In any other situation, the conversation that was currently happening in the Hufflepuff common room would have been enough to cause a great deal of concern and jealousy.
However, since the House of the Loyal had nearly four months to get used to the sight of a seventeen-year-old girl making business deals with an eleven-year-old boy, those who were present in the Common Room could only roll their eyes as they watched the most honest, and most vindictive, member of their ranks try and convince his senior to do something that she clearly didn't want to do.
"For the last time Potter, the answer is no. I'm really sorry, but I'm not gonna be able to help you out this time."
"Why not? If it's a matter of cost, I'm more than happy to spend a little more. Though I draw the line at helping Granger out with her Slytherin problem. Except of course when her presence at OUR table attracts the attention of her goose-stepping stalkers."
Though Harry's comment managed to draw some snickers from his Half Blooded and Muggleborn housemates, the currently red-headed seventh year was far from amused.
"And that's one of the reasons why I can't do this for you. I mean don't get me wrong, I'm happy that you're showing SOME concern for the girl. Even IF you continue to only stand up for her when it suits your best interests. But since Slytherin House is till pissed about what you did at the Quidditch game, and the fact that you now have a strong reputation for punching, cursing, or zapping anyone who irritates you, they've started to target those who are close to you."
While he still maintained his glaring expression, there was nevertheless a slight change in the green-eyed Hufflepuff's tone as he responded to this piece of information.
"They what?"
Sensing the danger behind that short sentence, though understanding that it wasn't directed towards her, Tonks explained.
"Oh nothing too bad really. I mean, if I wasn't a seventh-year, with the type of reflexes the more competent members of the Auror Corps look for in their potential recruits, I'd be in trouble. But since I am, the worst I have to deal with is being in the wrong place when Snape is in one of his moods. Which are still pretty bad despite the persistent rumour that he was seen skipping and laughing only a couple of weeks ago."
Conceding that point with a nod, even if he hadn't been able to determine what was the cause for the overgrown bat's happiness, even if it did sort of occur on the date where his bank sent him a note regarding the need for a holiday meeting to discuss an unexpected windfall to his accounts, Harry felt his expression sour as the conversation was moved back to its original topic.
"Anyways, combine that with the rumors of Filch being given more authority to search for anything suspicious, plus the fact that I sort of need to keep my record mostly clean of illegal wrongdoings if I want to get accepted after my NEWTS, I can't help you out. If you had given me enough notice, I probably could have smuggled in your booze one bottle at a time until you had the quantity you wanted. But since you kind of left this to the last minute, I can't help you out."
Maintaining eye contact with her younger housemate, for she had learned over the past few months that it was never a good idea to show weakness when Harry was in what he liked to call 'Dealmaker Mode', Tonks had to fight the urge to smirk as she watched the younger Hufflepuff sigh in resignation.
"Fine. But just so you know, if you ever need me to smuggle in your illicit goods, I'm gonna charge you the standard rate instead of giving you a discount."
Chuckling at her housemate's warning, even though she got the sense that he was being entirely serious with that rather adorable threat, the now pink-haired Metamorphmagus nodded her head in agreement.
"I suppose I can live with that. So long as you give me an honest answer as to how much of that 'order' actually goes to you instead of your family back home."
Seeing him slightly tense at her question, Tonks held up a finger to silence any words of protest.
"I know it doesn't really make me look like a responsible student, but considering the way I've seen you eat at meals without gaining so much as a pound, you can forgive me if I suspect that you 'sample' your family's fire whiskey before sending it home. I mean so long as it doesn't affect you in any negative way, I don't really care. But if you're developing an addiction, then I have to step in."
Though Harry quickly sported a frown at this question, he answered it readily enough.
"I do NOT have an addiction. I mean, I like the way it tastes, not to mention the way it warms me up when drinking it. But I CAN live without it. Even if it does taste a hell of a lot better than most of the stuff I can get back home."
Raising an eyebrow at that potentially troubling slip, Tonks decided to take some pity on the amusingly pouting eleven-year-old as she jokingly listed some solutions to his problem.
"Well, I suppose you could always get the twins to help you out. Despite being only third years their knowledge of the castle's secret passages is quite impressive. Though considering they're still only thirteen, I doubt they'd be able to find anyone to sell it to them. And even if they did, I wouldn't trust the quality. Maybe if you were a Metamorphmagus like me, you could change your appearance until you could pass for a seventeen-year-old. But the chances of that happening within the next few weeks are rather small."
