School Daze 01 The Hogwarts Chronicles A Harry Potter Fanfiction By David DAG1064@aol.com Author's Notes: All characters except "David" are the property of the great JK Rowling.
School Daze 01
The five of us stood at the doorway to the Great Hall, watching people go inside. Ron sighed. "Here we go, another exciting school year."
Draco snorted. "Oh yes indeed."
"It won't be so bad," I said. "Look at it this way, at least the Weasley Twins have another opportunity to break their pranking and detention record once more."
Hermione sighed as she rolled her eyes. "I wish you hadn't said that, David."
The rest of us laughed at her expression. Draco turned to Harry and me.
"I dread going back to Slytherin," he said softly. "Who knows what they have in store for me."
I nodded. "We need to see Dumbledore for a solution, then."
At the mention of Dumbledore, all of us looked up to the high table and saw him nod at us. Somehow we knew that he knew we needed a solution to Draco's problem. We walked into the Great Hall and Draco went to the Slytherin table and sat down. Nobody joined him or said anything. I knew now for sure he wasn't safe. Once the Hall was full and everyone was looking up front, Dumbledore rose.
"Welcome back to Hogwarts, everybody. I am glad to see all of you here, and hope that you will make the new students welcome. Now then, to business. The Forbidden Forest is out of bounds to everyone as all of you are well aware. Filch has asked me to inform all that magic is not to be used in the corridors between classes. Professor Lupin has kindly consented to rejoin us and teach the DADA class once more. Please give him your full attention, he is very well versed in the subject. Professor McGonagall, if you please," Dumbledore said as he sat down.
The Hall doors opened and McGonagall led a group of first years in. I saw Harry smile as he cocked his head and I had an idea of what it was he was thinking. The Sorting Hat came to life and grinned at us.
"Oh mercy," McGonagall groaned.
It began rhyming the Sorting Song, doing a hell of a job keeping the beat and rhythm going. Once it was done, the shouts, cheers, and applause shook the rafters. Even the first years were grinning. McGonagall just sighed and placed the Hat on the head of the first kid in front. The sorting got started.
Once the Sorting was over, Dumbledore just smiled and waved his hand. Platters of food appeared out of nowhere much to the amazement of the first years. All of us dug in with gusto and really filled up. I carried on a conversation with one of the first years, a kid named Hunter James. He could have very well been a carbon copy of Hermione, he certainly knew his stuff. I'd like to see him debate Hermione sometime. We were discussing wand magic versus wandless magic, which one was more potent. I took the position that it had to do with how strong the magic was inside the person, while Hunter took the position that the wand was the key to the magic inside the person. We never came to a settling of the debate, but shelved it for the time being. I looked up to Dumbledore and he nodded. I stood up and went to the stage as the staff table moved to one side and a single light came down on the spot where my guitar was. As I picked it up the House tables went quiet. I started the opening notes to a Metallica song. A moment later Harry joined me on the stage and picked up the second guitar and joined in. Draco stood up after another moment and sat behind the drums, picking up the beat with no trouble. Last to join us was Ron. He picked up the bass and joined in. We kept up the slow melody for a few minutes more and then kicked in hard. I had taught Harry how to play the guitar during the summer, but Ron and Draco had surprised us by walking into the garage and joining in. Hermione showed up the next day and found us playing together, and informed us she played piano at home. I went out and bought a keyboard setup for her later that afternoon and she proved how good she was. Hogwarts would never be the same after one of our concerts. We played most of the evening, doing dance, light rock, heavy rock, and other stuff. We really had a good time, and everyone enjoyed the music, even the Slytherins, which surprised me a great deal. Maybe there is hope for them after all. I sure hope so.
Reality came crashing down on us the next morning. I sometimes wonder if McGonagall gets a perverse pleasure out of handing out the class schedules. You never know about teachers. I had a lot of respect for McGonagall, so I didn't complain too much. I looked it over and decided it looked okay. I did note that Hagrid was teaching Care of Magical Creatures once again. I smiled, knowing that it would definitely be an interesting class this year. Unpredictable certainly applies to Hagrid. You never know what creature he's going to be hiding next or bringing to the class. One does hope to make it out of there in one piece. I could say the same for Snape, who taught Potions. Two dangers there. One is a potion going bad or Snape's bad attitude. That fellow simply must drink more coffee in the mornings, or take Prozac. He sure needs either one. Well I nicknamed him BA for bad attitude, and it stuck. He glowered at me a day later and I knew he'd heard. Not my problem. McGonagall sure knew how to make a class interesting. She taught Transfigurations, the fine art of turning an object into something else. That ability sure comes in handy when I need weapons for a fight. She could be just as stern as Snape, but she'd give you a chance, and that was more I can say for most teachers. Professor Sprout was a kindly lady who sure knows her plants. Since I knew some things about plants and liked to grow stuff for my teas, I spent some time with her in the greenhouses. Even Neville Longbottom was good in this class.
We trudged off to the first class of the day, being Potions. As usual, Snape made his grand entrance and swept into the room, his cape billowing out from behind him.
"Good morning, we are working on fever reducer today. Get moving," Snape snapped as he stomped to his desk.
"And a great big howdy to you too," I said.
The class erupted in laughter, including the Slytherins. Snape stared at me for a moment and then sighed. Harry brought back the potion ingredients and we got busy. The school year was officially under way. Oh joy.
