Chapter 9 Of Tickle Traitors and Magical Creatures
Remus watched Miralene package banshee tears, ten to a bottle. He was amazed at how she neatly corked and labeled them. Each tear was a different size depending on what the customer needed it for. The ten tiny tears he was looking at right now were for putting in pregnant mothers' teas to sooth aches and pains. The next sized tears were for turning unsuspecting people's lawns into marshy bogs. Remus picked up this bottle and shook it.
"You did this to the Dursleys," he stated, watching Miralene label a bottle of tears to thicken potions.
She swiped the bottle out of his hand and placed it in the crate set up on the table. A mere nod was all she gave him as she returned to her work. Remus supposed Miralene wasn't too proud of that day, or was proud but not happy she'd made that big of a scene. On the bright side, she'd found a new thing banshee tears could do, and this was her way of contributing to the house income. Hearing a loud screech of feminine laughter from the living room, Remus decided to leave Miralene to her work and find out what the source of it was.
Alice was on Hannette's lap, being tickled mercilessly by her wife. She tried mightily not to laugh, having promised little Harry and Blaise who was visiting, that she was the best at not laughing while getting tickled. Hannette tickled her sides and she squirmed, trying not to giggle. Hannette tried harder, but Alice clamped down on her instinct to laugh. Next were the armpits of course, and the itsy bitsy spider up and down the back just the way Hannette knew Alice would crack. Alice did crack, letting out a burst of giggles.
It was open season on her then according to her two and a half year old nephew as he pulled her slippers off and tickled her feet. Hannette's arms trapped Alice around the middle so she couldn't escape as Alice let out a screech of laughter and tried not to kick Harry in the face.
"What are you doing to your poor auntie?" asked a smooth male voice Alice barely registered as Remus's.
"I'm the feet tickle monstew Unca Moony," said Harry, mercifully stopping as he looked up at Remus. "Auntie Han stawted fiwst."
"Harry traitor," said Blaise, laughing uproariously. "He make bad Slytherin."
"Harry is a traitor," said Hannette, letting Alice go. "Alice was the one who said she would be able to not laugh no matter how much you tickled her."
"Yeah but you know all my ticklish spots," Alice said with a fake frown, "And apparently so does Harry."
She scooped up her little man and danced around with him, tickling him everywhere. He giggled and shrieked and beat at her. She was sure to stay away from the kitchen as she laughed evilly and tickled him till he was limp in her arms. She then kissed his head and placed him in the middle of the toy box where Blaise was browsing and walked over to the fireplace.
Jenny kitty was napping near the fire and had missed the whole thing. She looked like a little loaf the way she was sleeping and Alice thought she was simply adorable. She was probably about a year ould now and they had discovered that she was one of those small breeds of cats, or they thought they had until they took her to the wizarding vet for a check-up and she told them something very odd. There were very few ginger cats with amber eyes in the wizarding world this old who were still this small and with medium fluffy fur. Apparently dear Jenny kitty was a wizard created cat, much like the Crup was a wizard created dog. They were bread to be longer lived and grow more slowly due to this factor.
"Basically," said the kind woman who handed Jenny kitty back to Harry, "Jenny kitty had a family a long way back who were normal ginger cats, but some people didn't like kneezles, so they created these more attractive kitties like yours. They're called Uria. Mr. Newt Scamander would I'm sure love to see one of these as I'm told he's only heard of them."
Alice was floored when Hannette came home with Harry and Jenny kitty, as were the rest of them. Remus had begun to write a letter to Mr. Scamander, including after some thought, the hatching of Hedwig. Newt Scamander wasn't an idiot. He would pick out the fact they had a phoenix right away. As Alice turned her attention to Hedwig, whom she was coming to see in the first place, she heard the sound of the floo flaring. She stepped back to let Iliana Zabini through.
"I trust Blaise had a good time?" asked Iliana, spotting Blaise and Harry playing with the Hogwarts Express.
"Oh he had a grand old time," said Alice," laughing as Blaise and Harry both managed to get two passengers aboard just in time for the train to leave.
"Come on Blaise, it's time to go," said Iliana.
After much whining on Harry's part which a swat to the bottom fixed, and a promise to come back from Blaise, the two boys kind of hugged kind of wrestled and Blaise left with his mother. Using her bare hand, since fire was her natural talent, Alice pulled Hedwig's nest out of the fire where they'd hidden it. The faeries flew over and cooled it so it wasn't too hot for Harry to touch and they both gazed at Hedwig, who was now growing pinfeathers. Of course it was then that somebody decided to knock on the front door, making both Alice and Harry sigh.
"Later sweeting," she said. "We don't know who's out there."
She cast a concealer spell over Harry's scar, then changed his hair and eye color. She then went over the rules with Harry again. No one lived here but his dad who was now called Roger, and his two aunties Hanna and Alice. Alice put on her disguise and they went to meet whoever had knocked at the front door. She knew Miralene and that crate of banshee tears would be nowhere to be found.
