![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mhalachaiTwo notes:
Friending: If you want to be added to my lj as a friend, drop me a comment saying that specifically. Very very little is f-locked around here, and no fic ever is.
Comments to fics: Wow, you guys like to talk! I'm having to implement a little change to my unofficial commenting policy. If you drop me a note to say "I like the chapter" or something similar, I may not respond. But take heed! I read them all and love you all too! Discussion comments will still invoke responses and discussions.
Now, to fic. The title is indicative, yes/no?
Inevitable Fifty-Nine: Before The Storm
by Mhalachai
Disclaimer: Laurell K. Hamilton owns all things Anita Blake. J.K. Rowling owns all things Harry Potter. Only the story is my own.
Note: This is a weird chapter. It's almost 7,000 words long and it feels really short, at least to me. Does it feel that way to you?
Previous parts here.
~~~~~~~
Harry let his head fall back against the bars of the cage. He was so tired he thought was going to die. Who'd have thought that playing with an adolescent werewolf all night would be so exhausting?
Turning his head slight, Harry looked at Reece's sleeping form. The boy had shifted back to human as soon as the sun had risen, and had collapsed in a heap without so much as uttering a word.
Harry knew that he should probably call to whoever was in the infirmary, to let them out, but he took the stillness to rest. It was the first opportunity he'd had to relax since Dumbledore had closed the cage door on Harry and Reece. Harry had used every trick he knew to entertain Reece; turning his own shoes into rabbits, flying paper angels, anything to distract Reece from the fact that they were stuck in a magically reinforced cage that was really too small for a werewolf.
Next month, this is going to change, Wolfsbane portion or not, Harry promised.
The cold metal of the cage dug into Harry's bare back, impossible to ignore. He made himself sit forward, swearing quietly at the pain in his chest. The claw marks that ran down the length of his torso weren't healing as well as Harry had expected, and the movement split open one of more stubborn slashes.
"You'll live," Harry muttered to himself as he stood up. The blood rushed out of his head and he wobbled dangerously for a moment before the world evened out and he could walk across the floor of the cage. A quick "Alohomora" and the door swung open.
Harry staggered out along the edge of the cage to grab the boy's robe. He supposed he could have used magic to summon the covering, but after more than a day without sleep, Harry's memory on the magical incantation was a bit fuzzy.
Can't sleep yet. Got more work to do, find out who did this to Reece, Harry thought as he re-entered the cage. He cleaned up the shifter liquid with a flick of his wand, not sure if he used the spell to banish liquid or dry it up. Shaking out the robe, Harry took a moment to look at Reece's hip, where he'd been injured. An angry pink welt still marked the pale skin.
Only silver would leave a mark like that after he shifted back, Harry thought grimly, draping the black robe over the sleeping boy. What kind of monster would shoot a little kid with a silver barb like that?
Making sure his wand was stowed away neatly in his pocket, Harry picked up the child, his sleeping body an awkward dead weight. Somehow, Harry managed to avoid falling over or dropping Reece as he made his way out of the cage toward the slightly ajar door, behind which he could hear muffled voices.
The voices stopped when Harry pushed his way into the infirmary. Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall huddled at the far end of the room, and they all looked over as Harry made a beeline for the beds.
"Is he all right?" Madam Pomfrey asked, hurrying over. She helped Harry lay Reece down on one of the beds, then pushed the boy's hair back from his worn face.
"Shifted back just fine," Harry said, wincing as a bit of the fabric from Reece's robe stuck against his chest. He peeled the cloth away as gently as he could. "The wound in his hip isn't healed completely, though."
"I'll take a look at it, then I'll deal with you," Madam Pomfrey said sternly, looking at Harry's chest with a professional eye. "I should have handled those for you last night."
"I had my hands full," Harry said, smiling wearily at her. "Are you okay? You looked bad last night."
Madam Pomfrey waved her hand abruptly. "Scalp wounds always bleed too much, look worse than they are," she said.
Harry stifled a yawn. "I'm going to go over there," he said, forestalling any comment from the matron as he stumbled toward an empty bed nearby. Reece was in good hands now, it was highly unlikely that anyone would hurt him for a bit, which meant that maybe, just maybe, Harry could rest for a while.
Or not, Harry thought, biting back an exclamation as he tried to lie down. The pain in his chest, along with the various bruises along his back and side, made standing seem like a much more attractive idea. I suppose I can sleep standing up if I need to.
The sound of approaching footsteps penetrated the haze around Harry's head, making him blink hard and raise his head. Dumbledore stood in front of him, McGonagall at his side. Harry dimly wondered where Snape had gone, then decided that he didn't care.
"Mr. Potter, how are you feeling?" McGonagall asked briskly.
Harry managed to raise hand to give her the thumb's-up sign. "Ready for anything," Harry lied. Then he blinked. "Do we have Quidditch today? 'Cause I don't know if I can do Quidditch today."
"I'm sure that your house Quidditch practice can be postponed," Dumbledore said. "Minerva, would you please excuse us?"
Reluctantly, McGonagall gave Harry one last steely-eyed glare before leaving.
Dumbledore blinked down at Harry, looking strangely tired all of a sudden. "Do you have any injuries besides the visible?"
Harry glanced past Dumbledore to Reece's bed, where Madam Pomfrey was pulling the quilt up over the unconscious child. "Well no one's stabbed me with silver," Harry said. "Or gave me a potion that made me throw up, or set me loose on a school full of children, so all in all I think I'm pretty okay."
"So you are not injured."
Why was Dumbledore repeating the same questions? "I'll be fine! I can't say the same for Reece! Whoever did this to Reece knew there was a werewolf in here! Someone who let him out, who hurt him with silver! Do you know who it is yet?"
"No."
"Why not?" Harry asked, cold anger waking him up. "You've been out here all night. The infirmary is full of portraits, watching. Didn't anyone see who knocked out Madam Pomfrey or let Reece out?"
"They did not," Dumbledore told him. "Magic was used to darken the room before Madam Pomfrey was attacked. As for Mr. Trevelyan, we will have to wait for him to awaken before we can question what he saw."
Harry concentrated on breathing in and out through his nose, trying to calm himself. Concentrate on Reece, don't let anger get in your way. "Who knows Reece is a werewolf?" he asked when he could speak.
"Very few," Dumbledore said. "But I fear that it is not as simple as that."
Harry waited.
"While the identity of Mr. Trevelyan may have been unknown, someone knew that Professor Snape was brewing a batch of the Wolfsbane potion. Certain of his ingredients have been contaminated, but only the ones involved in the potion."