Transfigurations started off interestingly enough. I spotted a beautiful cat sitting up on the desk watching all of us walk in. I reached over and gently scratched it behind the ears. The cat purred for a few minutes and then stood up. I watched it walk to the edge of the desk and then leap off it. The cat morphed back into McGonagall as I watched. I had to applaud her.
"Very nice, my lady. You make it look so easy," I said.
She nodded as I sat down. "But it is not. It takes some hard work and lots of practice. We will be studying the Animagus Transformation this term. There is a spell I can use to find out what form you will take, and then I shall help you achieve that form. Once you have passed the test for it given to you by the Ministry officials, you must register with them as being Animagus."
That set off a lot of talk and by late afternoon rumor had it the Twins had some kind of betting pool going as to what form Harry, Hermione, Ron, and I would take, as well as some of the other students. Harry and I caught the Twins later in the evening before dinner in the Great Hall.
"Harry and I heard you got some kind of betting pool going," I said.
They simply grinned at us and showed it to us. The betting was heavy on me being cat or raven. Considering my ninja skills, those were good forms to take. The betting was heavy on Harry being Eagle, Snake, or Lion. For Hermione it was cat. For Ron it was raccoon. For Neville, it was mouse. Malfoy was Ferret, much to Ron's amusement.
I spread my bets out on a few people and then we headed into dinner.
One of the first things Hermione did the next morning was to hit the library and check out a book on the history of Animagus. Harry got it next, and then me. It was the most interesting book I'd ever read. It was filled with theories, facts, history, and some of the most famous Animagus ever. I ended up writing a report on it for extra credit. McGonagall was pleased when she received reports from Harry, Hermione, Ron, and me. The more she talked about it, the more it became clearer to me.
The morning came a month later for us to be tested. Naturally there was a big turnout to see the results. People wanted to know who was going to be what.
"This has always been a big event here at Hogwarts," Oliver Wood told me as he sat at the front of the class. "Not everyone has the talent."
I knew what he meant by that. I turned my attention to the front as McGonagall and Dumbledore appeared.
"Good morning everyone. Please find a seat and we shall get started. McGonagall and I shall call out names and the person will approach either me or McGonagall to be tested," Dumbledore said.
With that said, the testing got underway. Harry and I watched as a few people went up and took the test. Not all of them got a form. Then Hermione was called. The room went very quiet as she approached McGonagall. The mist that came out of her wand formed a cat and the room erupted in cheers as Hermione smiled. Ron, Harry, and I slapped a high five with her as she rejoined us. A few more people were called and then it was Neville's turn. His wand projected a dog, to which I smiled. That had been a long shot on Neville, and it paid off big. Neville grinned as he headed back to his seat. A moment later it was Harry's turn. We got a huge shock when his wand projected two forms, a Stag and an Eagle. Boy did the room go crazy. Dumbledore motioned for silence. Harry looked up at him.
"My father was a Stag, wasn't he?" Harry asked quietly.
Dumbledore nodded. "Yes he was. Now you have his form, plus one of your own. A Double Animagus is not unusual. The last recorded Double Animagus was in the early nineteen hundreds. That person was an Eagle and a Panther. Well done, Harry. Fifty points to Gryffindor."
All the Gryffindors present went nuts, cheering Harry and his good fortune. I was truly happy for him. Once the room settled down once more, I stood up and faced Dumbledore. I drew my wand and followed his instructions and out came a cat. I smiled, knowing that one was a natural for me. Rom was called fifteen minutes later. There was laughter when his form turned out to be Raccoon. He blushed furiously as I recalled the story of the pet Raccoon he had once. Draco was next to last. A ferret popped out of his wand, much to everyone's amusement. I had to grin at his reaction. Somehow the spell Mad Eye Moody had cast on Draco, changing him into a Ferret had revealed too early what his Animagus form would be. That obviously didn't bother Draco at all. He just smiled and laughed right along with everyone else.
Up in the Gryffindor Commons room, I relaxed in one of the overstuffed chairs in front of the fire and let my mind wander. I pictured myself being a cat. A large black cat. Before I knew it my body was changing, becoming smaller and growing black fur. I could see my hands changing into cat paws. The transformation was a bit difficult at first but I managed to do it with no problems. Once the transformation was done, I settled down to explore my new body. I can tell you for sure my senses had become a lot sharper than ever before. I lifted one paw and popped my claws out. I was a cat, right down to the last detail. Then I looked up into the face of McGonagall.
"David?" she asked.
I nodded yes. McGonagall smiled and nodded.
"Well done. Fifty points to Gryffindor," she said.
I stood and stretched out, my senses now becoming acute. I was experiencing things I'd never felt before, and it was so amazing. I knew I'd have to practice this to get really good. I changed back into my human form, taking the time to do it and concentrating hard. The first time wiped me out good. I sat back, feeling exhausted. Neville handed me a piece of chocolate, which revived me.
"Thanks, Neville," I said.
"What did it feel like?" Neville wanted to know.
I couldn't answer that. I couldn't find the right words to describe the experience.
"You'll have to experience it yourself," I said finally. "There's just no way to accurately describe it. I can tell you that it will change you and certainly broaden your horizons quite a bit."
"Cool," Neville said.
I looked up at the clock and saw how late it was. "Time I went up. See you in the morning. Class should be fun."
I headed up with Harry behind me. After looking around quickly, he drew the privacy drapes closed around his bed and slipped into mine with me and I closed my privacy curtains closed. The silent spell activated and now nobody could hear us. Harry snuggled down next to me and sighed.
