, toast if ya don't. A fresh kettle." Harry set across from Ginny, easing into place as to not upset the load he was carrying.
Bark!
"And a plate of bacon for Hedwig."
"Same for Me, Please, Mrs Weasley. Hold the Bacon, Crookshanks needs to lose a pound or two before we return to school."
Verdaim was grumbling about 'Snuffer' being closer to the food. "Stop it, Ver! You are going to have to move to the table anyhow to eat. Only reason Hedwig gets to sit up here is that she is too big to sit on the table without a perch. Besides, you are going to be down here where the food is anyhow." he tapped the table with his wand butt.
"Why are you holding your Wand?" Albus asked quietly.
"Spent the Summer not using it, need to get back into the mind set, 'use the wand, not the hand'.
"I have noticed that you have a funny look on your face after using your wand as to just waving." Hermione frowned at the skin lad.
"With the wand, my Magic feels like a Corgi, Perky, eager to please and play. Small." he set the stick down, rubbed his fingers together before conjuring a ball of bluebell flames. "Now it is a Great Dane, barely restrained, but still eager to please and play… but instead of lifting the Headmaster's cap, I would bounce him off the ceiling if not drive him halfway through.."
"Ah, yes." Albus sipped his now cold tea, "do play with your wand."
The rusty drake whined at Harry. "No this is not the person I have in mind for you. Albus is past his prime, the person I am thinking of is just hitting his prime."
Ron was chucking one last Gnome… Harry waved his hand and the Hamper shimmered out of sight, just before the lanky Ginger tramped into the kitchen, hoping there would be a cake he could snag on his way to his room… only for the hamper to be gone, and the girls fussing over the cat with frosting in its eyebrows! Disgusted with how the Universe was treating him, Ron just stomped off up to his room swearing under his breath, under the fiction he was going to do his homework.
Albus sighed as he finished his tea. As he stood, he dug a pack of Mail from his sleeve. "I brought everyone's Letters." He dropped them on the table, smirking at the way the owl twitched as if she wanted to swoop over to deliver the post to the students.
Molly dropped two plates before the 'kids' before reaching into the 'cloaked' hamper and drawing out a tea cozy wrapped basket of scones, setting it between the girls. "Pass those here, Loves, and I will see to the shopping this afternoon. I will be needing your Key, Harry-love."
Harry froze, a bite of 'jack inches from his mouth, a rasher of bacon held just before the owl, as the two drakes wrestled with a banger of his plate. "Ahh, that will be a no, Mum-Weasley. Hermione and I are heading to the Alley after we get washed up. Twins get first run because they are fastest, and then Granger, A lady has her secrets," he smiled at the girls, "besides, she will be quick if she wants me to fund her book shopping…" Hermione bolted from the table. "Now knowing Ron as I do, he has not finished his homework, nor will He by the time we get back. I know that Granger, Verdaim, Snuffer, and I will be here at the Kitchen table. I think I will get Hedwig a table-top perch or two."
Bark! (it was muffled by the rasher of bacon in her beak.)
They heard a pounding on a door upstairs, followed by hissed yelling. Harry and Ginny shared a chuckle as the twins squealed, and the door slammed shut.
"Headmaster, you are heading back to the School?" a silky silver nod. "Tell Hagrid, Harry wants to meet him outside the Bank in…" a twitch of his wand, [tempus] "...two hours please. I have a surprise for him, and maybe the School. If you promise to keep mum…" a sly smile this time, "The little guy with the rusty stripes. What else do you get the Grounds Keeper of Hogwarts?"
"A dragon." Albus slowly reached forward and stroked the rusted male. "A bit on the small side."
"Sir, due to muggle expansion, they lost a lot of their home grounds. I was able to help, but it caused … issues. Not knowing if the change is environmental or genetic at this point, and due to the little guys' post in the group, the real gift is that next spring or the spring after, Hagrid will be overseeing the whole group's egg-clutch. I need You to do the paperwork, so that Our School Motto once more means something." the excitement was glowing in his eyes. "I am hoping to make them a living pest, over running the school. And if your Potion Master touches a living drake…" the threat was left hanging in the air.
"I will see to it immediately." he nodded to Molly smiled at the kids, and vanished into the floo.
Harry turned to Ginny, "Are you wearing that to the Alley?" Ginny snapped up from where she was now fussing over Verdaim while feeding her from Hermione's plate. The Drake was hissing $More!$
"You're inviting me along?" The girl almost dropped the bite of dripping egg. The dragon hissed in displeasure.
"Only your brother I am not inviting as he will be at Mum's side the whole time, as her pack-troll. He did not finish his homework, and he had over a month to do so. Odds are Hermione had hers finished in the first week, and I spent the last month in LA while my books were locked under the stairs." Harry stood, noticing that while he was talking, Hedwig had finished her bacon. He turned his head to look at her, and saw she was pleased with herself. "So I am taking Hed here upstairs to roost, while I get clean threads, and then I'll meet everyone who is going here."
He turned to the stairs just as the twins stepped off. "Gentlemen, Englishmen...Rouges, Lend me thy ear, so I might bend it a bit. First, Snuffer needs a mouse bag of his own, but darker, so Verdaim can lord that hers bening 'albino' as rarer. Second, watch over them for me while I refresh myself. As the Late Great G. Lockheart once told me, Fame is like a flower, it needs to be watered with the admiration of the Public." Harry snorted, as he shifted pose, "Then he pissed on it by showing us that he was all Flash, no Bang." He turned back to the table, "Ginny ease up on the feeding, don't want to over feed her."
"Okay Harry, but She keeps demanding more." The Ginger Witchling fed a bit of banger to the beasty.
"You Can Hear Her?" Harry squared up to the table, the twins at his back. $I mean, Really understand the words she speaks?$
$Yes. Though her accent is a bit funny.$
