# # #
Though he knew he and Sirius hadn't made a big secret of him being out of prison, and Harry turning up in Diagon Alley - Hell, as far as he knew it made the international papers, as well - he didn't expect Remus to turn up so soon.
Remus Lupin, very part-time werewolf, came forward and gave the son of his best friend a huge hug. "God, Cub," he half choked, "I've been looking for you for ten years!"
"Hello, Moony," said Harry in a quiet voice. "I found that out when I finally got Padfoot sprung from Azkaban. I'm so sorry you've been looking for me."
"Where have you been?" sniffled the older man.
Trying to lighten the mood a little, in a singsong voice Harry replied, "I've been to London to visit the Queen."
Remus snorted and held Harry out at arm's length, "I see you've got your father's sense of humour. I'm sorry about that."
Sirius was trying not to laugh from behind Remus, on the couch.
"Well, " replied Harry in a normal voice. "Just now, I've been out to get my first autobiography published. I've called it Harry Potter: In His Own Words. What do you think? The publishers think it's some kind of witches and wizards children's fantasy novel, but I'm happy they do."
"Come on, Cub!" said Remus a little exasperated. "Stop kidding around! For this past ten years, where have you been?"
Harry sighed and said, "Well, that's a very long story and needs to be told over a nice cup of tea. How about we sit in the kitchen at the table and I'll have Pixie make some tea and sandwiches."
# # #
After they were seated, and Harry called Pixie to organise some tea and sandwiches, Sirius exclaimed, "You've got them wearing clothes?"
"No, I had them put on my own designed house elf uniform," replied Harry. "What do you think?"
"How'd you get around that?" asked Moony.
"The rule is that if I give them clothes it releases them. I simply didn't give them any. I had them make them, themselves."
"Huh!" said Sirius. "That's very clever."
Harry shrugged. Then, turning to Moony, he said, "I'm going to start back when this really all began. The night my parents died. Then I'll step you through the major highlights."
Moony nodded and remained focussed on Harry. He didn't say a word.
"On that dreadful night..."
# # #
By the time he was finished, Harry had gone through about three cups of tea, and about a dozen of the little quarter-cut sandwiches Pixie knew he liked.
"So," said Remus, "when you said you'd been to London to visit the Queen, and how you were just out getting your autobiography published, you really weren't kidding."
"Nope!" replied Harry. "It was a double prank. I knew you'd think they were pranks so I told you the truth. And, you know what they say, the truth is stranger than fiction."
"And I still say you've got your father's sense of humour," grumped Remus.
In a much more serious voice, Harry said, "All that aside. I'll need your word you won't pass on any information to Dumbledore, or any of his cronies. What is discussed here - and what is discussed with the Grangers, Longbottoms and Boneses - is for our ears alone."
"You have it!" said Remus firmly. "I'll swear it on my magic and my life, if you like."
"No, your word is more than good enough for me," replied Harry.
"So, what's the little cub going to do next?" asked Remus.
"Right now, I haven't the faintest idea!" replied Harry. "I think everything's done that can be done now, even things that I don't expect to need for about nine months."
Snapping his fingers, he said, "There is one thing! I need to teach the other three how to apparate. Especially, Hermione, as she has mundane parents. Plus, of course, there's the rest of the lessons in how to move about effortlessly in their animagus forms. But, that's pretty much it."
"You want to teach them how to apparate? Now?" asked Remus. "It's illegal for them to learn until they turn sixteen. Then they're not allowed to do it until they turn seventeen."
"While I know why the law is in place, I don't care!" replied Harry. "Those other three and I are going to be having our hands absolutely full when we start to get things up to speed and I don't want them getting delayed because they're not allowed to apparate.
"Hell, I can always argue that the four of us are emancipated and, as we're now legally adults, the seventeen year old minimum rule doesn't apply to us. If someone pushes it, I'll get Her Majesty to sign off on it, just in case."
"So, everything is pretty set and you're waiting on the 1st of September?" asked Remus.
Shrugging, Harry replied, "Pretty much. I have to go back to Diagon Alley to collect my uniforms and robes, and my trunk. I'll also collect the ones for the others if they haven't gone themselves, by then. Plus, I need to purchase Hedwig from Eeylops Owl Emporium, plus treats. She should be there by now. And I need to buy a small gift for the Grangers. I was thinking of them having their very own owl."
Thinking about it, he also said, "I'm also thinking of picking up a whole heap more potions ingredients from the apothecary. Stuff used in the higher years, but also stuff I know from what Myrrdin taught me. I'll have the room in my trunk to store them for taking them to Hogwarts."
"So," said Sirius holding up his hand and ticking things off on his fingers, "you need to collect your trunk... and those of the others, your uniforms, your owl, an owl for the Grangers, owl nuts, and potions ingredients."
"Yup," replied Harry. "To stave off the boredom of being forced to sit through classes on material I did when I was five, I'm thinking of doing some inventing and - hell, why not - pranking of the senior years and staff. Traditions must be upheld, you know."
"There's always the Marauder's Map," said Sirius, amused. "I have no idea where mine's gone, though."
"I think yours is the one the Weasley Twins have," said Harry, thoughtfully. "Dad's is in the vault, or Dumbledore has it, which is more likely. I have no idea where Remus's or Pettigrew's are."
"No," said Sirius, remembering. "Mine's at Grimmauld Place in my room. Well, my old room."
"It's mine the twins must have," said Remus. "I left mine in one of the tunnels, one day, and I don't remember dropping it. I know it was in my pocket when I passed through from the school to Hogsmeade, but it wasn't there when I returned."
"Well, hopefully, the goblins will be able to recover my Dad's, if Dumbledore has it," said Harry.