Chuckling at the currently pouting Potter, for it was a rather adorable sight, even more so when she considered the trigger for it, the pink-haired Hufflepuff felt her eyes narrow in suspicion as she watched her younger housemate abandon his sour expression for something that funnily enough reminded her of the only member of her mum's family who had been invited to her fifth birthday party.
The fact that said family member turned out to be just as vile as the rest of the Black Family, minus her mum of course, ensured that Tonks experienced a brief moment of anxiety as she watched the green-eyed eleven-year-old rush out of the common room.
As his senior, and as a potential trainee in the Auror corps, she did have the responsibility to ensure that he wasn't up to any trouble.
But since she was his only recognized friend in the castle, though she suspected that it was only a matter of time before he admitted that the Twins and the giant groundskeeper also enjoyed that title, Tonks decided that for the time being she would allow him to get into mischief.
If only because it would give her an excellent chance to lord it over him should the opportunity arise where she was his only hope.
Such an attitude was usually unheard of amongst the House of the Loyal.
But since the Sorting Hat had briefly toyed with the idea of sending her to the Snake Pit, before she had revealed the lengths she would go to in order to punish the semi-sentient piece of fabric if it sent her to Slytherin, it was perhaps appropriate that she relished the idea of teasing her junior.
Especially when he sported such cute pouting expressions.
…..
When she had first received the call from her draconic friend, Octavia had been both ecstatic and relieved.
The first emotion stemmed from the fact that it had been some time since they had communicated without using her faithful, and slightly gluttonous servant as a medium. So the teenaged Goetia was quite happy to be holding a verbal conversation with one of the few people who weren't intimidated by her status.
The other one of course being the canine hussy, but she didn't really count since talking with her always ended with insults, threats of violence, or actual violence that was only prevented from going further thanks to Harry's intervention.
However, the second emotion largely stemmed from the fact that Harry was seeking her help before he did something that would probably get him in trouble.
And she was fully prepared to listen to his request with the sort of patience and respect that could only come from a close friend.
However, when she heard the request, she had to quickly throw up a privacy ward. Because if Harry was asking what she thought he was asking, there was a very strong chance that her eleven-year-old friend would be turned into a lawn ornament in her father's garden.
"I'm sorry Harry, but could you repeat that? I'm not sure I heard you correctly."
And to her great embarrassment, he repeated the request word for word.
"I said I need your help to make me a man."
Though shocked, and for some reason a little bit pleased that Harry had chosen to come to her instead of the canine bitch, Octavia nevertheless managed to rediscover her ability for speech as she responded to her friend's request.
"I'm...flattered that you would want me to...help you with 'that'! But I don't think that's a good idea".
"Why not?"
Her cheeks turning red from embarrassment at Harry's surprising persistence, the teenaged Goetia tried to let him down gently while making her position clear.
"Well...leaving aside the fact that you are still at least four years too young, there's a certain process to these sorts of things. And since I am NEVER going to follow my dad's example when it comes to 'romance', we would need to go on at least three dates, maybe two if you manage to make them really romantic, before I think it's appropriate to 'make you a man'."
Wishing for the earth to swallow her up as she said this, even though she knew that she was nowhere near capable of performing magic of that sort, Octavia felt her expression morph into one of incredulity as Harry gave his thoughts to her 'process'.
"You mean that I have to wait four years, and take you out to dinner two or three times before you can help me with a temporary ageing potion? Any chance we can amend that to you helping me out now, and I offer to pay for four meals of your choice AND a movie we both agree on? You'd have to take it in installments if you want me to start paying you back this week. But if you can wait till school lets out for the winter break, I can do it all at once if you prefer."
She wasn't sure which was worse.
The fact that Harry had caused a misunderstanding that was in many ways similar to what a certain Imp would do when he was trying to get a rise out of her mother.
Or the fact that she now had something in common with those human comics, particularly of the Japanese variety, where the main character jumps to assumptions due to a lack of context.
Deciding that now was not the time to dwell on such things, though she made a mental note to figure out a way to punish her green-eyed friend for her earlier embarrassment, Octavia slowly nodded her head.
"Considering nothing really good is playing right now, I'll wait before I take my payment. But tell me, WHY do you need an ageing potion? Please tell me it's not...it is isn't it?"
Sighing as she saw the look of guilt cross over his features, the teenaged Goetia could only roll her eyes as Harry tried to explain his actions.
"I only need it cause the increased security around here makes it difficult for Tonks to smuggle in stuff without drawing attention, plus the fact that my backup couriers are more likely to sample the goods before I get them."
Wisely deciding not to point out that he could have just stockpiled on booze while he was in Hell, for Satan knew that there was no age limit when it came to making business transactions, the lanky owl Demon let out another sigh before she posed another question.
