Hellhounds Are Not Emo II

06

ISDH

HANE

Potter pulled the group out of the Shadow, right before the Floo.

Right into a roaring fight between Molly and Arther.

"... and then that little Bastard threatened to take my Baby!"

"Molly-wobbles, Breathe." the balding red-headed wizard made shushing motions with his hands. "Now tell me his exact words."

"Which set." Harry embraced Slobberjowel and growled. "When I scolded Mum Weasley for failing to see that our Ginny got to see the Mind-Healer, Poppy advised? Or When I came down from my shower, to find Mum about to yell at everyone in the Kitchen?"

Harry stepped away from the Group, "I Promised Molly, that if she upset my witches, I would call in the 'Life-Debt' and 'Honour-Debts' I am owed by House Weasley. She failed to care for my little sister in 'All but Blood' and threatened my Vassel when my back was turned. The Twins can make up their mind… but If Ginny or Hermione are even yelled at this Summer…" Harry locked eyes with Molly, $I will take them, and you will never see them again.$

The So-called Lord Weasley frowned at the last of the lad's speech, not knowing Parsel. Not Liking what the non-ginger had said, but he needed to change 'the winds' before he could 'launch his kite'.

$Harry! I chose who I see, and who I don't!$ Ginny hissed in anger.

"You too, Princess?" Arthur looked shocked.

"He cursed my Baby!" Molly wailed.

"No Mother." Ginny snapped, her eyes flashing, "This 'Gift' came from Tom! Another Reason for Dad's Rule about trusting something with a hidden brain! And had you done as Poppy advised…" Her Father pulled her in close, for a hug, glaring his Wife.

"I tried, Baby." the Father of Seven glared at his wife of twenty plus years. "But your Mother Argued that Albus said it was not needed, and we did have the money… even with the Lottery!" He turned to Harry, "You have a Place…"

"Yes and No." Harry crossed his arms and looked at the Twins, "I have a place to crash for the night, when I need to. I can easily jump to Hermione's house before you can 'pop' there." Looking back at the Ministry Wizard, "My Place… no one can find, not even the old man, unless I take them. The Goblins are looking over the Potter Estate, and by the end of the Week…" He let it die off. "Now that you are here, and in the know… I will give you until I finish my Homework, before I collect on the Debts." Turning to glare at Molly, "Provided we are still welcome…"

Molly threw her hands in the air, before turning for the Kitchen. "Did you get everything while you were in the Alley?" She snarked.

"No." Hermione stepped around Harry, "We just did Robes, Books, and a wand check up. While I was collecting books, the boys and Ginny hit Zonko's and by the boys' smirks, Quality Quiditch. Not seeing what they bought, it seems it was more widow shopping than anything else." She glared at the Red-headed Hedge-Witch. "I also got Ron's Books. Consider them a gift. You will need to get his robes, including dress robes. We still need to shop for potion supplies, refresh our rune kits, and our animal supplies."

"We do not need…" Molly began her rant.

"Molly." Arther's voice had an edge to it. "It is a gift. House Potter is a Friend of House Weasley. Something I swore the night we got our 'Baby Girl' back, after being told she was dead." He turned to Harry, "We thank you. Now, before you returned, there was some noise from upstairs…"

"Unless it was Ron, that would be Dobby." Harry sighed, before calling in a demanding tone. "Dobby!"

"Harry Potter Sir calls Dobby!" the Elf impacted with the lad's knees. "What can Dobby do for … Sir?" The Elf glared at Hermione.

"Why is Dobby glaring at me?" the muggleborn asked.

"Answer her." Harry closed his eyes, knowing what was coming.

"Grangy not allowing Dobby call 'Great Wizard Harry Potter Sir' Master."

The effect of a tennis-ball eyed being giving one the 'Hairy-eye' unsettled Hermione.

"Dobby. Stop it." Harry scratched the bald head at his knee. "Lord Weasley, I present my personal Elf, Dobby."

"Hello Dobby."

"Lord Weazzy." the bald head bobbed.

