Unexpected Animagus, Part 12

Disruption of the Sleeping Cycle of the British Changeling Due to External Factors, and Consequential Behavioural Effects.

Please Read and Review. I'd like to know what I'm doing right (to keep doing it), and what I am doing wrong (to correct it).

Hogwarts
Gryffindor Common Room
October the 31, After Curfew

Hermione finally gave up on trying to convince her housemates of Harry's innocence.

Most of them were just too happy to have a champion, and couldn't even entertain the notion anybody, much less Harry, would not want to enter the TriWizard Tournament.

Ron Weasley seemed to participate in the party preparatives in autopilot, his face alternating between a twisted smile and and angry scowl.

Trying to speak with him had been an exercise in futility. Ron was absolutely convinced Harry had somehow cheated to get in the Tournament, and no logical reasoning had moved him a single millimeter from his position.

By the time Harry arrived, later than Hermione expected, even taking into account his idea of making a stop in the way, the party was in full swing.

Outside Hufflepuff Common Room

"That was a complete waste of time." Harry Potter grumbled, shaking his head.

"I wouldn't say that, Potter. I do believe you." Cedric Diggory squeezed Harry's shoulder for a moment. "I'll try to make them understand."

"Thank you, Diggory, but if Professor Sprout doesn't believe me, I doubt you'll make much progress." He raised his eyes sadly. "Still, I appreciate your help. Thank you."

"Anytime, Potter. Are you okay to go back to Gryffindor?"

"Yeah, I have my pass. See you later."

Once in a hall without portraits, Harry allowed himself a private smirk. 'Everything goes according to the escenario, so far.' He thought, turning his steps towards the Gryffindor Tower.

Hufflepuff Common Room

"I just don't see why you would even consider seriously the idea Potter is innocent!" Cho Chang asked Cedric as he returned to the assembled Hufflepuffs; it was clear she was absolutely outraged. Maybe inviting the Ravenclaw girl to the party had been a mistake.

"Look at it this way, Cho. Have you ever seen Potter trying to get in the lumos light?" Cedric argued.

"Well… he is the Boy-Who-Lived, of course he is Famous!"

"And does he enjoys that fame? Think for a moment, and I mean everybody."

"He is the Gryffindor Seeker!" Susan Bones exclaimed.

Cedric raised an eyebrow. "He is, yes." He accepted. "A very good Seeker."

"And he had an exception made so he could play back in his First Year!"

Murmurs of approval followed that last bit. Cedric sighed. They would stick to their wands.

"Very well, I see you've made up your minds. But I ask you to remember his parting words." He stood up, and without another word, extended his hand to Cho, to escort her back to the Ravenclaw Tower. "And think on what he meant to say."

The puffs looked at each other for a few seconds, until Professor Sprout quoted Potter, with a carefully blank expression on her round face. "This is just like the thing with the Slytherin Heir."

Gryffindor Tower Door.

First thing Harry noticed as he approached the portrait, was that it contained an extra occupant. The gossiping witch was there, an eager look in her wizened face.

"Well, well, well." The Fat Lady said, while her companion looked smugly at him. "Violet has just told me everything. Who has just been chosen as school champion, then?"

Harry sighed. "Violet, uh? Nice to have a name to go with the face. I'm sure you have been making the rounds all over the castle, right?" He looked at the old witch as if he was trying to set her on fire. "I guess by now everybody has heard that I'm a cheating cheater who cheats. You just couldn't wait to accuse me and make sure everybody had the same opinion of me that the greasy dungeon bat has, without bothering to hear my side of things. So very Slytherin of you." He had noted the Hufflepuff pin in her robe.

Both women gasped at Harry's harsh words. They had expected shame, regret, even pleading, not this aggressive stance! But he hasn't finished yet. "I'll remember that. Violet. I expect you'll hurry as much when I either die in this murderous tournament, or end up maimed, or I win it. I'll be sure to buy some spirits, just for you. All of them white (1). Now, if you excuse me. I'm tired and want to sleep."

"The password, Potter." The Fat Lady demanded. "And don't threaten my friend."

"Balderdash. Ironically enough." Harry growled. "Your friend should keep her trap shut, but we don't always get what we want."

Puckle Farm

"The ball is rolling, Black. And as we thought, the students will almost all turn against Potter." Alastor Moody's image looked as if the man had swallowed lemon peels.

"I don't like it, but…"

"Part of the plan. Damnation! I just hope Potter didn't overestimate his resilience."

"Me too, but he has already proven he can take the ostracizing in stride. How are things going with Hermione?"