"When do you need it by? I have two more exams to write this week. So if you can wait til Saturday, I should be able to get you one by Sunday night."
The answer she got to this timeline was not what she expected.
Though it was still enough to once again turn her cheeks red in embarrassment.
"Actually, anyway we can make the delivery next week? Since the weakest potion lasts just around four hours or so, I thought that we could perhaps take advantage of it."
Doing her best to keep her tone even, for she already had made a fool of herself that evening by jumping to conclusions, Octavia managed to come across as coolly interested as she asked for further details.
"What did you have in mind?"
The answer she got was one that caused her to once again experience a different mix of emotions.
Excitement that she was being asked to go out on something that would be classified as a date. Even though she would never label it as such due to the true age of her friend, and because her dad would go nuts if he found out.
And irritation since she knew that she would have to put up with the snide insults of the dog once they were top side.
And while she had accepted, albeit grudgingly, that she would never possess her mother's figure, at least without a good amount of body enhancing potions and enchantments, that didn't mean she had to tolerate Loona's boasting on how 'mature' she was.
Hopefully the canine would consume enough alcohol that she forgot to be a bitch.
But she doubted it.
…
"Hey Loonie good news! Stolas and the feathered bitch had to cancel tonight's plans due to some sort of blue blood emergency. And since it's been some time since we had some quality daddy daughter time, I was thinking tha….WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU WEARING?!"
Rolling her eyes at Blitz's latest mood swing, Loona nevertheless answered it as if she was genuinely confused by the question.
"What do you mean? This is how I always dress."
Casting a brief look just to ensure that she was indeed wearing her usual gothic ensemble, the gray furred Hellhound released a low growl as her adoptive father nearly broke the one addition she had made to her regular appearance as he all but yanked it from her shoulder.
"Oh yeah? Then what the fuck is this? Do you know what this is Loona?"
Snatching the offending item back from the irritated Imp, Loona answered the question in her usual deadpan tone.
"It looks like a pur.."
"It's a purse that all but screams that your down to suck the first sleazy guy that approaches you. My whore of an ex always had one on her when we went out. So I know full well what it means when an attractive female goes out with one of these bad buys."
Deciding not to comment on his clearly confused feelings in regards to the Succubus pop star, if only because she lacked the necessary amount of drug and alcohol that Blitzo's therapist had admitted to needing when dealing with his issues, Loona could only sigh as she showed her adoptive father the contents of her purse.
"Does this really look like the purse of a girl who is prepared to get laid?"
Her question earning a thoughtful hum from the former circus performer, the ponytailed canine was soon growling in irritation as Blitzo proved once again that he had a death wish.
"Well that depends. I mean brass knuckles, switchblades, and I suppose mace could be used for some rather kinky shit. And since you have a history of having sex without protection, the lack of condoms doesn't exactly mean anything. So to answer your question Loonie, I would have to say yes."
Resisting the very strong urge to show her adoptive parent that she didn't need a weapon to hurt or kill someone, Loona decided to try one last attempt to get Blitz to back off.
Otherwise she wouldn't be held accountable for her actions.
"If you MUST know, I'm having a bit of a girls night with Oc.."
"A girl's night? Well why didn't you say so in the first place? I mean, I suppose it's a bit of a shocker since you've never expressed interest in getting it on with the ladies, but I am nothing if not a supportive parent. Just make sure that your date isn't packing a bit of sausage in her panties before you go to bed with her. Nothing worse than finding that your partner has one less hole than you were counting on."
Wisely choosing not to comment on that particular bit of information, for while she was quite open-minded when it came to partners, talking about Blitzo's sex life was always something she avoided if she could help it, Loona chose her words carefully as she replied to the Imp's assumption.
"It's NOT that kinda date. We're just gonna got to a club. Maybe find one of those karaoke ba.."
"KARAOKE!? Loonie you know how much I love that. Granted the last place I went to ended up kicking me out after I upstaged the so-called 'fan favorite'. But if you give me a little time to give the Double Ms a call, I'm sure we coul…"
"Fuck no!"
Uncaring of the fact that her blunt refusal had resulted in Blitzo sporting a rather pathetic-looking pout, the glaring Hellhound moved fast to limit the chances of having her evening ruined by not only her meddling parent but also the 'rents' of her favourite sparing partner/pupil.
"Let's get one thing straight Blitz. Unless I call you, which I will ONLY do if I get into a situation I am incapable of dealing with myself, you are to keep your distance. Got it?"
It took the white-spotted Imp longer than she would have liked to come up with a response to her demand.