# # #
The discussion and long needed catch up between Harry, Sirius and Remus went into the night. They skipped a proper dinner and just ate sandwiches as they talked. Remus described some of the jobs he had taken up in order to raise funds. He'd helped lay mundane roads, dug ditches, learned how to plaster a wall. He'd washed cars in France, car windscreens in Germany, and worked for a commercial herbologist in Spain. Whatever he could find to do, he did.
So long as it helped him raise money.
"And you've been doing this for ten years?" asked Harry. "You've spent the whole time just raising money so you could continue the hunt for me?"
"Yep," said Remus.
"Well, you found me," he said. "Bored yet? I mean, what do you want to do now?"
Very seriously the older man said, "Anything I can to help you, Harry. I owe it to your mother and father."
"Remus," sighed Harry. "You've been running around for ten years dedicating your whole life to finding me and helping me. I consider your debt, if there ever was one, paid in full.
"My parents thought you were the likely spy within the Order. Dumbledore knew better," Harry continued. "Hell, I think he probably even made the initial suggestions to Sirius to switch to Pettigrew as the Secret Keeper. And probably made the initial suggestions to everyone else you were the spy. He's been playing everyone for a very long time. Longer than you can imagine."
Both men frowned. "What do you mean?" asked Sirius.
Harry sat back and said very firmly, "What I'm about to discuss with you gentlemen is not to leave this room tonight. It is not to be discussed with the others unless I am dead. Do I make myself clear?"
"Merlin! Harry," said Sirius, trying to make light of it. "A bit melodramatic, aren't you?"
"No!" he snapped. "I must have your words on this!"
"Okay, Pup," said Sirius. "You have my word."
"Mine too, Cub", said Remus. "No matter what it is."
Nodding, Harry said "Thank you." Then asked, "What do you know of Gellert Grindelwald?"
"A dark wizard back in the 1930s and 40s," said Remus. "What of him?"
"Where is he?" asked Harry. "What happened to him?"
"Dumbledore killed him," said Remus. "Everyone knows that."
"There's that 'everyone knows' crap again," muttered Harry. "Really?" he asked, before leaning forward again. "Who told you Dumbledore killed Grindelwald?"
"Merlin, Harry," replied Remus. "We know because Dumbledore claimed to have killed him and he's never been seen since."
"Dumbledore has never claimed to have killed Grindelwald," said Harry firmly.
Sirius said with a frown of his own, "Harry, Dumbledore says it all the time big-naming himself. 'I am Albus Dumbledore, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump of the ICW, Leader of the Light, Defeater of Grindelwald'..."
"Stop!" ordered Harry suddenly. "The what of Grindelwald?"
"Defeater," said Sirius.
"Exactly," said Harry. "Not 'killer', not 'slayer', not 'murderer', not 'assassin', not anything else but 'defeater'. He never uses any other term but that."
"It's the same thing, isn't it?" asked Remus.
"No, it's not," replied Harry. "Let's say you and I engage in a game of Wizarding Chess. It's a close game but I lose. You, therefore, defeated me, correct?"
"Of course," replied Remus.
"Then I would be dead, right?"
"No," replied Remus. "Of course not."
Harry said, "Well, if defeated means the same thing as killed, why wouldn't I be dead?"
"Oh, sweet Merlin!" said Sirius. "Because defeated doesn't mean killed. It just means beat!"
"Precisely!" said Harry. "Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald, but he did not kill him!"
"Then," said Remus, "if he didn't kill him, who did?"
"Now you're assuming someone killed him," replied Harry. "I never said he was dead."
"He must be!" said Sirius. "Otherwise he'd still be running around creating havoc!"
"Before I get into what happened to him," said Harry, sitting back. "I must first tell you about the man, and his relationship with Dumbledore."
"Dumbledore attended Hogwarts and graduated at seventeen. Just after he graduated his mother passed away, leaving him and his brother to care for their mentally incapacitated middle sibling, Ariana.
"Gellert Grindelwald attended Durmstrang but was expelled when he was sixteen. At this time Dumbledore was just turning eighteen. Grindelwald had decided to go abroad to get away from his troubles in Europe, and came to England to live with his great-aunt Bathilda Bagshot. He was fascinated by the story of the Deathly Hallows and wanted to visit the place where Ignotus Peverell had died and was buried.
"He met Dumbledore when Dumbles, his brother Aberforth and sister Ariana all lived at Godric's Hollow. And it wasn't too long before Dumbledore fell in love with young Gellert... you didn't know Dumbles was gay, did you?... and the two became almost inseparable. Grindelwald started to bring the young Dumbledore into his schemes for world domination and Wizard Supremacy. He said it was 'For the Greater Good'. Dumbles already believed in keeping the wizarding world a pureblood society.
"Before long, young Aberforth had heard enough. He tried to drive Grindelwald out of their home and out of Albus's life. He could see his older brother was starting to succumb to power that is the dark side. The three of them ended up in a three-way duel and, during the melee, poor Ariana was killed. Grindelwald knew he killed her, Dumbles thought he'd killed her, and Aberforth blamed his brother, if not for the fatal shot, for the shot being fired in the first place.
"Since that time, Dumbledore has never been able to fire off any sort of hex or curse that could lead to somebody's death. And he can't allow anyone who he sees working under his authority to do so, either. That includes members of his so-called Order of the Phoenix.
"However, he has no such compunction when it comes to others he sees as working outside his direct control. No matter how much he manipulates things. And he has no compunctionto stop others from being killed by a third party, if it suits his 'For the Greater Good' philosophy. The philosophy he learned from Grindelwald.
"Grindelwald fled Godric's Hollow back to Europe.
"During his subsequent rise to power, Grindelwald built a prison similar, but far sturdier, than Azkaban. He called it Nurmengard. He built it to hold his opponents who were too powerful or useful to kill, but too much of a threat to leave free. Over the door of the prison he carved the slogan 'For the Greater Good'.
