Unexpected Animagus, Part 14

Sensory Capability of the British Changeling

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

Just as expected, the Hogwarts students, with precious few expections, turned against Harry. Being shunned was not new for the young wizard, and would have hurt worse if it wasn't for the need to focus on the real goal.

Ending Riddle once and for all, preferably with his lackeys.

So, Harry, Hermione, and in a lesser measure, Neville, endured the hostile treatment.

The highlight of their days was, on one hand, reading and rereading the Titans stories; and on the other, researching how to augment and complement Harry's power.

Hagrid had been a great help, without realizing their interest went in a very different direction than caring for magical animals.

Diligently, Harry studied the hippogryffs, blast-ended Skrewts, the giant squid, unicorns, nifflers, bowtruckles (which turned out to be a disappointment, being actually plant-based creatures, impossible to duplicate with his power). Even the Acromantulas and the Centaurs would be under his gaze should the opportunity present itself.

A clearing in the Forbidden Forest, far from prying eyes, provided a safe place to practice.

"Ok, Hermione, I think I got it." Harry nodded to himself. "Let's try it." Harry's body shimmered, and a moment later, a proud emerald green hippogryff stood in his place, extending his wings. "Feels… right. Just like a bird."

"Can you fly?" Hermione asked.

"One way to know." After a short run, the animal beat his wings and took flight, rising to the sky. Hermione tracked Harry's progress with his omniocculars, amazed at his instinctive understanding of winged flight.

Soon, Harry landed close to her. "It was great! You just can literally feel the wind under your wings!" By now she was used to hear Harry's voice coming from all kind of creatures, even some that had nothing close to a human speech organs. (1)

"You now have ways to flee if you have to."

"Or attack, these are not accessories." Harry raised his left front claw, the cruelly sharp talons gleamed under the Sun. "Remember Buckbeak? He did a number on Malfoy. If Hagrid hadn't intervened, Buckbeak would have mangled him."

Hermione looked worried. "Ok, what's next?" Awkwardly, she changed the subject.

"The niffler. I'd like to check if I can use its senses."

"Ok. Go and fly around, I'll be hiding some shiny things around. I won't tell you what or how many, and to make sure I didn't give any tells, I'll wait behind that rock, out of sight."

Dutifully, Hippogriff Harry returned after a few minutes, and changed into a platypus-like creature, about the size of a cat. Hermione went to her hiding place, while Harry's head bobbed up and down, tasting the breeze.

He closed his eyes for a moment, sniffing the air. "Funny… I feel…" he began to move without even realizing it.

He arrived to the closest place, and dug next to a rock.

There was a galleon there! "Yes! Found one!" He put it in his pouch. It was a really strange feeling, like he was bigger in the inside. And according to Scamander's book, he really was. A niffler's pouch could contain a volume equivalent to a good sized bank vault.

Minutes later, Harry, back in human shape, sat down next to Hermione, and put a cloth bag between them, proceeding to pass it's content to Hermione one item at a time. "Six galleons, two sickles, seven knuts, a pound, a gold-plated earring, a pocket watch, and a broken butterbeer bottle. Did I miss something?"

"No. And you got more than what I planted, that watch wasn't part of the test!"

"It looks nice. I wonder who left it here." Harry turned the watch around. "Here's an engraving… 'S. Kettleburn'. Sounds familiar."

"He was the teacher for Care of Magical Creatures before Hagrid. He retired the same year we got Care as an elective, so we never had any classes with him. He lives in Hogsmeade, I think. He must have lost the watch years ago! I think we should send it to him."

"Sure. I'll send it with Hedwig later, Merlin knows I don't have enough mail as she would like." Harry shrugged. "I think it was enough training for today, let's go back and finish our homework."

As they were leaving, Harry asked, "You reckon that, if we need to flee, um…" he demurred. "I mean, would you trust me enough to let me fly you away?"