But while she somewhat doubted the sincerity of his words, Loona couldn't deny that she still felt a small rush of happiness as she got her answer.
"You don't have to worry Loonie. While I do wish to be included in your little outing, I suppose I can wait for a more appropriate time for us to have fun together. Have a good time sweetie. And remember, if you start feeling a bulge where there shouldn't be one, you stab first and as questions later. Got it?"
Though that last comment caused her to roll her eyes, Loona nevertheless nodded her head in agreement before she put on the finishing touches for her evening of fun.
If she hadn't been in such a rush to leave as soon as she put on her human disguise, she would have been present to watch Blitzo set a time on his current cell phone.
"Four hours. That should be enough time to let Loona have some fun without my help. And if it's not, well, then me and my team will do our best to perk up her night."
….
Though he still prided himself on his rather ingenious idea of getting his own booze, especially since he wouldn't have to pay delivery fee on top of the counter price, there were one or two minor details that made Harry regret his current decision.
The first one being the fact that he should have used a different method of turning his eleven-year-old body into what it would become when he was eighteen.
Sadly of course he was still years away from mastering the delicate art of self-transfiguration, shifting into his more feral form didn't really count. Which meant that for the foreseeable future, any rapid magical changes to his body would have to either be entrusted to the help of more skilled magical practitioners, or potions.
And since he couldn't really ask Stolas for help, if only because his mentor would probably act like a scarier version of Blitzo whenever he was in one of his 'moods', that left relying on the use of highly dangerous potions.
And while he trusted Via's ability to either brew the potion or purchase it from competent and discreet merchants, the effects of his body go through years of puberty in only a few minutes was far from pleasant.
His arms and legs felt as if he had spent weeks exercising under the sadistic supervision of both Loona and his other. A feeling that was greatly heightened by the fact that all four of his limbs were not only longer in length, but had also astonishingly nearly tripled in mass.
The pain in his spine reminded him of the one time his pig of a relative had shown an interest in using what he had been taught in class. Of course, Dudley had been stupid enough to test out his version of the medieval torture device in full view of their teachers. But that was beside the point.
The new size of his 'wand' was proving to be rather problematic, though that might have because he had forgotten to change the underwear that had been designed for an eleven-year-old boy rather than an older teenager.
His nose was assaulted by a variety of smells that were, while familiar, were nevertheless far stronger than he had previously experienced.
And lastly, though relatively minor compared to his thankfully fading discomfort, the taste of the potion had been disgusting.
The texture of it had been slimy.
It's temperature had been cooler than mud.
And for some strange reason, it was both salty and sour to the taste.
However, considering it had worked, leaving him with the sort of body Captain America had gotten after he had received his dose of super hero steroids, his rapidly fading discomfort was a small price to pay for success.
Even if it did remind him of the second 'problem' with his temporary maturity.
An eleven-year-old child walking out of a public washroom was little cause for concern. Even if the usual clientele of this particular coffee shop appeared to be teenagers who for some reason thought it was cool to dress like a homeless person.
But a buff eighteen-year-old walking out of a washroom where the only patron should have been a prepubescent boy?
That would probably prove to be problematic.
If it weren't for the fact that he had spent the past few years training with one of Hell's most powerful magicians.
A few mortal repelling charms, mixed in with something that resembled the Confundus spell, and he was free to leave the slightly skunk-smelling washroom to rejoin his transformed companion.
Only to find himself momentarily spellbound as he caught sight of Octavia.
He had no real idea why he was acting this way, for this was far from the first time that he got to see his avian friend wear her human disguise. But for some odd reason, he couldn't stop starring at the Goetia heiress despite the fact that her appearance was unchanged from when they had first arrived.
Her skin was still as pale and flawless as marble.
Her pink coloured dress did little to hide the fact that she still hadn't reached the more curvaceous proportions of her mother. Even if the neckline did its best to draw attention to what she did have top-wise.
And her face, while currently wearing an expression of boredom as she looked at her phone, was still the definition of aristocratic beauty.
A beauty that wasn't tarnished in the slightest as she scowled at a voice that he knew only all to well.
"What's up bird brain?"
And just like it had with Octavia, Harry's perception of a currently disguised Loona had also, for some reason, altered.
The leather jacket and the accompanying purse were something the canine woman rarely wore.
But the small crop top, which did a nice job of drawing attention to her perky and sizeable chest, was the same.
Her shorts and black leggings, as always, provided the familiar unobstructive view to the power in her nicely shaped legs, as well as somewhat meaty rear.
And her face, as always, did much to convince anyone who knew her that she was the best type of predator.