"Dumbledore, of course, was well aware of Grindelwald's abuses of power and evil, but would not go near the man to try and stop him during the early days. He avoided having to confront his former friend and lover, because he was afraid Grindelwald would tell him who it was that had cast the spell that killed Ariana. Dumbledore was terrified it might have been him.
"However, Dumbledore eventually had to try to stop Grindelwald, no matter the cost. The final battle between Dumbledore and Grindelwald took place in 1945, the final year of what non-magical society refer to as 'World War Two'.
"Dumbledore won the duel, but he didn't kill him. Grindelwald was sent to and imprisoned in his own prison, Nurmengard. He remains there today - the only prisoner now incarcerated there - and Dumbledore visits him every summer, still trying to redeem the man."
During his whole discourse, both Remus and Sirius barely moved. That just stared at Harry with looks of horror.
"Well, gentlemen?" he asked. "Do you feel better for knowing?"
"Oh, dear God!" said Remus, the first to come back to his senses.
Sirius just sat there, stunned.
"Pixie!" called Harry.
*Pop* "Yes, Master Harry, Sir?" she asked.
"Could we have three fresh cups of tea, please? Oh, and something a little stronger for these two," asked Harry.
Harry rose and went for a walk outside around the Manor, before returning to the kitchen.
Sirius and Remus were just talking quietly between themselves until Harry sat back down.
"Are you guys okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, Pup," replied Sirius. "That information just answers so many questions I've always had."
"Yeah, me too," said Remus. "And the same questions."
"Well, it's now getting quite late. I'm heading for bed as I have training with Major Granger in the morning, and the heirs are coming over for more animagus training," said Harry, standing back up. "Good night."
Turning back, he said, "Oh, and... Pixie!"
*Pop* "Yes, Master Harry, Sir?" she asked.
"Could you or Dobby make up another of the spare rooms for Remus? And make sure he has access to my father's clothes, so he can have something better to wear, okay?"
"O-Kay, Master Harry, Sir?" she said before popping away again.
"Good night!" he said again.
"Good night, Pup!"
"Good night, Cub! And, thank you."
He left the two older wizards, and long time friends, to enjoy each other's company. He headed off to bed.
# # #
After his training session with the Major the next morning Harry brought Hermione back to the Pottery while Sirius apparated across and brought Dan. The other two heirs arrived shortly afterwards via floo.
Sirius introduced them to Remus, and Remus gave them a rundown on who he was, and how he came to be in the company of Sirius and Harry's parents. He didn't mention his werewolf status and neither Sirius nor Harry raised it. Harry didn't because he felt it was irrelevant, and he was soon going to cure the man, anyway.
Remus couldn't help with the animagus form training, but Harry wanted the man to rest. However, Remus would hear none of that, what he called, nonsense.
While Sirius took the other two for a run and a play in the woods, Harry took Hermione up into the sky. She was now getting used to reasonably high flights, though not more than a few hundred feet up. He had a feeling there was more to Hermione's form than just an oddly coloured crow. Hermione just liked the freedom flight afforded her. And she was slowly getting over her acrophobia.
After about half an hour of flying, Harry suggested to the girl a game of 'chasey' as a way of increasing Hermione's skills of manoeuvring in the air. He took the lead and, to make it interesting, immediately flipped over and dived for the ground in a reverse Immelmann. Hermione gave chase. He'd promised not to 'cheat' by using his phoenix powers, so his only advantage was his tight and twisting turns. If he stayed flying relatively straight, he knew she'd be on him in a flash.
Coming out of his descent, Harry dived for the trees of the Great Wood. He was going to try and lose her in amongst the trees. He knew the trees would slow her down.
He weaved through the trees heading south. But it took him what felt only moments to emerge out the southern edge of the Wood and between houses. Hermione had been smart and flew over the tops of the last trees. She then used her greater height to power down on Harry from behind.
Harry flew down the length of a driveway towards the road. He was going to use the high hedge across the front of the property to block Hermione by performing a sharp bank to the right around it. Hermione, with her greater speed, and the advantage of acceleration from diving, was only a dozen feet behind.
Harry ripped a tight turn around the hedge and was shocked to find a lorry barrelling down on him travelling south on Hastings Road. He couldn't avoid it and did the only thing he could do. He phoenix flashed, sending himself straight up about two hundred feet. He hoped Hermione couldn't take the turn and overshot the corner, thereby missing it.
Hermione, however, knew what Harry had planned to do so was swinging wide to take the turn herself. As she came around she saw the truck in front of her and strived to gain height. She pushed... hard.
Harry saw Hermione about to hit the truck, and try to avoid it. He was already diving back for the deck in a panic. His eyes were fixed on her form.
With a sudden flash of what looked like lightning, Hermione was suddenly gone. Where she was a moment ago was now only a truck still honking and with its brakes locked in a skid. And, up behind him, Harry heard a crow's sharp cry as the sound of thunder echoed across the sky.
He spun in the air and could see Hermione hundreds of feet above him. Shocked, he phoenix flashed up beside her.
After getting her attention he signalled they should land. He flew directly back to the Pottery. Hermione just rocketed past him for the rear yard. He was still a couple hundred feet out when he saw her flare out for a near-perfect landing near the back door of the manor and release her form just before her feet touched the ground. He flared out where he was and flashed to her side.
Hermione was on him in an instant. She tried to scream at him, hug him and hit him with her fists at the same time. After a few moments she just hugged him, crying. Harry just hugged her tight. It had scared him, too.
Dan was out of his chair as soon as they landed and had approached. He didn't know what had happened, as he wasn't in a position to see it, but he knew something had frightened his little girl.
"Pumpkin?" asked Dan, moving to hug his little girl while she hugged Harry. "What happened?"
"It was a big lorry, Daddy!" she cried. "I came around a hedge chasing Harry and there was a big lorry right there!"
"We were out over the homes bordering Hastings Road on the southern border of the woods, Sir," said Harry. "I knew we were high enough to avoid any cars that might have been there, but I didn't even think about how high-roofed lorries use the road occasionally. Hermione nearly flew right into one."