Remus opened the door to an older man who was probably Dumbledore's age. For one heart wrenching moment he thought the man was Dumbledore but he had brown eyes instead of blue, and there was no beard to speak of. His hair was also sensible, if a bit long.
"You must be Roger Brown," said the old man, speaking first.
"Yes sorry about that," said Remus, finding his tongue. "Is there something I can do for you sir?"
The man was scrutinizing him from head to toe and Remus squirmed. He didn't like being looked at like this. The longer they stood here, the more often Alice would have to cast that damn concealer spell at Harry's scar. It barely stuck at all and did not work for werewolves. He walked into the house and the old man followed him, pulling out the letter Remus recognized writing to Newt Scamander.
"I apologize for the scrutiny Mr. Brown but it's not often I meet a werewolf who can afford a house like this," said maybe Newt Scamander, in a not unkind way. "I am Newt Scamander and I have come about the two creatures you've written about here."
"Yes of course," said Remus, trying to calm his racing heart. "Harvy, why don't you bring Jenny kitty over here for Mr. Scamander to take a look at?"
"Yes daddy," said Harry stiltedly, running out of there like a bat out of hell.
Hannette offered everyone a cup of tea while Alice busied herself gathering pastries to serve with it. Harry took a long time bringing the Uria cat, which made Remus more nervus with every second. In that time Newt, who he knew was better with animals than people asked who the two women were and what they all did for a living.
"Sowwy daddy," said Harry, clutching an annoyed Jenny kitty in his arms. "She hidded undew the chaiw."
The Uria cat jumped out of Harry's arms, though she didn't scratch him, and landed on the table. Newt scooped her up and she yowled at him. Newt just laughed, and while he was examining her, Alice concealed Harry's scar again. A peeping trill of phoenix song came from Harry's shoulder, barely heard above Jenny kitty's yowls and hisses. Remus had good hearing though and so did Jenny kitty. Surprised that the cat had calmed down, Newt looked up and spotted Harry.
"I see you've brought the phoenix as well young Harvy?" Newt asked, looking for it. "I must say I'm surprised. I've never encountered a phoenix able to hide itself in such tiny places."
Harry gently put Hedwig on the tea tray next to the hot tea pot. Newt looked at her in awe. Next, Harry placed down the five or six little pieces of egg shell that was all that remained of Hedwig's egg.
"She is remarkable," said Newt reverently, giving Jenny kitty a chance to escape and take cover on Remus's lap. "She hatched prematurely though. I've never seen the like."
"She hatched on little Harvy's birthday," said Hannette. "He watched the whole thing unfold."
"In that case, you will need a few things for her," Newt said in a business like tone, rummaging around in a small case.
His arm went all the way into the case and everyone waited with varying degrees of patience for him to finish. Harry took Hedwig away back to the fire, no longer interested in the conversation. Jenny kitty hopped off Remus's lap and followed him. Finally Newt came out with two kits of supplies.
"This kit is for young Harvy's Uria cat whom I can't fathom why she distrusts me," said Newt. "I must have met her on a bad day. It's got a special brush for collecting her shed fur which can be spun into warm blankets and scarves if you get enough of it. It doesn't have the power of the demiguise though sadly. It just looks pretty. It also holds a safe nail clipper, a special potion to add to her food while she grows to full size to strengthen her bones, and sadly that's it."
"Are you sure you've never met a Uria cat before?" Remus asked incredulously.
"Yes I'm quite sure," said Newt. "Though I've met very rare creatures, this one seems to evade me very successfully. For the phoenix we have a travelling bag meant to stay hot at all times. There is also a set of fire making tools and kindling for making fire on the spot if she needs an instant nest and you are far from home or the weather is bad."
"Thank you," said Remus, privately kicking himself for not thinking of those items earlier. "We're glad you could be of some assistance. We'll let you know about the growth of both animals."
As he was leading Newt to the door, the man turned to him and said, "I don't believe there is a Roger Brown at the werewolf registry, my gracious host. O, and one more thing, I don't believe that little boy's name is Harvy."
Remus paled but Newt lifted a hand. "There's no need to worry Mr. Lupin," he said, steadying Remus before he could fall. "I did some research before I visited you. Yes I know, stalking is frowned upon, but I've met Miralene and though I trusted Dumbledore once, I'd trust her more now than a pair of Dumbledore's socks."
Newt slipped out the door and Remus turned to face the women in the house. They were both as shocked as he was. Miralene jumped down from the upstairs landing and sighed. Remus glared at her, folding his arms.
A/n Hello beautiful souls. Yes I'm going to go with a bit of Newt trusting Dumbledore, but only because Newt is I'd say probably just a bit older than Professor McGonnagall in my story. Tons of people trusted Dumbledore back then. I apologize for any grammar issues I have no beta. Next chapter I'm planning on a little meddling bumblebee action just to break up the ooh why does Newt know Miralene? I would pretty please love a review. Thank you for all your follows and favorites. Also giving Harry two magical creatures is OP I know, but A, I wanted to be unique with the cat, and B Hagrid buying him Hedwig is so overdone even though I love it. Rosebloom