"Good, she's a very good student. She has some difficulty with the practical stuff, but her theory work is damnably good, she may learn to compensate her average power with finesse. A Bombarda that misses its target is much less dangerous than a Confringo that hits the mark. Just between you and me, Black, I'm tempted to offer her a full apprenticeship. Or to sponsor her. If only she learns to be more concise, and begins to think for herself instead of verbatimming whatever she reads, she will be a tremendous asset."

"Really?"

"Really. I have her practicing some generalist spells, the lass should have skipped at least a year. But then, she wouldn't be on Potter's side, I think." Moody scratched a scar at his jawline, the one that would make shaving a dangerous proposal, if he used a Muggle razor.

Sirius shrugged, "Good thing we have her on our side then." He nodded. "Along with her parents."

"Anything else, Black?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes, just a minor thing. Dan Granger has some reading material for Harry. Remind him to send Hedwig to get it. I'll shrink it beforehand, of course."

"Muggle stuff?" Moody growled. "They have some weird ideas about how to wage war, but I'll take anything if it can be used to our advantage. If it's about blunderbusses I want a copy. Or gonnes or raffles."

"No, nothing about firearms, Harry liked some of Dan's comic books, and unlike our own Martin Miggs, the stories Muggles like are longer than a couple of pages, and must be read in sequence. Harry read a few, but Dan says things will get very interesting in books Harry hasn't read yet. It's good he takes his training seriously, but, you know, he needs to have something else to do."

Moody grunted again, "…or he will burn himself out, I know. Very well, I'll remind him. I'll mirror you in a couple of days. Thing will get hectic tomorrow, I'm sure of that. Moody out."

The image wobbled, and the mirror returned Sirius' image. The man put it carefully in its black silk wrappings, and eyed the stack of comics Dan Granger had brought for Harry.

With a curious look in his gaunt face , Sirius took the one on the top. "New Teen Titans" he whispered, reading the text on the cover. "Issue 1." Sirius settled on the chair, examining the strange image, a group of kids in bright clothes the likes he had never seen, revealing their bodies in an almost obscene way. "Let's see, 25 pages of All New Action with the Group You Demanded! A bold declaration indeed!" Sirius chuckled. It was strange to see still images rendered with such detail. Despite their immobility, the characters almost seemed to move on the paper, almost as if they were breathing. Sirius continued looking at the cover. The titular characters seemed to run or fly towards him. Except for the Changeling, he had no idea of who were these characters. He opened the slim booklet, and began to read. Moments later, he was lost in a world of clearly defined good and evil, of bright vestments and strange invaders from outer space.

He began to cheer for the seven young heroes.

The first to appear on the page was Starfire, a Princess from another world, who could fly and throw something that seemed to be Bombarda spells from her hands! She was innocent, but not naive, risking everything to reclaim her liberty. Very much like Lily! They had the same fire, and by a curious coincidence, Starfire's eyes were green! Completely green. No iris or pupil, just two emerald orbs.

Next, Robin, apparently the heir of another hero. Despite being a regular human, he was the indisputable leader of the group. The young man, even in drawing, and despite his buffoonish clothes, had the presence and charisma of a born leader.

Raven, the closest to a real witch, able to Apparate at will and cure people by moving their wounds into her own body! Sirius paused for a moment, examining the page. He had an almost inspiration. He set a note down in a piece of parchment, and continued his reading.

Kid Flash, fast and impatient. Sirius thought he was the closest to himself, apart from the inhuman speed.

Wonder Girl, also an heir, amazingly strong, and also able to fly. Ignorant of her origins and history, but adopted by a loving family. Amazons, like the myth, but she was loved by them, a strange echo of his own story with the Potters.

Then, the one who had started all this strange adventure, the Changeling, the ultimate Animagus! Despite his green skin, this character reminded Sirius of better times, with constant banter and jokes, it was like James Potter transplanted into a strange Muggle idea of a hero.

Next one was Cyborg, a young man who was part human and part machine. Stoic to the point of… actually, Sirius had no reference point. But the machine man reminded him of Moody himself in a very distant way. While Cyborg bemoaned his conversion into a clockwork man, with only half a face, Moody simply grumbled a bit and even used his scars and mutilations to his advantage.

"Only Harry…" Sirius whispered, already losing himself in a world distant from his own in more ways he cared to count.

Gryffindor Tower
Common Room

As soon as Harry entered the room, he was dragged right into the center of a happy multitude of Gryffindor students.

Evidently, as if previous behaviour was not clue enough, the whole house was deliriously happy to have a champion, even in clear violation of the rules.

"Speech! Speech!" They clamored.