"I don't know how I missed it, Daddy," she continued to cry. "One second I was sure it was going to hit me, the next I was hundreds of feet up in the air!"
"One thing I do know," said Harry. "You're most definitely not a normal crow."
Calming down a little, Hermione asked, "What happened, Harry? What was that? I 'pushed', wanting to be up high and away from the lorry, and I was suddenly so high up and I don't know how I got there."
"You... pushed?" asked Harry.
"Yeah," replied the girl. "I think I suddenly gathered my magic... it felt like electricity running through my veins... and used it to... apparate?... straight up. It just happened so fast!"
"That's not how apparation works," said Harry. "But, electricity, you say?"
She nodded.
"This bears investigating, and we need to do it now," said Harry. "Hermione, can we go back up? But this time we're going to stay up."
She nodded again.
Nodding, Harry said, "Good. But this time, high up, I want you to see if you can gather that electricity again. And I want you to then picture yourself being, say, a thousand feet ahead of yourself, and release it. Do you think you can do that?"
Hermione nodded once more and said, "As long as we're not near lorries, this time."
"Not a couple of hundred feet up, we won't be," he said with a bit of a relieved grin. "When you're ready. There's no rush."
"No, let's do it now," she said firmly much more calmly. "I want to know what happened."
"Okay," replied Harry. "When you're ready."
Hermione turned away, took a couple of quick steps and changed into her crow form already in flight. She quickly gained altitude with a firm purpose.
Harry quickly followed her up.
Once they were both a couple hundred feet in the air flying parallel, Harry turned to look at her. When she looked back, he nodded.
He then felt her gather power. It was so strong he had to angle away from her. Suddenly there was a loud crack and flash of actinic light and Hermione was suddenly about a mile away ahead of him. It even looked like a small bolt of lightning led her away. The power of it knocked Harry across the sky as he heard a loud rumble of thunder. He could smell the distinct odour of ozone in the air.
Righting himself in flight, with the flash of light still echoing in his eyes and the thunder still in his ears, Harry flashed to be near Hermione, who had already wheeled about.
He indicated with his head to land and flashed to the ground where'd they'd just so recently left. Hermione regathered her... power... and flashed to be about thirty feet away in the air. Again, there was another huge crack and flash of lightning, followed by a peel of thunder from where she'd originated. She flared out and reverted to her normal form to land on her feet next to Harry and her father.
Remus had already come outside and was standing next to Dan when they arrived.
"My God!" exclaimed Dan. "What the hell was that?"
Before Harry could voice his thoughts, they were joined by Neville, Susan and Sirius from around the corner of the manor. All three were in their animagus forms, and all three reverted as they approached the group.
"Is there a storm approaching?" asked Neville. "I can't see any storm clouds in the sky."
"Pup?" asked Sirius. "Was that you?"
"No," he replied. "It was Hermione. And I was right about her not being a normal crow. Now, give me a second, I need to go and check on something."
He apparated to just inside the line of hedges where Hermione first used her power. Sure enough the lorry was on the side of the road. Plus, about four cars. All appeared to be dead with one driver already receiving assistance from another vehicle with jumper leads.
Apparating back to where he was, he said, "Yeah, just as I thought. There are vehicles on the side of the road, out there, where Hermione first used her power. All appear to have flat batteries."
"I killed their batteries?" asked Hermione, a little shocked.
Nodding, Harry said, "Yep. Come inside and I'll explain what I think happened."
Once inside in the parlour Harry said to Hermione, "What I think is happening, 'Mione, is you're collecting all the... electrical ambient energy... from around you, and using it. I think you're collecting all the free electrons... that's the power you're thinking you're collecting... then you're using it to... propel... yourself in the direction you want to go.
"What you're doing is creating a lightning bolt, and then... riding... that lightning bolt. But you're also directing it where to go. And I think you're doing it while you're in... as near as I can tell... a pure energy form. Think about how electricity works. Electrons travelling from one place to another. You're gathering an abundance of electrons to yourself and then releasing them in a set direction. You're then, for want of a better term, riding them."
"I've never heard of an animal able to do that, non-magical or magical," said Remus.
"I have," said Harry. "It wasn't on the cubes, or is even in the books we have on magical and non-magical biology. It's something Myrrdin mentioned once in passing. A magical bird thought mythical and found in the Americas, North and South. It's a bird spoken of in American Indian, Mayan and Incan ancient culture... which is why it was brought up in discussion. It's a storm crow."
"A storm crow?" asked Remus. "I've never heard of such a thing, and I consider myself pretty widely travelled."
"It's ancient culture, Moony," explained Harry. "From many hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago. Myrrdin once went searching for signs of one. The ancients of the Americas believed... believe... that thunderstorms are a result of storm crows gathering and circling in the sky. They caused the lightning, and the resultant thunder, with their play."
"Wicked!" exclaimed Hermione. "I can ride lightning!"
"Yeah, but we're going to have to be very careful about how you develop that talent," said Harry. "You don't realise this, but you nearly killed me up there. When you drew in the electrical energy, you were also drawing it from me. That's why I suddenly wheeled away from you. But, even then, you still nearly knocked me unconscious."
"Oh, Harry!" she exclaimed coming to sit on his lap. "I didn't know!"
"I know you didn't," he replied. "That's why I'm not upset with you. And that's why we'll need to find a way to train you in how to use it without harming anyone, or anything, around you. I shudder to think what would have happened if I told you to try for a point over London, or somewhere."
"I've always loved electricity," she said. "I've always loved how it can be harnessed and shaped to do our bidding. How it can be made from hydro, wind and solar conversion technologies. How it has made our lives so much better over the past century and a half."
Sirius said, "Then it's no surprise your animagus form has something to do with lightning. As I've mentioned before, your animagus will be of a form that most matches your personality or traits."