Keeping his voice even, to avoid screaming, Harry said, "So whoever did this was trying to poison Reece? When that failed, they decided to go riddling him with silver?"
"We do not know that Mr. Trevelyan was the target."
Harry's eyebrows went up and he crossed his arms over his chest, ignoring the stinging pain. "It looks pretty targeted. Poisoning the potion? Using silver shot to hurt him? Opening the cage and letting him loose?" Harry stopped himself mid-diatribe. "Wait, how did they open the cage and not get eaten?"
"There was traces of a time-delayed spell on the lock," Dumbledore said. "Whoever it was, would have been able to get away before the cage opened."
Harry frowned. "Something's wrong. Even if the room was dark, Reece would have been able to track them, especially if they hurt like that. And why didn't he do anything to Madam Pomfrey?" The weary expression on Dumbledore's face alerted Harry. "What now?"
"Professor Slughorn has examined the school's potion stores, and he is missing ingredients to make a potion to mask a wizard's scent. It is an old potion, used in the days of dragon hunting, but it has not been taught at Hogwarts in many years."
Harry looked over at Reece. "So, the mystery attacker messes up the Wolfsbane potion, coats himself in a scent mask, makes the room dark, attacks Madam Pomfrey, hurts Reece, then unlocks the cage and leaves, not minding if Reece would stop to eat Madam Pomfrey on the way out of the room?"
Someone with lots of potion knowledge, Harry thought darkly. Snape hates werewolves, maybe-- Harry shook his head. No, that's not it! Snape smelled like Snape the second I picked up his trail, why would he let out a werewolf that would then attack him?
"What are you thinking, Harry?" Dumbledore asked.
Harry focused on the Headmaster. "Can you wipe that scent thing off?"
Although Dumbledore's expression didn't change, Harry suspected he wasn't fooled. "No. It is a draught, blocking the scent of the drinker until it leaves the bloodstream, lasting several hours."
"Oh." Damn. "If someone's trying to hurt Reece, he needs someone to watch him; when he's unconsciously like this he'll be dead to the world for hours. I can--"
"Madam Pomfrey will be quite capable of protecting Mr. Trevelyan," Dumbledore interrupted. "Additionally, Professor Flitwick will be examining the charm on the lock, to see if he recognizes the pattern."
Harry ran that over in his head. "That should be okay," he finally said.
Madam Pomfrey came over, carrying a tray of salves and bandages. "Can't this wait until after Mr. Potter has slept?" she asked Dumbledore, prodding Harry to lie down.
"It can," Dumbledore said. "Come to see me this evening, Harry. The password to my office is 'Thyme'."
"Yeah," Harry muttered. "Oh, sir!"
Dumbledore turned around. "Yes?"
"Who was supposed to be out patrolling the corridors last night?"
"Why do you ask?" Dumbledore asked with a frown.
"What if they saw something? How many Aurors are around?"
Dumbledore didn't answer. "I'll see you tonight, Harry," he said as he sped from the room.
"But... Ouch!" Harry exclaimed as Madam Pomfrey began to clean the slashes on his chest. "That hurts!"
Unimpressed, Madam Pomfrey handed Harry a vial of amber liquid. "Drink this."
"What is it?" Harry asked, uncapping the vial and giving it a sniff.
"A painkiller," she said. "Drink."
Harry tipped the vial down his throat, managing not to gag at the bitter taste. "You should add sugar," he said when he stopped making faces.
Madam Pomfrey plucked the vial from his fingers. "Hold still, then we'll get you a bed."
"No, I have to go back to the common room," Harry said, staring up at the ceiling as the matron worked. "People will start to talk and--" He bolted up. "Oh no, Hermione! She went back to the tower last night, I didn't tell her--"
Madam Pomfrey pushed Harry down. "Miss Granger will be fine," she said. "If you insist on going back to the tower, I cannot stop you."
"Good," Harry said, glowering.
"However, when you wake up, I want you to come back here so we can check on these wounds." She smoothed a bandage against his chest. "We will also have to discuss what's going to happen to you now."
"What do you mean?"
Madam Pomfrey busied herself in tidying up her tray. "You have another month, but some of the signs may begin to show sooner."
Harry stared at her. The exhaustion made it hard to think, to pull together what she was talking about, but he finally understood. "Wait, you think I'm going to be a werewolf?" he exclaimed, sitting up. "No, you don't understand--"
"The infection would have begun the second you received your injuries," Madam Pomfrey said. "There's no changing that now. All I ask is that if you choose to blame young Mr. Trevelyan, do not approach him, he has been through quite enough."
"I'm not going to blame Reece," Harry said, not sure how to explain it to her without spilling any of his many secrets. "I'm not going to be a werewolf!"
Madam Pomfrey handed him a clean shirt. "Go get some sleep, Mr. Potter," she said gently. "We will discuss this later."
I'm not going to be a werewolf! Harry thought indignantly. And as if I'd blame Reece for it, anyway! I didn't blame Richard for what he did, and that hurt a hell of a lot more!
Yanking the shirt over his head, Harry slipped off the bed and padded over to Reece's cot. The boy looked so tiny when he was asleep, almost frail, nothing like the enormous and powerful wolf the previous night.
"I bet you'll give Richard a run for his money when you're older," Harry muttered before turning away.
Leaving the infirmary sapped Harry's energy, and he stumbled along for a few feet before registering the black shape up ahead. He pulled himself to a stop, putting a hand against the wall to avoid tripping.
"Mr. Potter," Snape said in a voice full of barely contained anger. "Once again the hero."
"What are you talking about?" Harry demanded.
"Running all over the school in the dark, wrestling werewolves?" Snape slowly stalked toward Harry, black robes billowing in an overly dramatic manner. "You're going to come to a sticky end, one day, just like your father."
Harry drew himself up to his full height, and was startled to see he was almost on eye level with Snape. "If I do have to die, I'd rather go out like my father," Harry spat. "Is there something you wanted?"
"Is there something you wanted, Sir?"
"There's no one around, no need to call me sir," Harry said without thinking.
Snape advanced on Harry, loathing and hatred boiling just below the surface visible in his eyes. "You'll be singing a different tune in a month, boy," he hissed before whirling around and storming off.
Harry was tempted to call after Snape, to tell the man Harry was glad to have saved his life from the werewolf the previous night, but Harry held his tongue.
He didn't want Snape owing him a damn thing.