"I like this," he said.
I turned my head and kissed him. "So do I, love."
Harry snuggled up close to me and laid his head on my chest. I ran my fingers through his silky soft black hair. I felt his fingers roaming around my chest. My fingers moved down to the base of his neck and then down to his back. Harry sighed once more. Life couldn't get any better than this.
I woke first the next morning. Harry had his head on my chest and a slight smile on his face. I touched his face tenderly and felt good about being here with him. Then suddenly I was looking into his brilliant green eyes. The smile on his face got wider.
"Hey," he said. "What's up?"
I grinned. "Me," I said.
Harry grinned back. "I know how to fix that," he said.
He slid down under the covers until I felt his breath on my cock head. Then I felt his warm wet mouth envelope my cock as he began to suck it. I closed my eyes and shivered, the feelings coming up from deep inside of me. Harry worked on me for a few minutes and then backed off. He tossed the covers back and then moved into a 69, taking my cock back into his mouth. I took his cock into my mouth and both of us began sucking each other at the same time. I worked my tongue around his very firm shaft as I sucked hard on it. I heard his moans of pleasure and could feel the vibrations of his voice against my cock. I shivered from the pleasure and sucked harder on Harry cock. I felt Harry start to stiffen up against me and I knew he was about to cum. Then suddenly we were cumming at the same time, shooting down each other's throats. We both sighed in relief, and cuddled up together. We kissed for a bit, tasting cum on each other's lips.
"Wish we could stay here for a whole day," Harry sighed.
"We could go to the flat this weekend," I proposed.
Harry turned his head to look at me. "That would be cool."
I smiled. "I'll ask Dumbledore."
We got up a few minutes later, hit the showers, and then joined our housemates for breakfast. There was noting unusual about the Great Hall to indicate that anything was amiss. It all seemed very normal. I closed my eyes and relaxed for a moment and slipped into Getsumi no Michi (a ninja discipline) and checked out things. I found one hostile thought and tried to follow it but it disappeared quickly. This person either was very strong, or knew about me. I opened my eyes and slowly sipped my tea as I considered the possibilities of what it possibly could mean. I shelved the problem for now and turned to the talk at the table. I hoped the day would be a quiet one.
The day turned out to be typical if there ever was a typical day at Hogwarts. Snape was being his usual charming self, McGonagall taught another great class, Binns had us snoring in three minutes flat, and Flitwick dazzled us with another charms display. I had heard that Flitwick was once a dueling champion in his time here at Hogwarts and was very good at it. He hasn't lost his touch, that's for sure. Hagrid's class was very interesting, especially when the Horned Snapper set fire to Terrence Higg's robe. The Slytherin went nuts, yelling about the crazed monster as he called it. Draco grinned as the kid raced for the water trough and sank into it, putting the fire out. Terrence growled at Draco.
"Wasn't funny, Malfoy!" he yelled.
Even the Slytherins had to laugh at the sight. Word of that got around the school by lunchtime, and people were amused by it. I wondered what was to happen next this year and knew we'd get the answer soon. For the time being it seemed that Slytherin House was tolerating Malfoy. That was a good sign, and if he could get through his final year without any problems it would be a load off my mind. I looked down at my plate in time to see a note appear on top of the pastrami sandwich I was eating.
"You and Harry have permission to go to your flat this weekend. It is also a Hogsmede weekend as well. Enjoy. Dumbledore," I read to myself.
I passed the note to Harry and he smiled broadly. The weekend was looking better already. I slipped the note into my pocket and continued eating lunch. We had double potions next with the Slytherins down in the dungeons with Snape next. That should be a fun class. I found potions an interesting subject, even going as far as to debate Snape on potions versus chemistry. Snape definitely proved himself to be a lively debater, awarding me ten points at the end of the class. There is more to the man than he lets on.
Sitting in the dungeons waiting for Snape, I listened to the conversation that went on about the upcoming weekend. I decided that a romantic dinner at our favorite place was in order. We went there on a regular basis ever since I arrived here two years ago. We even introduced Hermione and Ron to the place and it became their favorite place as well. Roberto always made us welcome there.
"Hey," Harry nudged me, "What are you thinking about?"
I smiled at him. "You and me, romantic dinner at Roberto's, a moonlit stroll around the lake, and hiding out in our flat."
"I like the sound of that," Harry smiled.
At that moment the door opened and Snape stalked in with his customary scowl on his face. "Right. Sit down and shut up."
We sat. Snape definitely was in one of his wild unpredictable moods. He picked up a cup off his desk and the sat on the corner of it.
"Today we need to make potions for Madame Pomfrey. There has been an outbreak of measles among the first years. I sincerely hope all of you are protected from that. One potion will be to help cure the first years, the second will be a vaccine against it. The ingredients are up on that worktable. I will divide this room in half, one side to work on the cure, the other half to work on the vaccine. Instructions are on the board, so let's get cracking," he said, and took a drink from his cup.
Snape set the cup down and watched us collect the ingredients for our assignments. He nodded and then we got started. That's when it happened.
"Chirp."
We jerked our heads up in surprise, and looked around. The look on Snape's face was priceless. I wished I had a camera for it.
"CHIRP!" he yelled, and the entire class broke up.
It was obvious the Weasley Twins had struck again. Ron didn't know if he should laugh or cry, the poor kid.
"Chirp, chirp, chirp!" Snape yelled again.