"What about mine?" piped up Susan. "Mine's a big wolf. And... and I think I have a power, too."
"Oh?" said Harry, suddenly quiet interested, as was everyone else.
A bit shyly, Susan explained, "I've shifted to my animagus form at night while Aunt 'Melia is at work. I've gone for runs in it. I can see really clearly at night. To make sure none of the non-magicals see me, I make sure to stay in the shadows as much as I can.
"One time, I thought some non-magicals saw me, so I ran. And I found that, while I was in shadow I could... shoot... blur... whatever, forward. It was like I was apparating from one shadow to the next."
"Shadow wolf," said Harry. "That explains it."
"A what wolf?" asked Sirius.
"A shadow wolf," repeated Harry. "In her animagus form, Susan has the ability to jump from one shadow to another. In that manner she can travel long distances in a very short time. We thought she was a wolf because she has a very strong sense of the law and loyalty to family. A definite wolf trait."
Turning to look more fully upon the girl, he said, "However... Susan... you also have the trait of preferring to... be in the background... of what's going on unless you're directly challenged to take a more active role. In other words, your main trait is stealth backed up by loyalty to pack. A perfect personality for a shadow wolf."
Harry rose and went into his library. He returned with a large tome of magical creatures thought long dead or very rare. He flipped it open to the right page and handed it to Susan.
Susan quickly read through it before handing it off to Neville, on her left. He scanned it with his eyes it and passed it on to Sirius.
"So, that's three of us with an animagus form that would be considered highly unusual if just one of us had such a form. Three out of four is phenomenal. It is so phenomenal I wouldn't be surprised if Neville has one, too. It would then make sense."
"Make sense?" asked Remus.
"The four heirs of the founders; each having certain powers in their animagus forms," replied Harry. "There's me. Myrrdin informed me my personality was as a bit of what mundane folk call 'a white knight'. I'll rush to the defence of a damsel in distress without any consideration of my own safety. That's the sort of thing you'd expect of a Gryffindor. However, I'm also a very methodical planner and strategist, think long term, and am firmly anchored in reality. That's definitely Slytherin. I'm a phoenix because I'm a white knight; I'm an earth phoenix because I'm 'grounded'.
"Hermione is a storm crow. She's highly intelligent and inquisitive, has a sharp wit and can be playfully happy. That's the crow and Ravenclaw. She also believes in structure and constraints of law and authority, Hufflepuff, and is very fond of electricity and technological advances. That's the storm. Actually, she's very fond of any advances. Again, Ravenclaw.
"Susan is a shadow wolf. She is foremost loyal to friends and family, and cannot see a time when she'd ever doubt she couldn't rely on them through thick and thin. That's Hufflepuff and the wolf. She prefers to stay in the background and let others take the lead. A non-alpha wolf. But, rile her, and she'll go after you leather and tongs... as Sirius has already discovered," he said, looking at Sirius and grinning. The old dog just grinned back.
"As she's not an alpha that means she's a beta wolf. And she much prefers to stay in the shadows and watch what's going on around her before she reacts. That's the shadow part. That also makes her, by far, the most deadliest of the four of us at night. An enemy will not see her, hear her or even smell her if the wind is right. She can strike out of the darkness and be gone so fast that she can drop one member in a group and the others would not even know one of their own was already dead.
"Then there's Neville; a wolverine. He likes being around others but he's more of an... outrider. In a pack, he'd be one of the wolves ranging out wide. He is, sorry Nev, just as comfortable, maybe more so, being alone as he is with others near him. He'll only fight if he's pushed into it, much preferring to avoid the fight in the first place. That's the wolverine. But, if he has to fight, he won't hold back one iota. He'll go at it tooth and claw. That's the wolverine and Gryffindor combined. In a family setting, he'll fight for his family the same way, offering no quarter. That's Gryffindor, through and through.
"As for what his power is likely to be. That's yet to be seen. But I've no doubt he has one, and that it'll match either or both of his wolverine and Gryffindor traits. He'll also be the deadliest during the day, at least until we discover his own personal power. He's fast over the ground over short distances and has the ability to use his teeth plus all four sets of claws. Then, couple that with how he'll be able to summon the sword of Gryffindor once we take our positions as Heads of Houses, he'll be as close to an unstoppable machine of battle as one person can be."
"As for fighting prowess for Hermione, once trained, I suspect she'll be able to use her lightning to attack targets, any target. Mine is the ability to be able to lift objects... people, animals or anything else... a great deal beyond my own body weight. I can get things into an area, otherwise inaccessible."
Dan, who'd clearly been thinking furiously, said, "So, you could carry Susan or Neville rapidly into a combat zone, drop them, and let them deal with enemies, then collect them later?"
"Yep," replied Harry. "Though I could carry Susan and Neville at the same time if we could figure out a way to make that happen. Think about what that sort of operative could do in the... fighting unit... of which you're a part, Sir."
"Good, God!" said the Major.
"Sirius, Remus?" he said, turning to the two old members of the original Order of the Phoenix. "What do you think that would do to a team of Death Eaters."
"They wouldn't stand a chance!" exclaimed Sirius.
"And they wouldn't be given one," said Harry firmly.
After allowing the others to talk through what he'd just made clear to them, for a while, Harry then said, "Okay, so Neville's power has not yet been discovered and there's probably no way to learn what it is just yet. However, he should probably look at practicing hitting someone hard while in his animagus form to knock them down, and then quickly reverting to his human form ready to call the sword."
"Susan is going to need help practicing stealth," said Harry, then looking at Dan, "Though you're not a magical, Major, I think you can provide a lot of assistance and advice in that. Sirius and Remus can provide you with knowledge of the combat techniques of witches and wizards."