~*~
The Fat Lady gave him a strange look as she wordlessly opened the portrait to Gryffindor Tower. Harry's foot caught on the edge of the hole and he stumbled his way into the room. It was still rather early for a Saturday, and the common room looked empty. Harry had some vague idea about going up and falling into his bed, when someone popped up off a couch. "Harry?"
"Ron?" Harry said thickly. "Why're you down here?"
The redhead pushed his hair back out of his face, making it stick straight up. "Why do you think?" he said, bending over. "Hermione, wake up, he's here."
"What?" Hermione squeaked, sitting up. She caught sight of Harry, and her eyes grew wide. "Oh!"
Harry steeled himself for the lecture, the chastisements that he knew were coming, as Hermione jumped up off the couch, her school robes crumbled as if she'd slept in them, and dashed over to Harry to throw her arms around him in a tight hug.
"McGonagall said you were going to be okay, but she wouldn't tell me what happened!" Hermione said, her face buried against Harry's chest. "All I saw was the werewolf and you were bleeding and I didn't know--"
"Hey, it's okay, Hermione," Harry said, putting his arms around his trembling friend. "I'm fine, Reece is fine, Madam Pomfrey is up and around." Hermione squeezed him a little tighter. "No one got eaten, everything's fine."
He had meant the last bit to be a joke, but upon hearing it, Hermione burst into tears. Harry looked helplessly at Ron, who was hovering nearby. "How bad were you hurt?" Ron asked as he laid a steadying hand on Hermione's back.
"Reece got in a good swipe, but nothing that Madam Pomfrey couldn't fix this morning," Harry said awkwardly as Hermione sniffled. "I couldn't just let him run around the school! He'd have hurt someone, or someone might have hurt him! As it was, I only just stopped him from pouncing on Snape!"
Hermione lifted her head, her face blotchy from crying, and rubbed at her eyes impatiently. "How?"
"How what?"
"How did you stop a werewolf from attacking Snape?" Ron answered for Hermione, pulling her against him in a backwards hug. "Did you use that curse we learned yesterday?"
"No!" Harry exclaimed, horrified. "How could I hurt Reece like that, he's my friend!"
"Then what did you do?" Hermione asked, clearly confused.
Harry took a deep breath. He had to tell them about his Animagus form, there was no way around it. He opened his mouth to speak, just as several first years pounded down the stairs, clearly heading for breakfast. "Not here," Harry said. "I have to show you, but not here."
"Why not?" Hermione demanded.
There was an intense expression on Ron's face. "All right, then show us," Ron said, letting Hermione go. "There's an empty study hall down a ways, come on."
Hermione let herself be dragged along as the trio left the common room and headed wordlessly to a deserted room. Once there, Ron closed the door behind him and turned to Harry, arms crossed over his chest.
"Right," Harry said nervously. "Okay, remember how I said yesterday there wasn't anything else, anything important, that I hadn't told you?"
"Oh, Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. "What now?"
"Just... watch." Harry made sure his wand was in his pocket, then took a deep breath and changed into his Animagus form.
Hermione let out a tiny scream and jumped back. Ron went as white as a sheet and had to grab a nearby desk. "Bloody hell!"
Harry yipped, wagging his tail a little. If he could have frowned, he would have. His head was nearly at the level of Hermione's chest, and while she was shorter than Harry or Ron, she wasn't that tiny. How big was he?
"You're an Animagus!" Hermione said when she got her voice back. She waved her finger at him helplessly. "You're-- you're--"
"You're a bloody wolf!" Ron finished, stepping closer. "Is this how you stopped the werewolf? Being an Animagus like your dad and Sirius did with Remus?"
Harry tossed his head up and down. He'd known he was a dog-like animal, but he had never gotten around to looking at himself in a mirror. Whenever he changed into his Animagus form, what kind of animal he was seemed unimportant.
Hermione stepped closer. "Does it feel weird?" she asked, reaching out. She ran her hand over his head, and Harry was slightly disturbed at how good it felt to be petted. "Oh, how did you do it?"
"A good question," Ron said darkly.
Harry stopped wagging his tail and fixed Ron with a stare.
"Ron, he--"
"He's an Animagus!" Ron shouted. "It takes years and years of practice to become one, you're the one who's always going on about how long it took McGonagall to become an Animagus! Harry's suddenly one and he hasn't said a word to us?"
Harry shifted back to human form. "He's right here!" he said indignantly. Hermione snatched her hand back from Harry's hair as he shot to his feet. "You got something to ask me, then do so!"
"Fine!" Ron exclaimed. "How long have you been hiding this from us? The other stuff, I get, but this means you've been lying to us for years!"
"No, I have not!" Harry yelled. "Dumbledore gave me a book on Animagi on the first day of school, and I got it on my first time, that was only a few weeks ago. I haven't been lying to you to for years!"
"What?" Hermione asked. "Harry, no. You can't change into an Animagus in one try, it takes years and years to even be able to attempt the transformation!"
"Well, I did it in one," Harry snapped. "Dumbledore said it was just a matter of 'being one with your animal side' or some such rubbish. I just let..." He let his voice taper off, knowing how stupid this would sound. "I told you I had a bit of a wolf inside me, right? I just let that out."
Hermione's unblinking stare was starting to worry Harry. "Did you change into an Animagus last night?"
Harry nodded. "I had to track Reece, and I'd never be able to find his scent like this," he said, indicating his human body. "And it's good I did; I got to him just as he'd tracked Snape. I jumped Reece and made him submit."
"Made him submit," Hermione repeated, looking slightly ill. "Harry, he was the size of Buckbeak!"
"He wasn't that big," Harry rushed to say, not liking the alarm on Ron's face. "He's only as big as a small pony. Just a little one."
Ron sat abruptly on a desk. "When Hermione came back and told me, you know, last night," he said, not looking at Harry, "I thought I'd never see you again, that this time you weren't coming back."
"I couldn't just not go out there!" Harry said. "Reece might be a big monster one night a month, but he's just a little kid! He thinks like a kid, needs someone to protect him! In a real werewolf pack, he'd be protected by all the other wolves until he was grown up, that's what he told me. He's all alone here, and the teachers said they were going to protect him but they didn't! Someone poisoned the Wolfsbane potion, someone knocked Madam Pomfrey down and let Reece out of his cage and then stabbed him with a silver barb! How is that protection?"
"They did all that?" Ron said, appalled. "To that little kid?"