She stopped on her tracks. Hermione shook her head, "Honestly, Harry… I don't know for sure." She bit her lower lip. "In an emergency, I think yes. Otherwise I couldn't have flown with Buckbeak and you to help Sirius. But normally? I'd need to get used to the idea."

"Fair enough." Harry said.

Back in the Gryffindor Common Room, the two sat down to study and do their homework.

Harry felt something touch his leg. He looked under the table, "Hey, Crookshanks." He picked up the flat-faced cat, and scratched him behind the ears. The cat purred for a moment, before jumping to Hermione's lap, who repeated the treatment until Crookshanks laid down, eyes closed and purring happily.

"He's being doing that for a while." Harry scratched his head. Hermione looked around and quickly mouthed the word "Changeling". Harry nodded, and went back to his essay.

Puckle Farm

"See you next Saturday, Sirius." Dan Granger finished loading his luggage on the car's boot. "If you need something, use the phone or send us an owl."

"Sure, Dan." Sirius coughed discreetly into his hand. "I… I really appreciate you and Emma letting me stay."

Dan closed the boot, "It's no problem. We don't use this place as much as we would like to." He looked around. "We are planing to retire here, and leave the house in Crowley to Hermione."

Sirius nodded, "Good choice."

After a few moments of comfortable silence, Dan occupied the driver's seat. "I'll bring more comics next Friday." He paused, "No Joker!" He said before Sirius could say anything. "And don't let yourself be seen much. I'll make sure to mention you as my tenant, and arrange for delivery of food. Can you hold on by yourself?"

Sirius puffed, "Sure I can! Anything I might need beyond your generous arrangements, I can ask Dobby and Kreacher. Actually, I'll just ask Dobby. I'll need something to occupy my time, and Kreacher can bring me books from… um… the family house."

"Pity you only had a set of mirrors." Dan noted.

Sirius' face lit up. "That's it! I'll make another set! Will take a few days of intensive work, but it can be done! Merlin's soggy socks! I'll make two, one for you two and me, and another for you and the kids. Moody can keep the mirror I gave him, and we can talk to each other."

"Like a conference call?"

Sirius' looked confused for a moment. "What's that?"

"Um? It's a… well, several phones connect to the same call at the same time, and everybody can hear what everybody else says."

"Doesn't it get confusing? Everybody talking at once?"

"Can be, but usually there's a kind of a system. Somebody talks first, then asks for input from the others. It gets confusing at times, mostly because it's just audio and no one can see who wants to talk. Sometimes it's easier to ask everybody in turn until everybody has said their part."

"Ah, but with the mirrors…"

"We can see who wants to talk next." Dan nodded wisely.

Took him a bit longer than planned to actually leave.

Hogwarts

"Professor Flitwick's lesson gave me an idea, Harry."

"The Banishing and Summoning charms?"

"Yes. Do you think there's a way to actually control an object as is it either Summoned or Banished?"

"Hmm… there might be, what are you thinking?"

"Batarangs."

Harry smiled like a fox. "To the bat-library?"

She facepalmed. "…yeees. Anyway, if I can't find it, I'll ask Professor Moody. Such a spell would be useful for an Auror, I think."

Events proceeded during the week, until the most dreaded day was upon Harry and Hermione.

Double Potions class with the Slytherins.

"Harry? Can you keep your head cool? Malfoy will surely try to rile you up."

"I'm not gonna fight him in his terms, Hermione. He only tries to provoke me whenever he feels he has an advantage. Like the… the guy who gets his brain augmented?"

"The Ravager?" (2)

"That guy. Anyway, Malfoy talks tough, but only from an advantage. I'm not falling for that anymore."

"I… I'll be very annoyed with you if you do."

Harry nodded, "That's fair."

In the way to the dungeons, they crossed paths with Diggory and a group of simpering girls following him, asking for autographs on their school bags. Though the girls looked at Harry as if he was a really big Blast-Ended Skrewt, Diggory nodded respectfully as he passed, "Potter." He said, his voice as friendly as ever.