Indicating himself and Hermione, he went on to say, "I need to take 'Mione well away from civilisation to gain practice in her newfound power. We don't want the United Kingdom's National Weather Service getting calls from the populace asking why they keep seeing lightning and hearing thunder on relatively cloudless days. However, next storm that comes along, we can let rip."
"So," said Harry clapping his hands together. "Shall we try that for an hour, then have lunch and call it a day?"
Nods all round and people rose to their feet. Harry then found the next hour to be quite exciting, avoiding being barbequed by lightning, or having all the electrical energy in his body drained from him. Both he considered to be horrible ways to die.
# # #
After their guests had left for the day, Harry quickly wrote down his shopping list for what he wanted from the apothecary and cauldron shop in the Alley. He donned his old glamour and floo'ed directly there.
First, he paid a trip to Gringotts. There, he removed a few thousand in Galleons. And he transferred another one hundred thousand into Remus's account, on top of the money he received from his parents upon the reading of the Will.
He wanted to purchase two extra cauldrons; one main one for the potions lab in the basement of the manor, and one for his potions lab in his trunk. Then he had a ball spending lots of galleons buying all sorts of ingredients from the apothecary. He had already collected his list of the things he wanted to specifically purchase, now he was going through ingredients in the shop to both memorise what they stocked, and to build up a collection for both the manor and his 'trunk' labs.
He also purchased the specialised containers needed to store some of the ingredients, and a whole set of vials, bottles, jars, boxes, and other containers he'd need.
He had purchased so much he had to call Dobby to come and collect them and take them back to the manor. There were some items and ingredients the apothecary didn't stock in the shop, but she promised she would have them available within the next few days. She asked for, and received, a sizeable down payment on those.
When he left he thought the apothecarywas going to wrap him in her arms and cry on his shoulder. He was pretty sure he'd made the largest purchase of ingredients the old woman had ever rung up on her little register in her life. And that included the ones she even sold to the few commercial potioneers in wizarding Britain and Hogwarts combined.
'Oh, well,' he thought. 'At least I made someone's day a little brighter.'
After his purchases there, he headed out into mundane Britain. He was heading for the retail arm of a company in London called SciChem, as they were a huge distributor of the sort of laboratory equipment he needed. Though Potions Masters didn't use them, because they were never taught how to, Harry knew there were many potions that could be brewed in a laboratory using specialist scientific chemistry laboratory equipment. Even potions that could be brewed without the equipment came out far improved if the right equipment was employed in the brewing process.
Everything he needed, except a large bottle of gas, he could purchase out of their shop front off the shelves. By the time he was finished making his selections he had two large crates loaded with his well-packed purchases. After paying for it all up front with his nice shiny credit card, he had them run the crates around to their loading dock. They wheeled it out onto the back deck for him.
When he was asked where his truck was, he said it was currently driving around so it wasn't parked anywhere. And that he'd called the driver on his 'car phone' to come in and collect him and his crates. As soon as the handlers went inside he called Dobby and had the elf take both back to the manor. Then he apparated the hell out of there.
His last stop was at a store in Birmingham that sold up to the large bottles of liquid petroleum gas. He bought one of the smaller bottles, pre-filled. And apparated with it directly to the Pottery. That would give him his clean heat source for his cauldron and beakers.
He then spent the rest of the afternoon setting everything up in the basement. The supplies for his trunk he set to one side.
He already knew one of the first potions he would be creating, the Damocles Wolfsbane Potion. He was also going to need, at some stage, an inert solution containing the virus Canine Hepatitis. But he'd need to ensure Remus was in a suitable hospital bed under twenty-four hour monitoring before he'd take that extra step of actually curing his new friend.
In the meantime was just the Wolfsbane Potion, plus a whole heap of others that he'd developed under the tutelage of Myrrdin. 'Let the pranking potion preparation begin!' he thought with glee. He had just over a month to get everything ready.
# # #
Sirius came looking for him a couple hours later.
"Damn, Pup!" he exclaimed. "What on Merlin's frizzy beard are you cooking?"
Harry glanced up at his godfather. He pointed to each of the batches, said, "That's Wolfsbane Potion for Remus. That, that, and that," pointing to each in turn, "are mild sleeping draughts, a general poison antidote and a magical core rejuvenator. And Myrrdin's beard wasn't 'frizzy'."
"You're working on four potions at once?" asked Sirius. "How on earth can you keep track of what you're doing?"
"One of the advantages of having an eidetic memory," replied Harry. "You don't forget what you're doing, or what you were up to at any given time."
Sirius shook his head, sighed, and left the basement again. A few minutes later Remus came down.
"Padfoot tells me you're making Wolfsbane Potion," he said.
"Yup," said Harry. "The full moon is in a few days. Do you also want me to rig up a cage down here, or would you prefer something in your bedroom?"
"Errr... you.. you know?" asked Remus.
"Of course, I do," replied Harry. "Why would you think I wouldn't?"
Remus sighed and said, "Cub. Most people won't have anything to do with me when they find out. They think I'm going to automatically infect them, or something."
"Then, they're idiots," said Harry firmly. "Lycanthropy is an illness; nothing more, nothing less. It can be treated. It's only contagious under very specific, and known, conditions."
"I... thought you might want to turn me out, if you found out," said Moony with a sad sigh.
"Besides the fact you've just spent ten flippin' years searching for me," replied Harry with a firm voice looking at his honorary uncle. "You're family. Real family don't do that."
"Thank you, Cub," he quietly said.
"Nothing to thank me for," replied Harry, returning to his work. "It's no bother to me. But I have a lot to thank you for."
"Thank me?" asked Remus.
"For never giving up. For never giving up when everyone else except Sirius, because he was in prison, did. The rest of the wizarding world did nothing about trying to find out what happened to me. They all just assumed 'someone else took care of it'. Even when they sent me gifts, cards and letters, they never bothered to find out why I never responded to any of them. Again, they just assumed. You never accepted 'No' for an answer."
"I'm... you're welcome."