Harry nodded, his vision wavering in the corners from exhaustion. "I had to go after him and help him, no matter what." He buried his face in his hands for a long moment. "What would you do if it was Ginny? Wouldn't you do anything to protect her, even if it was something really stupid?"
"Yeah, I would," Ron snapped. "But Reece isn't your brother!"
"But he's kind of like me," Harry said, begging Ron silently to understand. "I was about the only person in the school who could have saved Reece last night without any bloodshed. I'm not sorry I did."
Hermione drifted over to Harry's side. "If it means anything, I think you did the right thing," she said.
Harry smiled faintly. "Yeah, it means a lot, thanks."
"I'm not saying he did the wrong thing," Ron said hotly. "I'm just worried he could have gotten hurt!"
"I'm always about five minutes away from certain death!" Harry exclaimed. "I had to do this!"
"I know you did!"
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
Hermione shook her head. "You two!" She caught Harry's arm. "You look horrible. Were you up all night?"
"Yeah," Harry muttered. "I should go get some breakfast, first. If I don't eat I think I'll die."
"We'll go with you," Hermione said, holding out a hand for Ron. "And then after breakfast you can give us the Animagus book."
"I couldn't tell you," Harry mumbled as Hermione and Ron pulled him from the room. "I mean, I could, but I didn't, and I just wanted it to be mine for a while, you know?"
Hermione patted his arm. "Because you were almost killed by a werewolf last night, I won't get mad at you, this time," she said. "Besides, since you already have done it, you can give us pointers."
"Yeah, it would be kind of cool, to be an Animagus," Ron said with a crooked grin. "Fred and George wouldn't know what hit them."
"Well, the first step is to read the incantation to change back, before you try to change in the first place," Harry said, the grumbling in his stomach chasing back the exhaustion slightly. "Paws can't turn pages."
"Oh, Harry!"
~*~
Harry ate platefuls of food, let Ron haul him back to their dorm, then collapsed into sleep for about five hours. He arose feeling like someone had used his body for bludger practice. After a shower, Harry slipped into some clean clothes and hurried to the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey let him through the door, giving him a very close look. "How do you feel?" was the first question out of her mouth.
"I'll live," Harry muttered. "Nothing's bleeding."
Madam Pomfrey nodded. "You come back here if those cuts don't heal completely by tomorrow morning," she said.
"Okay. Where's Reece?" Harry asked, getting right to the point of his visit. "Back in Hufflepuff?"
Madam Pomfrey pointed over at one of the large windows. "He says he's not going back, maybe you can talk to him."
Harry followed her finger. Reece, wearing a bathrobe, was curled up on the deep windowsill, staring out at the grounds. "Yeah, thanks," Harry said distractedly, already heading toward the boy.
Reece didn't make any indication that he knew Harry was there, but there was a flurry of movement and a cat poked its head out of the crook of Reece's arm to glare at Harry.
"Hey, Reece," Harry said, hoisting himself up onto the other end of the windowsill. "It's a nice day." The boy remained silent. "Is that your cat? Freya?"
Slowly, Reece looked down at the animal in his lap. "Yes," he whispered.
"She's looking good," Harry said, at a total loss of what to say. "How long has she been your cat?"
Reece rubbed the top of Freya's head with a finger, making the cat squeeze her eyes shut in feline ecstasy. "Two years. My mum's got a shed in the garden, and the neighbour's cat had kittens in it one winter. All of them died but Freya, and I got to keep her. She was the tiniest one, like me, but she's strong."
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Harry asked, sensing Reece wasn't yet ready to talk about the previous night.
"No, but I've got lots of cousins, and they're all huge like you," Reece said.
"Hey, I wasn't always this tall," Harry told him. "I was little when I was your age. I think the food here made me grow."
A ghost of a smile passed over the boy's face. "I like the food here. Especially the meat. Mum wants me to eat too many vegetables, and also chicken." The expression on Reece's face told Harry exactly what the boy thought about those foods.
Harry asked Reece what else he liked about school, drawing the boy into a conversation about Quidditch and classes. After a while, Freya twisted up off Reece's lap and stepped delicately across the windowsill to investigate Harry's robes.
Reece fell silent, watching his cat. "Am... Am I going to have to go home?" he finally asked in a tiny voice.
"What? No!" Harry exclaimed. "Who told you that?"
"No one," Reece said. His hands were clenched in the folds of his bathrobe. "They said I had to go in the cage so I wouldn't hurt anyone, but I got out."
"That's not it at all," Harry said vehemently. "Listen to me. Someone came in here and knocked out Madam Pomfrey and then stabbed you with that silver thing, do you remember that?"
Reece nodded. "It got all dark and I couldn't smell anyone, and then it hurt, then the cage door went open and I ran out to try and find them but all I could smell was Madam Pomfrey and the blood. It was light in the corridor, though, so I went there."
"You smelled that Madam Pomfrey was hurt?" Harry asked, confused. "How... why...."
"I'd never hurt her!" Reece exclaimed, looking very upset. "She's always nice to me and helps me, I'd never eat her!"
"Hey, I know that, I was just a bit mixed up," Harry said, putting his hand on Reece's thin shoulders. "The person who hurt Madam Pomfrey and you, he used a potion that can mask his scent. I couldn't smell him either when we got here." He waited until Reece calmed down. "I found you downstairs, do you remember that?"
"Uh huh." Reece subsided back into a miserable silence.
Why can't talking to children be like talking to adults? Harry thought in despair. "Do you remember tracking Professor Snape?" Another tiny nod. "Do you know why you did that?"
Reece licked his lips and pulled Freya back onto his lap. "You said he was teaching everyone a curse to hurt me," he whispered. "And he made me drink that icky potion that made me so sick. When I found him, I... I don't know. The potion and the silver made my head funny."
"It's okay," Harry said. "He's fine, you're fine, it's all over."
Reece sniffled loudly. "How did you do that?" he asked, looking up.
"Do what? Be like a wolf?" Harry asked.
"Yeah." Reece narrowed his eyes. "Is it one of those secret things I'll learn when I'm older? Dad and my Ulfric do that all the time. It's really dumb."
Harry grinned at the obvious annoyance. "I can't tell you right yet, but I promise you, it's all safe."
"Okay," Reece said, sounding as if it was anything but. "I, um, I didn't do anything else weird last night?"
"Nope," Harry said. "Well, you started looking at Hermione like she'd be good to eat, but luckily you stayed put."
Reece swung around, confused. "Hermione? Your friend, the Head Girl? It wasn't her."
Harry frowned. "What?"