We rolled on the floor and laughed even harder. I had the feeling we were going to see some really great pranks from the Twins before the year was out. From the looks of things, they were targeting the teachers this time around. He turned around and stalked into one of his side rooms and stayed in there for the entire class period, coming out once we had finished the assignments.
"Weasley, inform your brothers, the Terror Twins, I shall expect them in my classroom this evening," Snape hissed and then walked around the room inspecting potions that we had made up.
Ron smiled. "It would be my pleasure, sir."
Friday afternoon Harry and I walked down to Hogsmede to start the weekend. There was a hint of snow in the air, the predictions of an early snowfall this year now looking very possible. We were holding hands and being very close. Hermione and Ron were a few steps in front of us doing the same thing. There wasn't any doubt in my mind about them. They'd be together for life.
Our first stop was the Three Broomsticks for a warm drink. The four of us sat and talked about our possible futures. As it stood, once the year was over and we got out, Harry and I planned on applying for the Auror Service. Both of us wanted to keep the Wizarding World safe from people like Malfoy Sr. and Voldemort. It was a very worthy goal and a few of the Aurors were willing to speak for us and help us get in. I knew Harry and I had what it took to get in. The training there would be hard, and I always had the opinion that the more I sweated in training, the less I'd bleed on the battlefield. Many of the Aurors agreed with me on that and one said that they constantly trained night and day to be ready for anything.
Harry and I left the Three Broomsticks and headed up the street to Roberto's for dinner. Roberto himself met us at the door on the second floor and led us to our usual spot on the balcony overlooking the street. He conjured a clear bubble around the balcony area so it would be nice and warm for us out there. He closed the privacy drapes once he poured us a glass of wine. Harry and I toasted to our future and held hands, as we talked some more about what we had planned to do after Hogwarts. The construction on Potter House was coming along nicely. Dobby was overseeing it for us in addition to his duties at Hogwarts, namely taking care of us. He worked hard and tirelessly, never asking anything from us. I knew he loved us in his own way.
Dinner arrived, Roberto serving us personally. He'd outdone himself this time. Baked Salmon, potato, mixed vegetables, and salad. He opened a bottle of champagne and retreated quietly, turning on a cd player loaded with romantic music. After dinner we stood at the balcony, Harry in my arms as we watched the gentle snowfall. After a few minutes, Harry turned around and wrapped his arms around me and we started to dance together, a slow gentle motion in time to the soft romantic music that was playing. The next time we looked out it was just getting dark. We picked up our winter cloaks and said our goodbyes to Roberto and made our way back to Hogwarts. We headed up to our flat and slipped inside it. Here in this place we could escape from the outside world for a time and be ourselves. We could let down our guard and not worry about anything at all. We felt safe here. Harry turned to me and kissed me lightly on the mouth. I felt my body rise to meet his kiss.
"I love you Harry James Potter," I whispered into his ear.
"I love you David," he whispered back.
He led me to our bed and we got on it. We both could feel the magic in the air. Someone once told us that love has a magic all it's own and that when it had a chance to work, could create some really wonderful moments in our lives. Harry and I know that to be very true. We've seen it work it's magic on a few people around here already. Sure changed a number of lives, including ours.
Harry took the time to undress me, touching and caressing me everywhere. He knew just how to make me feel good inside. Then I returned the favor, undressing him slowly, pleasuring him with feather light touches all over his naked body. We got onto the bed and snuggled up together, kissing and touching each other. I can't describe the feelings, they were so... great. After a few minutes Harry reached into the nightstand and retrieved the KY we kept in there. I rolled onto my back and watched as Harry rubbed a thin coat of KY onto my hard cock and then reached behind him and got some of it inside of him. He straddled my hips.
"I want you inside me, to join with me, to become one with me," he said softly, tears on his face.
"I'd love to be a part of you, to be inside of you my love," I said, feeling my own emotions getting out of control.
Harry slowly pushed down onto me and I felt my cock head open him up and slip inside of him. I closed my eyes and shivered in ecstasy. I heard him moan in pleasure and that made me feel even more pleasure. I opened my eyes once I was inside of him and saw something inside his brilliant emerald green eyes that moved my soul and spirit. Harry moved up and down on me for a few minutes, creating pleasure for the both of us. Then he carefully rolled onto his back, taking me with him. I was careful not to come out of him as I rearranged myself. Once we were settled down, I started making love to him. I moved slowly at first, creating more pleasure for us. Harry grabbed my arms and groaned in pleasure as I fucked him. Before I knew it I was fucking him hard and fast, my cum exploding out of me and into him.
"There... is my love... deep inside you," I gasped.
Harry and I held each other long after my orgasm inside of him was done. I gently stroked his back as I felt his tears on my shoulder. Harry tended to get emotional at times and that I knew was due to the rejection he suffered at the hands of his uncle and aunt. I felt his head move on my shoulder.
"Can I join with you?" he whispered into my ear. "I want to give my love to you to keep deep inside of you."
I reached for the KY and stroked his hard cock a few times while he used a finger or two to prepare me. I got on my back and he moved up between my legs. I held his hard cock at my entry and he slowly pushed into me.
"You feel so good inside of me love," I whispered to him.
Harry closed his eyes as he began making love to me. I closed my eyes and concentrated on feeling his cock moving inside of me. Harry whispered things to me as he continued to make love to me. He told me how much he loved me, how much I meant to him, and how he loved making love to me. His head slowly went back and he got louder as he moved faster inside of me.