Harry nodded and said, "Now, get out of here and let me work. You'd best tell Sirius where you want your cage, if you feel you need one."
Remus nodded and started to leave, obviously quite moved.
"Oh," said Harry as an afterthought. "You cannot give it back, either. If you try to, I'll be deeply offended and throw you out of my life."
"Give... what back?"
"My parents left you a little something in your bank account from the Will. I've added a little something to it. You've more than earned it," said Harry focussing on what he was doing on his mother's large potions workbench.
"Cub... Harry... what have you done?" asked Remus looking not very happy.
"Only what should have been done ten years ago if not for Dumblebutt's meddling," replied Harry working on measuring some dried dragon's blood. "Now, get back upstairs. I'm busy and you're distracting me."
"Yethhh, Matthhhhter!" the old wolf intoned, hunched over with one shoulder hunched up. Then he lurched back at the stairs.
"Uppity wolf!" muttered Harry.
Harry couldn't be bothered finding out what the time was when he eventually went to bed. It was just 'late'.
# # #
Dumbledore was furious! He'd tried to collect some more galleons from the Potter boy's vault but his key was seized almost immediately. As the boy's magical guardian he demanded to see the Potter Account Keeper. The goblin escorted him to an audience room. Instead of sitting, Dumbledore paced while he waited. He even found a bare few seconds delay as intolerable.
When Blockrig entered he was escorted with two of the goblin guard. They took posts either side of the door while Blockrig took a seat on the opposite side of the table from Dumbledore. He was not carrying the Potter account ledgers when he walked in. He was only carrying a large file, which he placed before himself when he sat. Dumbledore didn't notice.
Without even sitting first, Dumbledore demanded, "What is the meaning of this?"
"The meaning of what, Mister Dumbledore?" asked Blockrig, politely.
Dumbledore replied, "The meaning of why I've had my key seized. I need access to my magical ward's vault right now. There are things I need to purchase for him of an immediate nature!"
Blockrig listened to the man rant at him, and just sat there quietly. "And who would your magical ward be, whose vault to which you need this access?"
"Don't play games with me!" snarled Dumbledore. "It's the Potter Boy, of course! Harry James Potter!"
Blockrig frowned at Dumbledore and firmly said, "Lord Potter is not your ward. And, even if he wasn't Lord Potter, his magical guardian is Lord Sirius Black."
Dumbledore spluttered, "What? Of course I'm his guardian! I've been his guardian for almost ten years!"
"No, Mister Dumbledore, you have not." Blockrig then opened his file and drew out a couple of sheets of parchment.
Dumbledore half-snarled, "I am the boy's magical guardian. And you will give me access to his vault immediately!"
Blockrig ignored Dumbledore's last comment and checked over the parchments. Then he spun them about and slid them over towards Dumbledore's side of the desk.
He said, "This is an account of the amount of gold and other heirlooms you have unlawfully removed from Lord Potter's trust vault. You have forty-eight hours to see it returned, here, to Gringotts Bank. If you do not do so, then we will simply take it back."
"What?!" snarled Dumbledore loudly. "I will do no such thing! I will speak with your supervisor immediately. Do you understand?"
Blockrig stared back impassively. He turned to the guards and said, "Guards. You are to escort Mister Dumbledore, with his Parchment ordering recovery, out the front door of the bank. If he tries to resist, use force."
Waiting a moment he said, "Good day, Mister Dumbledore."
Dumbledore spluttered, "I'm not going anywhere! I demand to speak with your supervisor!"
The two guards then walked around Dumbledore and held him at sword point, pushing him with them as they marched him out. One of the guards picked up the parchment as they left.
"You can't do this!" spluttered Dumbledore. He winced in pain each time he was prodded with a sword. "I'm Albus Dumbledore; Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot; Supreme Mugwump of the ICW. I demand you cease this at once!"
Less than one minute later, Dumbledore was forced off the outside steps of the front door of the bank. The parchment ordering recovery was tossed after him.
# # #
Two days later, to the minute, what little Dumbledore had of gold in his vaults disappeared. The little remaining funds he had in his secret stash was already gone. And a lot of his personal effects of any value disappeared.
His property in Godric's Hollow, where he grew to be a man in his last years as a child, was seized. As were any other holdings in his name.
Dumbledore did not know it at that time, but he was effectively destitute. The only financial income he was receiving was his income as the Headmaster of Hogwarts and his stipends as Chief Warlock and Supreme Mugwump. His only home was his Headmaster's apartment at Hogwarts.
Dumbledore was, again, at the Ministry attending business when the goblins' parchment of recovery went into force. He was organising the calling of an emergency session of the Wizengamot to have the Potter boy's emancipation overturned - thereby removing his Lordship from him - and having his magical guardianship returned to one Albus Dumbledore; for the boy's protection, of course.
It wasn't until he reached into his pocket to draw out his pocket watch, and wasn't able to find it, that he became quite concerned.
He hurried back to his office at Hogwarts. Once there, he found little but his own clothes. The shelves, cupboards, everything, was pretty much stripped bare. Fawkes's golden perch had been removed and replaced with a very simple wooden one. Even many of his favourite knickknacks; including his crystal bowl holding his favourite sweets, Lemon Drops, were gone. The ones of any value, at least.
Dumbledore roared out his rage.
He decided he'd go home and collect things from his home there. It was under a Fidelius Charm, so it should be safe. He floo'ed out to the public floo in 'The Founder's Home' pub in Godric's Hollow.
He apparated the short distance to his home and activated the ward allowing him entry. As soon as he did, the entire Fidelius Charm, plus the wards, collapsed. And he was thrown backwards into the street. As he regained his footing he could see a parchment then appear tacked to the door of the property, 'Eviction Notice', followed by some of his personal effects appearing on the ground at his feet. A lot of it was family paintings without their frames.
Dumbledore, again, roared out his rage.