"It was the lady behind her," Reece said, then blushed. "She smelled like she'd be tasty. At least, I think I was hungry."
Harry felt his mouth drop open. "You mean Tonks?" Oh my god! Tonks is.... Wait, she's Remus's girlfriend! Maybe Reece smelled Remus... okay, that's beyond weird! "She's an Auror, she's very good at protecting herself from being eaten," Harry cautioned. "Best steer clear."
"Okay," Reece muttered, relieved
"Boys?" Madam Pomfrey called from further down the infirmary. "Would you care to join me for tea?"
"Not hungry," Reece said quickly, going back to looking miserable.
"Not hungry?" Harry repeated, sliding off the ledge. "Man, I'm starving. Supper isn't for a few hours yet. Want to come keep me company?"
After a minute, Reece nodded slightly and climbed down, Freya rubbing up against his ankles. "So they're not going to make me go home?" Reece asked.
"No way," Harry said decisively. "You did a good job last night."
"I almost ate Professor Snape," Reece pointed out.
Exactly what I mean. "But you didn't, and that's what counts, right?" Harry said out loud, a big smile on his face. Reece rolled his eyes.
~*~
Harry knocked on Dumbledore's office door, feeling slightly ill. He'd eaten well at his late tea with Madam Pomfrey and Reece, then managed to stuff so much food in his mouth at supper that Ron had told him to leave some for everyone else.
I really got to stop doing this to myself, Harry thought as the door swung open.
Dumbledore was seated behind his desk, frowning down at his desk. As Harry took a chair, he saw that Dumbledore was examining the Marauders' Map.
"See anything interesting?" Harry asked, wincing as his bruised hip hit the edge of the seat.
Dumbledore traced a pair of tiny dots on the map. "Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley appear to be sequestering themselves in an empty classroom."
Harry blanked his features and gave Dumbledore empty eyes. "You know how teenagers are," he said.
"Especially ones with Animagi books," Dumbledore said dryly.
"Them too." Harry leaned back in his chair. "Can we just skip all the fun stuff and get right to what happened last night?"
"If you wish." Dumbledore put the map to the side. "Madam Pomfrey tells me that Mr. Trevelyan is back in his dorm, after an afternoon talk with you."
"Yeah, he was pretty freaked out," Harry said. "He didn't see who shot him, or opened the cage. It was dark. But he did say that he smelled that Madam Pomfrey was hurt and he didn't go eat her."
"So it would seem," Dumbledore said, steepling his fingers in front of his chin. "Yet he tracked Professor Snape."
"Only because Snape gave him that potion that made him sick," Harry interrupted. "But you don't know what Reece would have done in any case, I stopped him. No one got hurt."
"No one except you." Dumbledore's gaze was piercing. "How exactly did you do that?"
Harry stared. "You gave me that Animagus book, remember? I thought you wanted me to become an Animagus."
Dumbledore sat up, visibly startled. "Are you meaning to tell me that you have mastered the Animagus transformation?"
"Well, yeah," Harry said. "That's how I followed Reece like I did. Snape saw me. I thought Snape would have told you."
"No, he did not," Dumbledore said, sinking back into his chair. "Curious. Although," he said, regaining his humour, "Not as surprising as you mastering such highly advanced magic in less than a month."
"Yeah, well." Harry pulled one leg up onto the chair, to ease the pressure on his hip. "I know that Animagi are supposed to register with the Ministry, but... I mean, you're not going to make me?"
Dumbledore sighed. "As much as I dislike advocating a flagrant disregard for our laws, Harry, there are sometimes when decisions have to be made. At this point, you have an advantage that might help you in the long term."
Harry turned that over in his head. "So I don't have to register?"
"No, Harry," Dumbledore said, smiling tiredly. "Not yet."
"Okay." Harry looked around the office, at the portraits that were feigning disinterest in the conversation. "Hey, where's Fawkes?"
"He is off on one of his many flights," Dumbledore said, rising. "He enjoyed a good moonlight flight through the Forbidden Forest on occasion."
"Who wouldn't?" Harry said. When had he gotten into the habit of small talk with the Headmaster? Maybe when he needed a chance to regain his thoughts.
Dumbledore pulled a thin book off one of the many bookshelves in the room and returned to his desk. "Shall we return to the matter of last night?"
Harry sat up straighter. "I don't suppose anyone else saw anything strange last night?" he asked. "Anyone running from the infirmary?"
"No. I have questioned all the portraits, the house elves, the ghosts... not a one saw a thing out of the ordinary."
"So maybe it wasn't out of the ordinary!" Harry exclaimed. "If they thought the person was supposed to be there, then it'd be normal, right? It happened before curfew, so there were probably a million people roaming the halls."
"But not a million people who could have substituted ingredients in Professor Snape's potion stores," Dumbledore said. "My enquiries continue."
"Who?" Harry asked immediately. "Who are you looking at?"
"I am afraid that I am unable to divulge that at this time."
"What?" Harry shot to his feet. "Reece may be in danger and you're just sitting here?"
"What would you do if I told you names?" Dumbledore asked mildly, as if Harry wasn't looming over his desk. "How would you determine the guilty party?"
"But this is Reece!" Harry shouted. "He's just a little kid and he needs someone to protect him!"
"Yes, he does," Dumbledore said quietly. "Please, Harry, sit down."
Fury writhing in his chest, Harry unclenched his fingers from the desk and forced himself to sit down. "So you think you know who did this?"
"I have suspicions that would narrow the field," Dumbledore corrected. "The method behind making the Wolfsbane potion is not common knowledge, nor is the potion that masks a hunter's scent. Combined with those who have access to Professor Snape's stores, the group is not large."
"Plus someone who can see in the dark," Harry said unhappily. "And someone who hates werewolves."
"Not necessarily." Dumbledore glanced back at the Marauders' Map. "There was something you said this morning, Harry, that made me wonder. If the purpose was to harm Mr. Trevelyan, then why injure him slightly then let him loose? Why not finish him off in the cage? What could be more dangerous than an injured and enraged werewolf?"
Harry stood up and paced around the office, anger boiling through him. "What are you talking about?"
"What if the intent was not to harm Mr. Trevelyan, but to harm another walking through Hogwarts' halls last night?"
"No," Harry said immediately. "What happened to Reece wasn't just collateral damage! He's not some kind of weapon, he's a child!"
"Nevertheless, it puts a very different spin on last night," Dumbledore said.