"Dobby. As long as Hermione and I are welcome in this House, everyone in this room is allowed to ask for your help."

The small being bobbed his head. "That leaves your Weazy…"

"Ron has been dragging both Granger and myself down. It was on his advice that I took Divination, when all the Professor can do is predict my Death. I am hoping that between Now and the end of the Month, Hermione can help me clear the first year of Runes, enough to join her in class." Harry slid his hands into his sleeves, "That reminds me. Me and Spitfire here have appointments with Ollivander this week. Our Wands no longer fit us. In fact, the old man snatched my wand away completely."

"Let's get the books divied up." Hermione clamped her hand on Harry's arm, dragging him to the Kitchen, the elf still wrapped around his leg.

HANE

Two hours later, Harry pushed the book he was paraphrasing aside, filled in the last three lines on the scroll, and dropped the quill into the ink-pot.

"And that takes care of Charms." He breathed deep as he swept the table with his eyes.

Ron was grumbling as he scratched out his essay. Ginny was reading ahead in Harry's Monster Book of Monsters, holding the book in her lap, as she scratched it behind the eye-ridge. The book was rumble-purring. Hermione was reading one of her new, non-school books on the Great Magics.

The Twins had ditched to their room, their books clutched in their arms, and locked the door behind them.

Arthur had shared a quiet word with his wife, before returning to Work, Briefcase in hand, and a pint of Ice Cream in his pocket.

Molly was outside hanging the Laundry on the line, as Dobby was collecting and washing all the dirty Laundry. The little Elf had also collected three bushels of apples and one of pears from the orchard, in the hopes of helping Molly with her canning and Cooking.

Harry had finished his Charms' and Potion's essays. For Divination he scratched out a note; 'Sorry Professor, but everytime I focused on your subject, all I could see was a Grim, and a Hellhound coming to Hogwarts. Either you have guided me to see only the Dark side of the Future, or Hell is coming like a winter storm to our Walls. It is for this reason, and this reason alone, that I am dropping your Class. HJP.' He would send it to Trelony via the Headmistress.

Verdaim crawled from his pocket, hissing in hunger. $Feed!$

Ron yelped, as Ginny chuckled. $She is as Bad as Ron.$

"Do you have to Do that?" Ron drew away from his sister, "It is bad enough that Harry does it in his sleep, but now you have to do that at the Table."

"She is just hungry." Ginny snarked, before setting the 'Monster' book on the table, as she stood up. She dug into the 'Ice Box', before coming up with a mostly picked clean turkey leg bone. "Mom was keeping it for soup stock, but she has the rest of the carcass." She returned to her seat, as the drake scurried along Harry's arm to the table where she sat up, on her tail, hissing in delight. $This is to hold you over until dinner.$ Ginny poked the bone at the black and green lizard, like it was a wand. Verdaim snagged the end of the bone/wand before curling about it, gnawing it as she hissed and growled to herself.

"Is She saying something?" Hermione watched the little beast worry the joint in her teeth.

"Not that I can hear." Harry eased his Transfiguration books before him. "She is very pleased with herself. Hey Ginny, after dinner, are you up to a game of 'Stones?"

"I didn't know you played gobstones." Ron frowned.

"I don't. She does." Harry thrust his chin at the dragonette. "She hustled the twins this morning." Harry grinned, "Besides, if you are finished with your homework, like I hope to be, I will be facing you over the 'Board'."

Ron scrambled for his next text book.

The witches shared a look,and snorted.

HANE

Black and Lupin dropped out of the sky, to land on their feet. They quickly crossed the quiet street, the shorter man dragging his trunk behind him, to the rundown section of the Row-houses.

The state of the House was one part illusion, one part neglect. Black muttered under his breath, before the wards swept over them both, and while the feeling was not one of 'Welcome', it was a feeling of a 'dog or wolf' seeking its pack.

"Padfoot. Those wards…"

"Yeah. No human has crossed them since my Mother died, may she rot." Black opened the door. "The Pup calling us to return has me worried, but once we get settled, we can attack the mess."