He called one of the house elves from the castle to come and take his few remaining possessions back there, while he went looking for what of his well-hidden property remained. There was very little.
# # #
Finally, it was his birthday. The week after he first made an appearance in the Alley. It was time to collect the rest of his things. And he had to go as Harry Potter. However, he did wear a baseball cap he bought out in mundane London just to shield his forehead and allow him to remain at least a little incognito.
He called in at Madam Malkin's and thanked the dear old witch for holding on to his uniform for him. He also saw she had faithfully added his family crest. She explained how he would need to move it to his new House robes once he was sorted into a House at Hogwarts. And she taught him the minor spell to do it.
Next, he headed down to the furniture shop where his trunk would be. He walked in and the old shopkeeper hurried right over, just finishing up with another customer, who appeared to be a student buying their first trunk.
"Lord Potter," he said. "It's good to see you again."
"Hello, Sir," replied Harry. "I trust the four trunks are ready?"
"Indeed, My Lord," he said. "They've actually been ready for a couple of days. But the extra days gave me the opportunity to test them and ensure they were to your specifications and my standards."
"Excellent," replied Harry.
"This way, My Lord," I have them in the back to ensure no one else can touch them."
Harry followed the man to the rear of the shop, through to the restricted section. And there, before him, were four identical trunks set on individual stands at about hip height. Each were topped, just in from the front edge, by the family crests of each of the four heirs. Potter, Longbottom, Bones and Granger. Each crest was surmounted by a full faced steel helmet. And each was surrounded by an ostrich tail feather design with colours matching the main colours of the crests.
Harry actually thought the crest of Granger was quite the prettiest of the three. A field of blue with a wide gold bar horizontal across the middle. There was a golden unfurled short-stemmed thistle centred in the two remaining blue areas, and two red portcullis side by side in the gold band.
His own family crest was only black and white; same as with the Black family crest he was also now entitled to use. It had a horizontal ermine bar decorated with a pattern of black ermine spot tails drawn upright. The top black field had two large white cinquefoils, and one was centred in the bottom black field.
The Bones family crest was a white field with a wide blue bar diagonal. On the blue bar were three gold fleur-de-lys tilted to the angle of the bar and spaced equidistant.
The Longbottom family crest was probably the most colourful, even a bit gaudy. It was a field split vertical with a field of red on the left and blue on the right. over it was a stylised inverted chevron of gold. There were three gold horns, one each in the top left, top right, and centre bottom.
"They're each ready to be set for the individual, My Lord," said the shop keeper.
"Okay, let's do mine," said Harry. "And, if it's easy enough to do, I can show the others. Otherwise, they'll each have to come in to do theirs."
"It's pretty simple, My Lord," said the shopkeeper stepping forward. "You need to place your thumb on the lock and push with your magic. Once you hear a click, it's done. It'll also, right then, accept access from any house elf bonded to your immediate family."
"Oh," said Harry. "That sounds easy."
He put his thumb on the lock and gave a gentle push of his magic. He heard the click almost immediately.
"It's done, My Lord," said the shopkeeper, stepping forward and trying to open it with his own thumb and hands.
Harry then touched the lock again and he heard another click. This time the lid was easily opened.
"And if there comes a time I want to allow others to access it?" he asked.
"You'll need to bring the trunk back here as we'll need to reset everything."
"How impervious is it to unlocking charms?" he asked.
"There's no locking charm, of which I and my experts are familiar, that can open it."
Harry checked the internals of the case. Everything was as he expected. The inside was even a little larger than he anticipated. He placed his new school uniforms on one of the shelves, and closed it again. It automatically locked itself.
"In that case," said Harry. "I'll take all four of them with me."
Nodding, the shopkeeper said, "Very good, My Lord. Do you have a house elf to take them?"
"Yep," said Harry. "Dobby!"
*Pop* "Yes, Master Harry, Sir?"
"These four cases need to go back to the manor," instructed Harry, indicating the four trunks. "Do not touch the locks as they need to be first touched by their rightful owners. And tell Remus and Sirius not to touch them, either. Off you go!"
"Yes, Master Harry, Sir!" *Pop*
*Pop* *Pop* *Pop* *Pop*
"Thank you for your service, Sir," said Harry to the shopkeeper. "I'll be sure to visit your shop again when I'm looking for furniture or travelling luggage."
"Thank you, My Lord," said the shopkeeper with a slight bow.
Harry next headed for Eeylops Owl Emporium. He walked in and, yes, saw Hedwig in her cage at the back.
"Hello, Hedwig," he said fondly to the large Snowy owl. "We meet at last."
He bought her, a larger cage for her, a free standing roost, and a large selection of owl nuts. Plus, he also bought another, slightly smaller owl, with the same supplies. This was the gift he meant to buy for the Granger parents when he was in the Alley a week ago.
"Dobby!" called Harry.
*Pop* "Yes, Master Harry, Sir?"
"I need these two owls and these goods also taken back to the manor," instructed Harry. "Can you do that for me, please?"
"Yes, Master Harry, Sir!" *Pop*
*Pop* *Pop*
Returning home, he was greeted by his godfather offering him an official letter from the Office of the Wizengamot, those people in the Ministry who provide administrative support for the Wizengamot, informing Sirius an emergency session of the Wizengamot had been called for the following day, the 1st of August 1991 at 9.00am.
He asked his godfather, "I take it you received the only one of these? There wasn't one for me?"
"Nope," replied Sirius. "One didn't arrive for you."
"Then Dumbledore is still redirecting all my mail," he frowned. "Damn the man!"
Sirius said, "I've also contacted both Madam Longbottom and Madam Bones. They confirm they've, also, received their emergency session notices."
"You know what this is going to be, don't you?" asked Harry.
His godfather replied, "Dumbledore trying to strip you of your emancipation and Lordship. And to try to get you back under his unlawful guardianship."
Harry nodded. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day.