"Great!" Harry said sarcastically. "Just brilliant! That makes everything so much easier, doesn't it?" He knocked a small spindly instrument to the ground accidentally, and the tinkling sound as it broke was enough to pull him back. "Oh, hell, I'm sorry."
As Harry bent to pick up the pieces, Dumbledore walked around the edge of the desk. "Never mind, it does not actually do anything," he said, pulling out his wand to repair the device. "I got it at a wizarding shop in Nepal, after an interesting vacation sightseeing the Yeti."
Harry propped his elbow up against a shelf and watched as Dumbledore used tiny flashes of magic to fix the knick-knack. "What are we going to do for Reece?" he asked quietly.
"We will keep doing what we have been," Dumbledore said, examining his handiwork. "And we will continue looking for who did serious injury to a student at this school and a member of its staff."
Harry looked up as the faint tendrils of phoenix song preceded Fawkes' flight. The glowing bird swooped down to the shelf beside Harry. Even the sight of the phoenix gave Harry strength.
"So, what are we going to do next moon?" Harry asked as he went back to his chair. "Is Reece going to go back into his cage? Or are you going to stick him out in the Shrieking Shack?"
"Considering what happened this month, I would not put Mr. Trevelyan so far away from assistance." Dumbledore placed the repaired object back in its place.
"I want to be involved in whatever you decide," Harry said suddenly. "Reece is going to need all the help he can get, he's pretty freaked out about what happened."
"Indeed." Dumbledore pointed his wand at a nearby cabinet. Moments later, a teapot and two cups floated out toward the desk. "Would you like tea?"
"Sure," Harry said. "Hey, are the Aurors asking any questions about last night? Did they hear anything odd?"
"They did not," Dumbledore said as he handed a teacup to Harry. "But that reminds me. Have you written to Remus Lupin about what happened to you in St. Louis?"
Harry froze, the teacup halfway to his lips. "No, I haven't," he said, then made himself take a sip. "I figured maybe when I saw him, you know, at Christmas."
"Why not before?"
Harry whirled his cup around, seeing the tiny tea leaf dregs move sluggishly. Wonder what Trelawney would see in my future today? "Because I don't know how to tell him that I'm not a werewolf, that I'm..." Harry made a face and set his cup down. "That I'm sort of a wolf, that my mum had a vampire father? Or that I got myself in such a mess?"
"You do not give him as much credit as I believe he deserves," Dumbledore said. "However much respect I have for your wishes, I suspect your timeline has been turned on its head."
"Huh?" Harry asked, blinking owlishly.
"Auror Nymphadora Tonks," Dumbledore clarified.
Oh, shit! Harry dropped his head into his hands. "Tonks saw me hurt last night, with Reece... she's going to think I'm going to be a werewolf! She can't tell Remus that!"
"She is not able to contact Remus at this point, Harry," Dumbledore said. "He is in the middle of a very dangerous task for the Order of the Phoenix, with Voldemort's allies stirring as they are. I am afraid that no owl can reach him."
Harry slumped down in relief. "Oh, good."
"He needs to know," Dumbledore chided gently. "He deserves to hear it from you."
"Probably, but when have I ever done anything like that right?" Harry asked, not trying to mask the bitterness in his voice. He suddenly missed Sirius terribly. He'd think this was funny, could make Remus understand. "Can... do you think I can ask Tonks not to tell him?"
"You can ask her anything you like," Dumbledore said, rising. "Unless there is anything else, Harry, I will have to ask you to leave. There are things to which I must attend."
"Not unless you have anything else on the creeps who hurt Reece," Harry said, getting to his feet. "They can't do this again."
"They will not," Dumbledore said, power stirring in his eyes. "Not while Mr. Trevelyan is under the protection of this school."
Later, when Harry was standing back in the corridor, he remembered that Dumbledore's protection hadn't ever worked too well for Harry himself at Hogwarts. Then, before he depressed himself further, he headed back to Gryffindor to see how far Ron and Hermione had gotten on their Animagus work.
The question of why hadn't Snape mentioned to Dumbledore that Harry was an illegal Animagus plagued him all the way back to the tower.
... to be continued
Friending: If you want to be added to my lj as a friend, drop me a comment saying that specifically. Very very little is f-locked around here, and no fic ever is.
Comments to fics: Wow, you guys like to talk! I'm having to implement a little change to my unofficial commenting policy. If you drop me a note to say "I like the chapter" or something similar, I may not respond. But take heed! I read them all and love you all too! Discussion comments will still invoke responses and discussions.
Now, to fic. The title is indicative, yes/no?
Inevitable Fifty-Nine: Before The Storm
by Mhalachai
Disclaimer: Laurell K. Hamilton owns all things Anita Blake. J.K. Rowling owns all things Harry Potter. Only the story is my own.
Note: This is a weird chapter. It's almost 7,000 words long and it feels really short, at least to me. Does it feel that way to you?
Previous parts here.
Harry let his head fall back against the bars of the cage. He was so tired he thought was going to die. Who'd have thought that playing with an adolescent werewolf all night would be so exhausting?
Turning his head slight, Harry looked at Reece's sleeping form. The boy had shifted back to human as soon as the sun had risen, and had collapsed in a heap without so much as uttering a word.
Harry knew that he should probably call to whoever was in the infirmary, to let them out, but he took the stillness to rest. It was the first opportunity he'd had to relax since Dumbledore had closed the cage door on Harry and Reece. Harry had used every trick he knew to entertain Reece; turning his own shoes into rabbits, flying paper angels, anything to distract Reece from the fact that they were stuck in a magically reinforced cage that was really too small for a werewolf.
Next month, this is going to change, Wolfsbane portion or not, Harry promised.
The cold metal of the cage dug into Harry's bare back, impossible to ignore. He made himself sit forward, swearing quietly at the pain in his chest. The claw marks that ran down the length of his torso weren't healing as well as Harry had expected, and the movement split open one of more stubborn slashes.
"You'll live," Harry muttered to himself as he stood up. The blood rushed out of his head and he wobbled dangerously for a moment before the world evened out and he could walk across the floor of the cage. A quick "Alohomora" and the door swung open.
Harry staggered out along the edge of the cage to grab the boy's robe. He supposed he could have used magic to summon the covering, but after more than a day without sleep, Harry's memory on the magical incantation was a bit fuzzy.
Can't sleep yet. Got more work to do, find out who did this to Reece, Harry thought as he re-entered the cage. He cleaned up the shifter liquid with a flick of his wand, not sure if he used the spell to banish liquid or dry it up. Shaking out the robe, Harry took a moment to look at Reece's hip, where he'd been injured. An angry pink welt still marked the pale skin.