"What 'Bad Master' want?" Sneered a voice full loathing from the shadows. From the darkness a wrinkled hatchet nosed Elf in a tea-towel loincloth glared at the two wizards.

"Ah, Kreature." Black snarled, "You're still alive I see. Why is the House in this condition?"

"Mistress's last Orders."

"Well, the new Lord Black will have something to say about that." Black smirked.

"Master Draco?" the awe in the eyes of the Elf blazed.

"No. A wizard that is stronger than that inbred ponse. Both in Magic and in Mind. When he takes up his title, the old Fool will be faced with the seeds of a budding Dark Lord." Lupin answered.

The Elf glared at the interloper. "Silence Wolf, or Kreature will…"

"Stand down." Black Snarled at the Elf, "I might Hold the Title of Lord, but only until my Heir comes of Age. You will learn to curb thy tongue, or you will be set aside. Not Sent to the Wall. Not Clothed and Dismissed. Set aside to watch younger Elves remake the Image of Black, discarding our Family's Traditions." the Elf paled as he finally found something worse than Death or Dismissal.

"Yes, Lord Black." the Elf sneered softly. "And where shall I put the … Guest." He glared into the Dark, behind him. "Mistress forbaid cleaning without Magic… and Kreature is getting old… Mistress was not strong enough on her own…"

"We will find a young Elf for you to instruct in the Family Ways. His Lordship is a Halfblood, raised Muggle. One thing we, the three of Us, will teach him is how things are done in the 'Name of Tradition'. Not all Traditions will be practiced, but they will be learned. From now on, Blood Pureness is not a measure of Greatness, But Power in the Magics. Mundanes, should they be invited in, are measured not on their merit but that of the one who invited them."

"Besides, the Young Lord makes the Dog here look like a squib in Power, be it Reserves, or Spell Power." Lupin could not help but sneer at Padfoot, "After all, last school year, he did not just learn the Patronus Charm, but used it to banish over three score Demntors."

The Elf sneered, as he glared at the two humans before him,before turning and stomping into the Darkness. "Dog will look after Wolf, until the Young Master takes up House Black." the rough voice spoke from the Blackness, before a door was slammed shut.

"I think he was not telling the full truth about his Magic." Lupin drew his wand, and cast a lumius charm, throwing back the Dark.

"Kitchen is this way." the Dog-wizard led the way past a Troll Foot, and down the Stairs. "We can camp there while we battle back the Dark. We are going to need that Mastery of yours."

HANE

Albus looked up from his desk as his Floo bloomed green. From the fire, stepped the one magus older than him. Ollivander.

"Albus. I must speak with your bird. One of his… chosen can no longer wield his wand."

"Potter." the Headmaster turned to look at the red feathered fire-beast, "Is that why you have been so smug this past week?"

The bird trilled at the two men, flicked three feathers from his right wing, before peering at the wand-maker and shaking a feather from his left.

"You don't say." Ollivander collected the feathers, keeping them separate. "Good day Albus." He ducked into the green flame and was gone.

"And of course, you won't tell me what just happened." Albus turned back to his paperwork with a grin as his companion thrilled it's version of a raspberry.

HANE

"Wormtail!" the squeaky voice of the dark tyrant cut through the air. "My Bottle!"

"Here milord." the small man in an Igor pose, offered the nippled glass bottle to the rebirthing undead. The ugly sprog snatched the milk bottle, suckling like a greedy piglet, hissing around the rubber nipple.

Peter glanced at the snake, coiled loosely before the fire, the lump of the witch formly Bertha Jorkins bulging two thirds of a meter behind her jaws. The snake opened one milky eye to peer sleepy at the rat-magus. She was molting, and was short of temper. She had grown over the last two months, this was her second shedding. It was a good thing, as the potion the Dark Tyrant drank daily required both her venom and her shed skin. She was not going to move unless the Dark Lord forced her, or her skin split, and Wormtail would need to peel off the old skin and rub her down with a scented oil.

'At least Black would have made it Quick…'

HANE