Lee Jordan wrapped a Gryffindor banner around Harry's shoulders, despite the later's protests.

Harry exhaled an irritated lungful. He pinched the bridge of his nose for a few seconds, and was about to explode when his eyes found Hermione's. A silent message passed between the two.

Nodding minutely, Harry raised his arms, demanding silence. The crowd complied, expectant.

Slowly, deliberately, Harry undid the knot in the banner, folded it back carefully, and put it back into an astonished Jordan's hands.

Before the murmuring even started, Harry stood up on a stool. He raised his arms again. "Listen! And pay attention! I want to be very clear about this."

Ron Weasley turned his head away. Bad sign.

Harry inhaled and steadied his breathing. "First, I did not enter the Tournament of my own free will." He raised his hands to cut off the imminent avalanche of questions and rebuttals. "I am NOT Hogwarts Champion. That honour belongs to Cedric Diggory. He was chosen according to the rules. Fair and square."

He saw the Twins exchange a knowing look, "Hey, Harry! How did you cross Dumbledore's Age Line?"

Harry facepalmed. "Didn't you listen to what I just said? I didn't!" He snorted, "I see you won't believe me either. Fine. Still, I have more to say, even if you won't listen. Second, I won't acknowledge the title of Hogwarts Champion. At the most, I'm a contestant."

More murmurs.

"Third. This Tournament is lethal. Who knows how many contestants have been killed in previous Tournaments?"

Everybody turned to Hermione.

"Just in the last TWT, in 1792, all three champions died, three judges were injured, and an undetermined number of spectators was petrified or killed when the cockatrice selected as challenge got free from its enclosure and rampaged around until it was finally killed. That was the reason the TWT was suspended, they realized not even the public was safe." She stood up. "Harry is right, he is in a terrible disadvantage. The Tasks are planned for Champions of Age. 17 years minimum. With a corresponding magical power AND knowledge."

Harry nodded at her. "Thank you, Hermione." He turned back to the group. "I'd have to be deluded and suicidal to actually consider entering this meat grinder. I assure you, despite my reputation, I am neither.

Timidly, Neville Longbottom raised a hand, his voice trembled a bit as he spoke, "I believe you, Harry."

Everybody stepped away from him, looking at the Longbottom Heir as if he was Hagrid's new pet project. He shrank under their gazes, but stood firm. "I do!" He squeaked.

Harry nodded encouragingly at Neville. "Thank you, Nev. Anybody else?" He looked around, "I see. Very well. I'm tired, it's been a long day. Go on with the party."

In the midst of a disbelieving silence, Harry went to the dorms, followed by Neville. Hermione did the same a minute later. Eventually, somebody decided that the party should go on.

After changing into his pajama and thanking Neville for his support, Harry closed the courtains of his bed, and put privacy charms to ensure he was not interrupted.

This would frustrate Ron an hour later. By then, Harry was sleeping soundly.

Puckle Farm
November the 1st, Early Morning

An insisting tapping in the window brought Sirius out of his snoring. "Hedwig? So soon?" He yawned. "What time is it?"

A quick Tempus later, and Sirius realized he had been so focused on the New Teen Titans' stories that he had filled several pages with notes and fallen asleep on the table! "Sorry, Hedwig! Just give me a moment to prepare the parcel!"

He set water and bacon for Hedwig, letting the owl rest and eat while he worked. Sirius applied a couple of charms to each book, and set the release to a code phrase.

Dan Granger entered the kitchen, covering a yawn. "I'll prepare breakfast in a few, Sirius. Hey, Hedwig." He greeted both wizard and owl. "Anything from the kids?" The owl paused for a moment to shake her head in the negative, and kept on eating. "Okay, thanks, Hedwig."

"I spoke with Moody last night. Harry has been roped into the tournament, just as we knew. I got to read your books and…" he straightened up, his vertebrae cracking and popping.

Dan snorted, "Fell asleep reading?"

"Yeah…" Sirius rubbed his lower back. "Those things are like peanuts! Can't stop once you begin! I fell asleep reading and taking notes. I think I was on issue…" he flipped through the stack, until he found the last one he had read, "16. Yeah, this one."

"Warned you, I did!" Dan laughed, and Sirius followed a moment later.

"This guy Wolfman, the writer (2), has some seriously disturbing ideas. Is he a werewolf?"

"I don't think so, it's just his surname. Has been in the business several years, but he started in other company. I'll show you those some other day."

"Good! I look forward to that." Sirius smiled like a wolf. "Say, I've been taking notes, and I'd like your input. I got… …ideas…"

"Pranking or…"

"No, to help Harry. And well, also pranking. I must say that the right prank in the right moment can become a deadly weapon."