Only silver would leave a mark like that after he shifted back, Harry thought grimly, draping the black robe over the sleeping boy. What kind of monster would shoot a little kid with a silver barb like that?
Making sure his wand was stowed away neatly in his pocket, Harry picked up the child, his sleeping body an awkward dead weight. Somehow, Harry managed to avoid falling over or dropping Reece as he made his way out of the cage toward the slightly ajar door, behind which he could hear muffled voices.
The voices stopped when Harry pushed his way into the infirmary. Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall huddled at the far end of the room, and they all looked over as Harry made a beeline for the beds.
"Is he all right?" Madam Pomfrey asked, hurrying over. She helped Harry lay Reece down on one of the beds, then pushed the boy's hair back from his worn face.
"Shifted back just fine," Harry said, wincing as a bit of the fabric from Reece's robe stuck against his chest. He peeled the cloth away as gently as he could. "The wound in his hip isn't healed completely, though."
"I'll take a look at it, then I'll deal with you," Madam Pomfrey said sternly, looking at Harry's chest with a professional eye. "I should have handled those for you last night."
"I had my hands full," Harry said, smiling wearily at her. "Are you okay? You looked bad last night."
Madam Pomfrey waved her hand abruptly. "Scalp wounds always bleed too much, look worse than they are," she said.
Harry stifled a yawn. "I'm going to go over there," he said, forestalling any comment from the matron as he stumbled toward an empty bed nearby. Reece was in good hands now, it was highly unlikely that anyone would hurt him for a bit, which meant that maybe, just maybe, Harry could rest for a while.
Or not, Harry thought, biting back an exclamation as he tried to lie down. The pain in his chest, along with the various bruises along his back and side, made standing seem like a much more attractive idea. I suppose I can sleep standing up if I need to.
The sound of approaching footsteps penetrated the haze around Harry's head, making him blink hard and raise his head. Dumbledore stood in front of him, McGonagall at his side. Harry dimly wondered where Snape had gone, then decided that he didn't care.
"Mr. Potter, how are you feeling?" McGonagall asked briskly.
Harry managed to raise hand to give her the thumb's-up sign. "Ready for anything," Harry lied. Then he blinked. "Do we have Quidditch today? 'Cause I don't know if I can do Quidditch today."
"I'm sure that your house Quidditch practice can be postponed," Dumbledore said. "Minerva, would you please excuse us?"
Reluctantly, McGonagall gave Harry one last steely-eyed glare before leaving.
Dumbledore blinked down at Harry, looking strangely tired all of a sudden. "Do you have any injuries besides the visible?"
Harry glanced past Dumbledore to Reece's bed, where Madam Pomfrey was pulling the quilt up over the unconscious child. "Well no one's stabbed me with silver," Harry said. "Or gave me a potion that made me throw up, or set me loose on a school full of children, so all in all I think I'm pretty okay."
"So you are not injured."
Why was Dumbledore repeating the same questions? "I'll be fine! I can't say the same for Reece! Whoever did this to Reece knew there was a werewolf in here! Someone who let him out, who hurt him with silver! Do you know who it is yet?"
"No."
"Why not?" Harry asked, cold anger waking him up. "You've been out here all night. The infirmary is full of portraits, watching. Didn't anyone see who knocked out Madam Pomfrey or let Reece out?"
"They did not," Dumbledore told him. "Magic was used to darken the room before Madam Pomfrey was attacked. As for Mr. Trevelyan, we will have to wait for him to awaken before we can question what he saw."
Harry concentrated on breathing in and out through his nose, trying to calm himself. Concentrate on Reece, don't let anger get in your way. "Who knows Reece is a werewolf?" he asked when he could speak.
"Very few," Dumbledore said. "But I fear that it is not as simple as that."
Harry waited.
"While the identity of Mr. Trevelyan may have been unknown, someone knew that Professor Snape was brewing a batch of the Wolfsbane potion. Certain of his ingredients have been contaminated, but only the ones involved in the potion."
Keeping his voice even, to avoid screaming, Harry said, "So whoever did this was trying to poison Reece? When that failed, they decided to go riddling him with silver?"
"We do not know that Mr. Trevelyan was the target."
Harry's eyebrows went up and he crossed his arms over his chest, ignoring the stinging pain. "It looks pretty targeted. Poisoning the potion? Using silver shot to hurt him? Opening the cage and letting him loose?" Harry stopped himself mid-diatribe. "Wait, how did they open the cage and not get eaten?"
"There was traces of a time-delayed spell on the lock," Dumbledore said. "Whoever it was, would have been able to get away before the cage opened."
Harry frowned. "Something's wrong. Even if the room was dark, Reece would have been able to track them, especially if they hurt like that. And why didn't he do anything to Madam Pomfrey?" The weary expression on Dumbledore's face alerted Harry. "What now?"
"Professor Slughorn has examined the school's potion stores, and he is missing ingredients to make a potion to mask a wizard's scent. It is an old potion, used in the days of dragon hunting, but it has not been taught at Hogwarts in many years."
Harry looked over at Reece. "So, the mystery attacker messes up the Wolfsbane potion, coats himself in a scent mask, makes the room dark, attacks Madam Pomfrey, hurts Reece, then unlocks the cage and leaves, not minding if Reece would stop to eat Madam Pomfrey on the way out of the room?"
Someone with lots of potion knowledge, Harry thought darkly. Snape hates werewolves, maybe-- Harry shook his head. No, that's not it! Snape smelled like Snape the second I picked up his trail, why would he let out a werewolf that would then attack him?
"What are you thinking, Harry?" Dumbledore asked.
Harry focused on the Headmaster. "Can you wipe that scent thing off?"
Although Dumbledore's expression didn't change, Harry suspected he wasn't fooled. "No. It is a draught, blocking the scent of the drinker until it leaves the bloodstream, lasting several hours."
"Oh." Damn. "If someone's trying to hurt Reece, he needs someone to watch him; when he's unconsciously like this he'll be dead to the world for hours. I can--"
"Madam Pomfrey will be quite capable of protecting Mr. Trevelyan," Dumbledore interrupted. "Additionally, Professor Flitwick will be examining the charm on the lock, to see if he recognizes the pattern."
Harry ran that over in his head. "That should be okay," he finally said.
Madam Pomfrey came over, carrying a tray of salves and bandages. "Can't this wait until after Mr. Potter has slept?" she asked Dumbledore, prodding Harry to lie down.