"Diggory." Harry returned the greeting with the same courtesy, to the befuddlement of the girls, who demanded to know how come the True Champion of Hogwarts didn't denounce the cheater. Their voices got lost in the distance, so they couldn't hear Diggory's answer.

Inevitably, they found the Slytherins already waiting at the heavy wooden door of the classroom. Each and every one wearing a large badge in the front of their robes. They had a bright red text scrolling across the surface:

"Support Cedric Diggory = The REAL Hogwarts Champion"

"Like them, Potter?" Malfoy had an insufferably smug look on his ferret face. "And this isn't all they do – look!" He pressed his badge, and the message changed immediately to:

"Potter Stinks"

Harry felt Hermione gasp in outrage while the Slytherins howled with laughter. They all followed Draco's example. All the badges now displayed the second text.

"Oh, very funny." Hermione said sarcastically to Pansy Párkinson, who presided over her own gang of girls.

Before she said anything else, a clapping interrupted. It was Harry, with a big smile on his face, and looking as if he was enjoying himself.

"Oh, that's good, Draco! Very good! I see you have upped the ante!"

Everybody looked confused. Harry continued. "I haven't been so insulted and humiliated in a very long time! Let me see…" he tapped thoughtfully on his chin, looking upwards, as if trying to jog his memory. "Ah, yes! Now I remember! First Year in Saint Grogory's Primary School! I was six years old then! My, my, time really flies!"

"I don't care about stupid Muggle schools!" A flustered Draco sputtered, he had the feeling Potter was winning somehow, as Granger half turned around and covered her mouth with her hand.

By now, the rest of the Gryffindors were arriving, so Draco tried to get things back into the schedule. He turned towards Hermione with an oily smile. "Want one, Granger?" He held one towards her, "I've got loads, but don't touch my hand, I just washed it and don't want it slimed by a Mudblood."

She tensed, and her hand moved to her wand.

"Go on, Granger." Draco said quietly, drawing his own wand. "Moody is not here to look after you."

Harry grabbed Hermione's arm, looking at Draco. "No, he isn't, but I bet Snape is looking after you." He grumbled in a dangerously low voice. Suddenly, he recovered his joviality. "I'll take that." He grabbed the offending badge from Draco's left hand. "I'm sure some enterprising Ravenclaw must be congratulated."

Draco's face confirmed Harry's suspicions.

"Hey, are you gonna let him talk like that?"

'Great." Harry thought, 'Now he speaks." Of course, Ron Weasley wouldn't miss the chance to act like a fool.

Draco smiled, pulling out his wand, just as Harry pulled Hermione to one side.

"Eat slugs!" Ron yelled, just as Malfoy cast his own spell. "Densaugeo!"

The spells crashed against each other, ricocheted against the walls, until they hit unintended targets. Ron's hit Crabbe in the shoulder, and Draco's hit Harry on the back, as he was covering Hermione with his body.

"And what is all this noise about?" Said a soft, deadly voice. Of course, Snape had arrived. Right in time. Harry rolled his eyes, but he felt his front teeth growing, the left incisive and canine, and left mandibular incissives and canine. It felt similar to the way the teeth of his dog form felt. Hermione's eyes were round as plates, looking at his now growing teeth.

They missed Snape's biased "investigation" of the facts, but heard as the Potions teacher sent Crabbe to the Hospiral wing.

Hermione swallowed her pride, Harry couldn't talk anymore, the still growing teeth interfered too much. "Professor, Malfoy's spell hit Harry. He needs help too.

Snape looked at Harry, then at Hermione. "A matching set, I see." He shrugged, dismissing her worries.

Harry felt a surge of anger, especially at the way the Slytherins laughed openly. He squeezed Hermione's hand, and shook his head a fraction of an inch. She understood the message.

Snape looked as if he had found a galleon on the floor as he deducted points from Gryffindor and assigned detentions to Ron and Harry.

Crabbe was surely about to arrive to the hospital wing by now. Harry's teeth already reached his collar, but Snape didn't look the least inclined to send him to get treatment. "Now, get inside or it will be a full week of detention with Filch."