"Oh, boy. I'll try to keep you away from my Batman books, then. The Joker is a murderous creepy clown, and if you get ideas from him…"

Sirius raised an eyebrow.

Dan sat down, "Just let me see your notes." Sirius pushed the stack towards Dan. The dentist began to read. "I like this one, do you guys have a spell to make smoke? Batman, Robin's mentor, likes to use smoke as a distraction, so the bad guys won't know where he is. Robin uses it too, of course. Hmm… what about something to throw that can come back to your hand?"

"Like Thor's hammer?" Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"I was thinking of a boomerang, or as we Batman nerds call them, Batarangs!" Quickly, Dan looked in the pages, until he found what he was looking for. "Here! You see? This is like a boomerang, but shaped like a bat wing! Real boomerangs just glide in a trajectory that returns to the thrower. Unless they hit something. They were used to hunt small animals. But these! These can carry an explosive charge, smoke bombs, or even a rope line. That last one is impossible, of course, but with magic, I think they could actually work like the Batarangs!" He beamed at the thought of having a fully working Batarang.

"Just a question, Dan. Why are the called Batarangs instead of Boomerangs?"

"Ah, My friend. That's because traditionally, every special item Batman uses as a hero, has the prefix "Bat" at the beginning, Batmobile, Batarang, Batcave, etc., to claim it as his, I guess. Things got ludicrous in the 1960s, when the tv show was on. There was even a Bat-Shark-Repellent!" He chuckled softly.

"But Robin should have his own stuff! Robirangs or something like that!" Sirius insisted.

"Well, at this point in comics, Robin was still considered as Batman's sidekick." He looked at Sirius puzzled expression, "his apprentice, so to say. With few exceptions, Robin's tools were modeled after Batman's, and were still bat-shaped. Later on, he decides he has outgrown the role of apprentice, and takes a new identity, but that is still a long way in the story."

"Please tell me you have those!"

"Sure, but I didn't bring them here, I just got about two years of New Teen Titans. Enough for the team to get settled into a cool dynamic, and for everybody to learn team-work. They work more like a family than a team. You saw how Cyborg and Changeling get on."

"Yeah." He looked a bit sad for a moment. "Like bickering brothers."

"Exactly!" Dan put the comics in order, and hesitated. "Hmm… don't you think these could cause trouble if somebody else sees them?"

"Maybe if they didn't see them as copies of 'Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle', or 'Teen Witch Weekly', watch." Sirius put the point of his wand on the cover of one book, and said, "Mischief Managed".

Before Dan's amazed eyes, the whole book changed, the size was smaller, the paper became rougher, and the beautifully rendered images by George Perez, Romeo Tanghal, and Adrienne Roy (3) were replaced by badly drawn images of a strange character acting like an idiot.

"Martin Miggs, sixty years in print, and it's still…"

Dan read the new story in the book, whistling softly in incredulity. "Sirius, If this is what the magicals think of us, I am very offended."

"You and me both. I used to read this crap before attending Hogwarts. James and I used to collect it. But once Lily, Harry's mother, read it, we got an eye-opening rant about how it was horribly bigoted. I threw mine into a fire, and James used his to test explosive spells. The book is still in print, I know, so disguising your comics like thus it is campuflague. No wizard will look at it closely. Or take it seriously."

"The word is camouflage, Sirius." Dan scratched his head. "I guess it would be like putting a Mein Kampf dust cover on The Diary of Anne Frank if you happen to be in some place with neo-nazis." He shrugged. "Hmm… i need to go over the whole story with that, I think."

"I'll just assume I understood the reference by context, Dan." Sirius began to shrink the now disguised books and put them in a bag.

Minutes later, Hedwig flew back to Hogwarts with the small parcel.

Author Notes

(1) White spirits; basically, turpentine. If you saw "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?", this is Harry threatening to use The Dip on Violet, though he himself doesn't know about the film.

(2) Marv Wolfman, long-time fan and comic book writer. He has worked for both big companies, Marvel Comics and DC, either writing existing characters, or creating or co-creating new characters. Alongside with his frequent collaborator, the late George Perez, he relaunched the Teen Titans in the incarnation I'm basing this story on. His list of credits is really impressive. Not only in the two big companies, also some independents, and also life-action and animation. You can be this stories are interesting and nuanced.

(3) George Perez, penciller; Romeo Tanghal, inker, and the late Adrienne Roy, colorist. The art team in issue 1. Please check their list of credits in Wikipedia, as all three were very accomplished professionals.