"Cumming... take my love," he called out as I felt him shoot deep inside of me.
I held him in my arms once he finished his orgasm inside of me. We both slowly drifted off to sleep moments later, emotionally and physically drained, but feeling oh so satisfied and very much in love all over again.
Sunday was a quiet day, lying in bed until late and then sitting in the living room area in our kimonos and noting else. We were listening to the Beethoven Concertos on CD that Hermione had given us some time ago. I like rock and roll just as much as anyone else, but there is something to be said about symphony music. The quiet soothing sounds does wonders for a weary soul, and it is very relaxing. In between CD's, Harry and I discussed whatever came to mind, anything and everything from Hogwarts to our opinions about the Wizarding World. Harry is very capable of debating any subject he sets his mind to and I have no doubts he could very well be the next Headmaster of Hogwarts or the Ministry of Magic.
We hated to leave the flat Monday morning, but we had to rejoin the world once more. The weekend had done us a world of good, and I felt completely recharged. Hermione and Ron were the first people we met in the hall on the way down to breakfast.
"Cheers, mate!" Ron said cheerfully. "Have a great weekend?"
Harry smiled. "That we did, Ron. Very restful and relaxing."
"Good. I hear we really have our week cut out for us. Word has it that we are going to start doing our Animagus training with Dumbledore and McGonagall teaching," Ron said.
Any class that Professor Dumbledore taught was always a good one. I liked how he presented the subjects and made them so interesting.
"Dumbledore and McGonagall will be trading off," Hermione said, "McGonagall will teach it on the days she's not doing Transfigurations, and Dumbledore will teach when she does have it."
"Cool," I said. "Can't wait to get started."
We entered the hall and got nods and greetings from people. Sitting down, I noticed the morning edition of the Daily Prophet next to my breakfast plate. I picked it up and started reading. The headlines grabbed my attention and I slowly set my teacup back down as I read.
"Rita Skeeter escapes Azkaban!" I read out loud. "Officials are at a loss to explain how she managed to escape Azkaban late Saturday night. It is speculated that she managed to overcome the spell preventing her use of her Animagus form and changed herself into her animal form, therefore escaping Azkaban. Her current whereabouts is not known at this time."
Harry sighed as he took the paper from me. I wondered if that was the hostile thought I'd sensed Friday night. If I was able to sense her thoughts from there, then my telepathic powers must be a lot stronger than I thought. I needed to talk to Dumbledore about this.
He beat me to it. As Harry and I walked out into the hall, he approached us silently. He looked gravely at us.
"Is there anything you wish to tell me?" he asked.
I told him about sensing the hostile thought and how it seemed so close and strong. He nodded as I told him what I knew and felt.
"You will inform me the moment you have another episode like this one. I have been informed that she has sworn revenge against the both of you. You will inform me of anything unusual," Dumbledore said.
"Yes sir," I said as Harry nodded.
Dumbledore relaxed and his face lost some of the tension. "Good. Let's not keep the other students waiting, shall we?"
Harry grinned. "You're teaching the class this morning?"
"Yes I am. This is a serious subject, one not to be taken lightly. There is a danger to this, and if not done correctly, one could lose their life," Dumbledore said.
That was a sobering thought. We followed him in and took our seats with our housemates and then he opened the class. He talked about the dangers of being an Animagus and after warning us, got down to business. I sat there and relaxed, and emptied my mind of everything and concentrated on the black cat. Changing into the cat was so weird. I could feel myself changing, my senses becoming much sharper and acute as my body changed. Once I had completed the transformation, I flopped on the top of the desk and relaxed.
"Well done. Twenty points to Gryffindor," Dumbledore said as he petted me on the head.
I watched the others transform one by one. Neville took the longest, Dumbledore helping him remain calm. Once Neville finished changing, in his place stood a magnificent German Shepherd. I clapped my front paws together in admiration as the dog grinned.
"Very well done, Mr. Longbottom. Twenty points for a fine effort," Dumbledore said as he scratched Neville behind the ears.
A Ferret walked up to Neville and raised his paw for a high five. Neville tapped Draco's paw with his own and the Ferret smiled. The Ferret then slowly morphed back into Draco and he grinned.
"That was fun," he said. "Going to enjoy practicing that."
Harry turned back into his human self from the Stag. "This is one class where I won't mind the homework."
Dumbledore smiled as the others laughed. "Thank you Harry, it makes me feel that I am doing something right. The more you practice this the better you will get. I must ask that you practice this with a partner to watch you in the event something goes wrong."
Naturally we agreed to it. The rest of the class was spent listening to another lecture.
McGonagall watched us the next morning as we went through our transformations. Neville got it right the first time around, which cheered him immensely. I did it perfectly and got twenty points for it. I sit there in a sunny spot and watch the others go through their transformations one by one. Most of them are doing it effortlessly now, Hermione, Harry, and Ron breezing through theirs. Draco is still working on doing it quickly and he's getting better at it. Others are still working at it and I know they will get it down pat in time.
The weekend was spent doing class assignments. Naturally Hermione was in the library doing more research. Madame Pince had eventually given made Hermione a student assistant, giving her free run of the library, having learned long ago that Hermione knew every inch of the library. Hermione was delighted with that and anyone wanting to know something went and asked her. She always steered them to the right book, never giving the answers they wanted. Harry and I took our usual place in the library in the far corner and settled down to do our own research into the many uses of the Wormwood plant, another Snape assigned essay. I decided to make two copies and present one to Professor Sprout as an extra credit assignment. Harry had the unfortunate assignment of writing about Mandrakes. He had experienced them the year before I showed up and he told me all about his experience in the Chamber of Secrets.