Hermione took her bag, and pulled Harry away. She looked at Snape with angry tears in her eyes. "So be it!" She grumbled.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor for skipping class, Miss Granger." She didn't respond. "Each!" Snape shouted after her.

Once on their way to the hospital wing, she whispered close to Harry's ear. "Can you change? Maybe that would cancel the effect."

Harry shook his head and tried to say something. He pointed at his mouth, the lower jaw teeth formed a kind of cage in front of his left eye, while the other two would threaten to pierce his chest if he lowered his head. Or maybe break.

She hurried, dragging Harry behind her. "I guess not. Come on, let's see what Madam Pomphrey can do."

They found Poppy trying to make Crabbe drink a potion, but it was a wasted effort. Ron's spell wouldn't let him eat or drink anything until the effect ended. Hermione reminded Poppy of that fact. The best they could do for Crabbe was to get him a bucket to catch the parade of slugs coming out of his mouth.

"Okay," Poppy said, "hold this mirror, and let me know when the tooth is back at its proper size."

Harry didn't nod. The elongated teeth made that a dangerous proposition. He simply raised a thumb.

Poppy mumbled a spell, moving her wand in front of Harry's face. Due to the danger the upper teeth presented, she began with the canine. Gradually, it shrank back, Harry moved his hand, slowing the movement gradually, until the tooth returned to its original size. Then he closed his fist and turned the thumb up.

Poppy began to work on the incisive, repeating the process.

She was working with the last tooth, the mandibular canine, when Colin Creevey arrived, panting. "Sorry," he said, "I'm supposed to take Harry to a meeting." He gasped. It was clear he had been running.

Harry turned his eyes to Hermione, keeping still. He raised an eyebrow and glanced at Colin.

She realized what he was asking. She turned to Colin, and asked, "A meeting?"

"Yes, it's some kind of ceremony. Something to do with the Champions' wands. There's people from The Daily Prophet and everything!"

"Don't move, Mr. Potter. We are about to finish." Poppy didn't even glanced at Colin.

"It's most urgent, m'am. I had to run here from Professor Snape's classroom, and they are waiting for Harry."

"Um.." Poppy looked at Harry's mouth. "If it's that urgent, you could go, I guess. The tooth is just a little bit longer than the other. I could technically leave it this size until you can come back."

Harry looked at his reflection, and moved mouth, jaws and lips experimentally. He smiled at Hermione.

"I kinda like it." She said

"Really?" He saw that sometimes, the point would be outside his lips, just a bit. (3)

"Yeah. It's like a fang or something."

"Can we leave it like this?"

"I guess." Poppy hesitated. "But if it gives you trouble, come back and I'll fix it."

"Thank you, Poppy." He jumped down the bed. "Now, let's see what new indignity they want to pilo on my back, shall we?"

Author Notes

(1) Strange, but canonical. In comics, it doesn't matter the animal Garfield Logan changes to, he can still talk. However, in the Teen Titans cartoon, the creative team decided to limit each animal to its own vocal range. The only way Beast Boy could speak in animal form was to choose an animal capable of mimicking speech, like a parrot.

(2) The Ravager was a one-shot villain who wanted revenge on the Titans after the Titans trashed his apartment to protect Starfire, and later on, his girlfriend dumped him. He got a proposal by H.I.V.E. (Hierarchy International of Revenge and Eliminations), a mercenary group specialized into contract killings. He was altered to use a 100% of his brain, but the treatment ended up killing him (This has already been debunked. Everybody uses the 100% of the brain, just not at the same time. Each area has an specific job to do. There's no big reserve of brain power waiting for some enterprising mad scientist to awake it). Both Ravager and H.I.V.E debuted in New Teen Titans issue 2 (Dec, 1980)

(3) I couldn't resist. I had to give Harry the same sharp tooth from the animated version of Beast Boy in the Teen Titans cartoon. .