Lovely to look at, but perfectly capable of killing anyone who pissed her off.
Shaking his head in order to dismiss these thoughts, and seeing that his friends were on the verge of fighting in a place that would attract the wrong type of attention, Harry barely managed to stop himself from flinching as he heard how his voice would sound like if he lived long enough to reach his late teens.
"We ready to go guys?"
…
Though the relationship between the two females continued to be one of mutual antagonism, there were still a number of areas where they recognized that they had more in common with each other than just being friends with I.M.P's youngest member.
They were both embarrassed by the parental figures in their lives. Though they would still gladly back them up if things went to shit.
They were both introverts that at times wished to be more social. Even if their circumstances made it difficult to make genuine friendships.
But thanks to their mutual friend's rather amusing, if illegal, desire for booze, both Hell-born girls got to experience the same feelings of awe, and shameful lust as they beheld the matured appearance of what had previously been their eleven-year-old friend.
While his arms were not the heavily muscled pythons of a certain canine bouncer, his torso was both well-toned and sculpted in a manner that similar to Tex. Albeit tailored towards his size.
His face, which had always looked good in a cute, if slightly nerdish way, had become nobler and fiercer with age. With his emerald green eyes carrying a certain look to them that would have made Loona's tail wag if she was in her normal form.
And his smile was a near-perfect blend of well-deserved arrogance and yet openness that Octavia felt her cheeks turn the shade of pink as her dress.
Both Hell born females would have probably remained staring at their newly matured friend. If not for the fact that Harry was becoming a tad concerned about their current reaction.
"You guys ok? I didn't screw something up right? I mean, from I could tell everything looked ok, which was a relief since I read that…medicines of that nature can result in certain part growing elsewhere if their not made properly. But judging from your reactions, I'm guessing that something went wrong."
Coming back to their senses, both doing their best to keep their attention firmly focused on Harry's face instead of his body, both girls rushed to reassure their friend before things became even more awkward.
"No no no. Nothings wrong."
"The potion worked as intended Harry. You don't have to worry."
Seeing a relieved smile come over her friend's face, Octavia found her own features morph into a frown as the disguised Hellhound proceeded to once again prove that despite all her protestations, she was Blitzo's daughter.
"Which is why I think we should skip our first stop and just go somewhere fun. I looked up this very cool karoke bar that's just a few blocks from here."
Raising a finger to object to this plan, if only because she could sense that Loona was already trying to change their plans for the evening, the teenaged Goetia found her intervention unneeded as Harry shot the canine woman an apologetic smile.
"Sorry Loona but you're gonna have to wait. Might cut in a little to our night, but if I wait until the last minute to do my purchase, I run the risk of turning back into a kid right before I get my stuff. And since I don't want to attract the notice of the wizarding police, gonna have to play it safe this one time."
Nodding her head in agreement with this logic, for it reminded her of the rules requiring the need for disguises when visiting topside, Octavia soon found herself sighing in amusement as Harry proved that despite his temporary physical maturity, he was still an eleven-year-old boy.
Albeit one that had been raised in Hell.
"So just gimme a few minutes to get my stuff, then we can go have fun. No fighting while I'm gone kay."
She wasn't sure which was worse.
The fact that her knees became less stable at the sight of Harry's smile.
Or the fact that a certain bitch had mad a noise that sounded like a pet waiting for her master to return.
Either way, she hoped that her male friend didn't take too long with his acholic errand. For it was becoming readily apparent that she needed something to distract her from her weirdly conflicting feelings.
And while liquor and singing wasn't what she would have chosen herself, they were all she had to prevent herself from acting like a more refined version of her father.
…..
ANNNNNND that's it for now :D
Apologises for the wait, this time of year is always busy for me. But thankfully I was able to get this chapter before Christmas rather than after it.
Now, this arc has been something that has been in my head ever since I came up with this story. So pleased that I was FINALLY able to reach it. AND…it gives me the perfect tie in for another story arc. Specifically one that involves 2 characters tripping balls, ineffectual government agents, and a pissed off Millie going on a rampage lmao. Obviously I will be altering it to better fit this story, but rest assured that episode 6 will be happening soon lol
The next chapter will take some time I'm afraid due to a promise I made to myself to get back to some of my other stories, and the fact that I have another story I want to work on cause I am 'in a mood'. Of course one of them might just be a rewrite/grammar check since it will probably inspire me to think about the next part of my GAWWWBLLIINN Slayer story, but fingers crossed lol.
Anyways, hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter.
Big thanks to my editors/brain storming team.
Pls review. No flames.
Til next time.