"Ever since then I've wanted to learn how to use a sword," Harry concluded.
I nodded. "I can teach you that, Harry. Never know when you might encounter a swordsman in a fight."
Having decided that, we went back to our assignments. Ron drifted into the library, dropped his stuff on the table next to us, and went to find Hermione. He spends most of his time with her instead of his schoolwork these days. I looked around the library. There were a lot of Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs in here today. I had heard the Slytherins were out on the Quidditch pitch, watching their house team at practice. The Ravenclaws were currently engaged in a dueling class with Flitwick. He certainly knew his subject and taught it very well, having challenged him a time or two.
"What's the plan for Halloween?" Ron's voice asked, interrupting my thoughts.
I looked up. "How about troll chasing?"
Harry grinned as Ron groaned and Hermione sighed. I knew the story there. All three of them encountered a troll in their first year and lived to tell the tale.
"I was thinking more of joining a big party in the Great Hall this year," Ron said. "I have the perfect costume lined up already."
"And what would that be?" Hermione asked.
Ron smiled. "Wait and see, my princess."
Harry laughed. "Well, I thought of doing a costume of my favorite rock star."
"Not a bad idea," I said. "I haven't thought of anything yet."
Neville popped up. "I'm going as Snape."
Madame Pince frowned at us as we laughed out loud.
"What kind of entertainment are we going to have?" I asked.
Susan Bones walked past and stopped. "Rumor has it that Dumbledore's hiring the Weird Sisters again."
"That would be cool," Neville said. "I have all their stuff at home."
Draco showed up right then and sat down. "Slytherin practice is over. This team needs a lot of work."
"I'm surprised they kept you on as Seeker," Harry said.
"Heh, you were surprised, hell, so was I," Draco huffed. "Anyway, the team is staffed by a bunch of newbies and there's no way they are going to steamroller Gryffindor House. If anything, it will be a training year for them."
"What's your costume going to be for the Halloween Ball?" Ron asked.
Draco smiled. "For me to know and you to find out."
They turned to me as one. I knew what they were going to ask.
"Not ninja," I said. "I can do that anytime I need to. I was thinking more of a biker, wrestler, or Draco Malfoy."
That set them off and Madame Pince finally chased us out the door.
"You are so funny," Draco drawled.
I grinned. "Why thank you, Mr. Malfoy."
The mood in Hogwarts got lighter as Halloween got closer, but Harry seemed to withdraw a little and I knew why. Halloween was a night Harry wished he could forget, a night that he'd wished never happened. I had no words to comfort him with, so I just comforted him the best I could by holding him and being with him. Harry knew I felt for him and he seemed to know my feelings in regards to my own parents. I really never thought of them, not having the chance to spend time with them like Harry had or having photos of them like Harry did. I knew he kept a small picture of his parents in his shirt pocket, his way of keeping them close. Dumbledore's words floated back to me.
"Do you really think that the people we love are truly gone? No. They are a part of you that cannot ever be taken away. They are always with you, even when you need them most," he had told us once.
His words made a lot of sense and I like to think my parents are in a much better place, having met Harry's parents and knowing the four of them are probably watching our every move. A humbling thought.
The day before Halloween, Harry took me to his parent's resting place. The Potter mausoleum was a large building, having been built in the late 1800's. Many of the Potters were laid to rest there. A single plaque announced the resting place of Lily and James Potter. I watched Harry as he traced each letter with a finger, and I could see the emotions deep in his eyes. How he had suffered so much and managed to carry on was beyond me, but he had managed to do so. I put my arms around him and he cried bitter tears into my shoulder. I held him long after he spent his emotions. Then we placed the roses we brought into the flower holder. I bowed in respect to the Potters and said a blessing for peaceful rest. I knew the only way that would happen was for Harry to confront Voldemort one last time and end the man's life. Only then would they and others who had died at that monster's hands would find peaceful rest.
Many of the teachers and the staff approached Harry and expressed their condolences, including Dumbledore, Arthur Weasley, Molly Weasley, and a few of the witches and wizards who arrived for the Halloween celebrations at Hogwarts. They all told stories of his parents and Harry appreciated it. The more he knew of his parents, the more he understood what kind of people they were. Harry added more pictures to his photo album that people gave him of his parents. That meant a lot to him. He kept the photo album locked inside his trunk and I didn't blame him for that. I would too.
The first indication of a problem Halloween afternoon was seeing Dumbledore upset about something. Nothing ever gets him upset, so I knew it had to be something major. He looked up as I approached him.
"Anything I can do to help?" I asked him.
He smiled and rested his hand on my shoulder. "I do not wish to intrude on you and your friends, but I am in a bit of a spot."
"Weird Sisters cancel out?" I asked.
He nodded. "Their bass player had an accident this morning."
"I'll round up the others and talk to them first," I said. "We'll give you an answer within the hour."
"Thank you," Dumbledore said.
I went looking for them immediately and found them in my training room. "There you all are. Dumbledore has a problem."
"What is it?" Harry asked, turning to face me.
"Weird Sisters backed out," I said. "Their bass player got into an accident this morning and will be out of action for the rest of the year."
Harry nodded. "Dumbledore wants us to play?"
"It's up to us he said," I replied.
We voted and decided to play. While Hermione went to tell him the news, us guys moved our gear into the Great Hall and got it set up. Hermione showed up just as we got everything into place and worked a charm on four skeletons that would act as the horn section as we needed them. We would do mostly dance tunes, but we'd also get the chance to show off our individual skills. We watched a few of the professors decorate the Great Hall for the event and they were doing a bang up job. It looked totally awesome. This was going to be a fun night.
The fun got started right at five in the evening as people started drifting into the hall. I stood on the stage and fine tuned my guitar, watching people drift in. There were the usual scary stuff and heroes. I smiled as Colin Creevey bounced in wearing red long johns, a cape, and mouse ears. He was pretending to be Mighty Mouse, a character I'd watched back in the orphanage when I was really little. That brought back good memories for me. Not all the sisters there had been royal bitches. I remembered one would sneak around and give us all little candy bags on the holidays. She was the only one who made life bearable. I hoped life had been good to her.
"Getting ready to rock?" Frankenstein stopped in front of me.
It was Oliver Wood who graduated last year, coming back to help with the night's events.
"Yup. Weird sisters called off at the last moment. Bass player had an accident," I said. "Dumbledore didn't want to bother us, but we told him we'd step in and save the day. Just doing a final check now."
Oliver grinned. "Cool. Have fun."
I set down the guitar and went backstage to check my own costume and check the others. Hermione showed up in a really beautiful white dress that reminded me so much of Stevie Nicks from Fleetwood Mac. In fact, she was one of Hermione's favorite singers, so we planned on doing some of her material tonight. Ron showed up in a medieval knight's costume and it certainly looked good on him. He literally stopped in his tracks when he saw Hermione.
"Wow. "You're so beautiful," he breathed.
I discretely moved off in another direction and made sure the curtain was blocking things to give them some privacy. I went back to the stage to see someone in black with a large hat with a single feather drooping over it and a French foil in his belt. The person turned and it was Draco.
"Very nice, Draco. I didn't know you had a sword," I said.
He grinned. "It used to be my father's. I had Dumbledore check it to make sure it wasn't cursed. I do know how to use it, too."
"Interesting you should say that. Harry wants to learn how to handle a sword," I said to him as Draco checked the drums.
"Then we will have to teach him. Yours is a true combat form, while fencing is more flash than fight," Draco said.
"The French foil is still deadly in the hands of a true master," I said.
Draco nodded as a dark figure slid up to us.
"I agree with both of you," Snape said. "Both of you would make worthy adversaries with the styles you both have learned."
I turned to Snape. "Do you use a sword?"
"A broadsword, a Scottish Claymore, and a French foil," Snape replied. "I learned them from various masters. I prefer a broadsword over the other two."
"Harry wants to learn how to use a sword," I said.
Snape scratched his chin. "The three of you come see me some evening and we shall discuss the matter further."
Snape glided off towards the oversized punchbowl as I shook my head.
"There's more to him than meets the eye," Draco observed.
I was about to reply when a Robert Plan look-alike walked over. I knew who it was almost instantly.
"Very nice Harry," I grinned as Draco laughed out loud.
Harry grinned. "Thanks. Really the first chance I've ever done something like this. Feels good too."
"This is definitely going to be a fun night, friends. I'm gonna enjoy this," I said.
We headed back stage, as the Great Hall was now nearly full of people in costume.
The Weasley Twins kicked things off with one of their joke routines, getting people to laugh as they poked fun at various costumes and things. Then they introduced Dumbledore to the crowd. Albus Dumbledore looked great in his white tuxedo trimmed in gold and all of us gave him a standing ovation.
"Thank you all, for coming here tonight. I sincerely hope you enjoy yourselves tonight. Relax, have fun, enjoy great music from the band Magiks, enter our costumes contest and other great contests. So without further ado, let's have some fun!" he said.
We came on and the night got started. We kicked off the show with an old party tune called "Celebration" and it went from there. The second number Ron did was an Alabama tune. Then Hermione stepped up and did "Silver Spring" by Fleetwood Mac and got a huge response from it.
"Okay, before we go any further, I need to announce a box set up by the staff table where you can vote on the scariest costume for the next twenty minutes. Professor Snape will announce the three winners," Harry announced.
Then he did the vocals to Led Zeppelin's "Dazed and Confused" as I worked the guitar, getting a good response from the crowd. Then we invited Lee Jordan, who was in costume as a reggae singer to come up and do two Bob Marley songs, "No woman No Cry" and "I Shot The Sheriff". Damn he was good! I had no idea he could sing that well, not to mention he was very convincing with the Jamaican accent. Then I stepped up and did Van Halen's "Jump", which got the crowd going once more.
Snape gained my attention and I turned to the mike. "Okay, Snape says we're ready to announce the winners."
Snape carried the box to the stage that he'd been standing next to make sure there weren't any second votes. He tapped the box with his wand and the box gave up the third place winner first. It was a second year Slytherin dressed as a Cornish Pixie. The second place winner was Neville with his rendition of Snape. That took people by surprise. The first place was a fourth year Hufflepuff as six armed alien. After the winners were announced, Ron stepped forward and started a song. That in turn got people dancing once more. We did two more songs, and then moved the mike stands out of the way so the drum kit could move forward to the edge of the stage for Draco's big drum solo. He'd worked long and hard on it and was eager to show what he could do. We used Led Zeppelin's "Moby Dick" to start it. Right at the point where the drum solo starts, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I walked off the stage and Draco go it started by head butting the huge gong that hung behind him, which got a gasp of surprise from people. In the middle of "Moby Dick" he changed gears and started doing "Bonzo's Montreaux", which got another round of applause. Draco was just outstanding on the drums.
The evening kept going with various costume contests, and other things to do. Even Filch himself got into the spirit of things, which surprised all of us. I never thought of him as someone who liked to have fun, but he did and that was very cool. Even Dumbledore got out onto the dance floor and did a slow dance with McGonagall. If I didn't know better, I'd say those two have had something going between them for years but that was their business. Harry and I managed to get out on the floor as Hermione played a slow love song on her keyboards, teaming up with Ron for the song. Quite a few of the students and adults nodded at us as we danced together and that meant the world to us. It's nice to know people can be accepting of us.
"I really hate to end the evening, but it is now approaching the midnight hour," Dumbledore finally announced. "This has been a most enjoyable evening and I would like to thank those who made it possible and those who were so willing to provide the entertainment for us."
Naturally we took a bow as the crowd gave us an ovation. We had decided on the encore to be two songs, Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll" and Gary Wright's "Dreamweaver".
"A big thank you to the staff members who decorated the hall," Dumbledore motioned to Flitwick, Sprout, and one other.
They took their bow.
"McGonagall and the kitchen elves for organizing the food and drink," Dumbledore smiled.
The Hogwarts elves blushed as they took their bows.
"Last but not least, to our guests for joining us this evening," Dumbledore smiled.
The parents and a few of the Ministry officials bowed to the applause.
Dumbledore turned to us. "Mr. Weasley if you please?"
Ron grinned and turned to the mike as we started the song. Ron had an amazingly good voice and it rang nice and clear as he sang "Dreamweaver". When he finished, he got a nice round of applause. Then he turned to Draco.
"Come on man!" he cried. "Take this thing home!"
Draco banged out the opening notes to "Rock and Roll" and the crowd jumped. We really gave it our all as I did the vocals to it. When Draco started the drum roll at the end, I went past him, turned around and raced back to the drums, leaped off a springboard into the air while doing the splits, and as soon as I landed on the stage, the prearranged magic set off all the fireworks and sparklers in a grand finale. What a way to finish the night!
The first week of November it finally snowed. That of course set off a different kind of competition between the Houses, a snowball war. That helped us blow off much needed steam due to the teachers piling on loads of work on us. Of course the teachers and staff became targets, and Snape naturally assumed command of the staff squad against us kids. In a way it helped them blow off stress too. It was here that things began to happen to Harry and me. We were getting strange notes delivered to us by owl every morning at breakfast. At first they were just nonsense notes, and then they started turning ugly and threatening. After the third one, I gathered up all the notes and took them up to Dumbledore's office.
"You have been getting these for the last two weeks," Dumbledore said as he read each one, then handing them to McGonagall.
"Yes sir," Harry said. "At first we suspected angry Death Eaters, but then the notes started getting a bit personal."
"Like someone is observing you and making nasty comments on your doings," Snape said from his customary place by the fire.
That hadn't occurred to me. I picked up the last note we had gotten and looked it over. It was a nasty comment about us snuggling up in our private flat one night last week.
"Professor Dumbledore, is it possible to strengthen the wards around our flat and to include one that would record any attempts to get in?" I asked.
"Already done by me," Snape said. "I included one that will send the person straight here under Stupefy."
I nodded. "Thank you sir."
"I shall charm some of the armors in the hall to observe people walking through the hall at that spot," McGonagall said.
"Good. In the meantime, keep at your normal schedule and we shall get to the bottom of this soon enough. Now I am told that Harry wishes to learn how to use a sword. I approve and shall appoint Professor Snape to the task. I believe it would be a good idea if David and Draco also studied with Professor Snape. Knowing two or more styles can help," Dumbledore said.
"Professor Snape, do you know the Japanese Katana?" I asked.
Snape turned to me. "No I do not."
"I would be my pleasure to introduce you to the Japanese Katana when I teach it to Harry and Draco. We can set up a training schedule," I said.
"I accept your offer," Snape bowed.
Dumbledore beamed. "Very good. I am pleased."
"Forgive me for asking, but what plans do the both of you have for the upcoming holidays?" Snape asked.
"We are going to the Weasley House for Christmas," Harry replied. "Thanksgiving will be here in our private flat."
Dumbledore nodded. "Good. Then you will be safe from this person."
That ended the conversation. Harry and I headed back to the Gryffindor dorms. As I walked down the hall, I automatically slipped into Getsumi no Michi and almost immediately came into contact with a hostile thought. I turned around and followed the thought pattern down two sets of stairs and down three halls with Harry behind me, his wand out. We encountered Peeves in one hall.
"Dumbledore. Now," Harry snapped as we passed him.
Peeves took off like a shot as we continued to the end of the hall and around the corner. The hall we stepped in was empty. I drew my katana and prepared myself for a fight. The hostile thought was the strongest here.
[Charms classroom,] I told Harry.
[I feel it too,] Harry said.
We moved inside the classroom and it nearly overwhelmed us. Harry got the mental barriers up in time.
"Come out from wherever you are," I called out. "We'll be gentle with you."
A puff of smoke announced the third occupant. It turned out to be Rita Skeeter herself. A very changed Rita Skeeter. Now we knew who the stalker was.
"Oh shit," Harry whispered.
End of Chapter
Next episode: A deranged Rita Skeeter makes her appearance.