"It can," Dumbledore said. "Come to see me this evening, Harry. The password to my office is 'Thyme'."
"Yeah," Harry muttered. "Oh, sir!"
Dumbledore turned around. "Yes?"
"Who was supposed to be out patrolling the corridors last night?"
"Why do you ask?" Dumbledore asked with a frown.
"What if they saw something? How many Aurors are around?"
Dumbledore didn't answer. "I'll see you tonight, Harry," he said as he sped from the room.
"But... Ouch!" Harry exclaimed as Madam Pomfrey began to clean the slashes on his chest. "That hurts!"
Unimpressed, Madam Pomfrey handed Harry a vial of amber liquid. "Drink this."
"What is it?" Harry asked, uncapping the vial and giving it a sniff.
"A painkiller," she said. "Drink."
Harry tipped the vial down his throat, managing not to gag at the bitter taste. "You should add sugar," he said when he stopped making faces.
Madam Pomfrey plucked the vial from his fingers. "Hold still, then we'll get you a bed."
"No, I have to go back to the common room," Harry said, staring up at the ceiling as the matron worked. "People will start to talk and--" He bolted up. "Oh no, Hermione! She went back to the tower last night, I didn't tell her--"
Madam Pomfrey pushed Harry down. "Miss Granger will be fine," she said. "If you insist on going back to the tower, I cannot stop you."
"Good," Harry said, glowering.
"However, when you wake up, I want you to come back here so we can check on these wounds." She smoothed a bandage against his chest. "We will also have to discuss what's going to happen to you now."
"What do you mean?"
Madam Pomfrey busied herself in tidying up her tray. "You have another month, but some of the signs may begin to show sooner."
Harry stared at her. The exhaustion made it hard to think, to pull together what she was talking about, but he finally understood. "Wait, you think I'm going to be a werewolf?" he exclaimed, sitting up. "No, you don't understand--"
"The infection would have begun the second you received your injuries," Madam Pomfrey said. "There's no changing that now. All I ask is that if you choose to blame young Mr. Trevelyan, do not approach him, he has been through quite enough."
"I'm not going to blame Reece," Harry said, not sure how to explain it to her without spilling any of his many secrets. "I'm not going to be a werewolf!"
Madam Pomfrey handed him a clean shirt. "Go get some sleep, Mr. Potter," she said gently. "We will discuss this later."
I'm not going to be a werewolf! Harry thought indignantly. And as if I'd blame Reece for it, anyway! I didn't blame Richard for what he did, and that hurt a hell of a lot more!
Yanking the shirt over his head, Harry slipped off the bed and padded over to Reece's cot. The boy looked so tiny when he was asleep, almost frail, nothing like the enormous and powerful wolf the previous night.
"I bet you'll give Richard a run for his money when you're older," Harry muttered before turning away.
Leaving the infirmary sapped Harry's energy, and he stumbled along for a few feet before registering the black shape up ahead. He pulled himself to a stop, putting a hand against the wall to avoid tripping.
"Mr. Potter," Snape said in a voice full of barely contained anger. "Once again the hero."
"What are you talking about?" Harry demanded.
"Running all over the school in the dark, wrestling werewolves?" Snape slowly stalked toward Harry, black robes billowing in an overly dramatic manner. "You're going to come to a sticky end, one day, just like your father."
Harry drew himself up to his full height, and was startled to see he was almost on eye level with Snape. "If I do have to die, I'd rather go out like my father," Harry spat. "Is there something you wanted?"
"Is there something you wanted, Sir?"
"There's no one around, no need to call me sir," Harry said without thinking.
Snape advanced on Harry, loathing and hatred boiling just below the surface visible in his eyes. "You'll be singing a different tune in a month, boy," he hissed before whirling around and storming off.
Harry was tempted to call after Snape, to tell the man Harry was glad to have saved his life from the werewolf the previous night, but Harry held his tongue.
He didn't want Snape owing him a damn thing.
The Fat Lady gave him a strange look as she wordlessly opened the portrait to Gryffindor Tower. Harry's foot caught on the edge of the hole and he stumbled his way into the room. It was still rather early for a Saturday, and the common room looked empty. Harry had some vague idea about going up and falling into his bed, when someone popped up off a couch. "Harry?"
"Ron?" Harry said thickly. "Why're you down here?"
The redhead pushed his hair back out of his face, making it stick straight up. "Why do you think?" he said, bending over. "Hermione, wake up, he's here."
"What?" Hermione squeaked, sitting up. She caught sight of Harry, and her eyes grew wide. "Oh!"
Harry steeled himself for the lecture, the chastisements that he knew were coming, as Hermione jumped up off the couch, her school robes crumbled as if she'd slept in them, and dashed over to Harry to throw her arms around him in a tight hug.
"McGonagall said you were going to be okay, but she wouldn't tell me what happened!" Hermione said, her face buried against Harry's chest. "All I saw was the werewolf and you were bleeding and I didn't know--"
"Hey, it's okay, Hermione," Harry said, putting his arms around his trembling friend. "I'm fine, Reece is fine, Madam Pomfrey is up and around." Hermione squeezed him a little tighter. "No one got eaten, everything's fine."
He had meant the last bit to be a joke, but upon hearing it, Hermione burst into tears. Harry looked helplessly at Ron, who was hovering nearby. "How bad were you hurt?" Ron asked as he laid a steadying hand on Hermione's back.
"Reece got in a good swipe, but nothing that Madam Pomfrey couldn't fix this morning," Harry said awkwardly as Hermione sniffled. "I couldn't just let him run around the school! He'd have hurt someone, or someone might have hurt him! As it was, I only just stopped him from pouncing on Snape!"
Hermione lifted her head, her face blotchy from crying, and rubbed at her eyes impatiently. "How?"
"How what?"
"How did you stop a werewolf from attacking Snape?" Ron answered for Hermione, pulling her against him in a backwards hug. "Did you use that curse we learned yesterday?"
"No!" Harry exclaimed, horrified. "How could I hurt Reece like that, he's my friend!"
"Then what did you do?" Hermione asked, clearly confused.
Harry took a deep breath. He had to tell them about his Animagus form, there was no way around it. He opened his mouth to speak, just as several first years pounded down the stairs, clearly heading for breakfast. "Not here," Harry said. "I have to show you, but not here."
"Why not?" Hermione demanded.
There was an intense expression on Ron's face. "All right, then show us," Ron said, letting Hermione go. "There's an empty study hall down a ways, come on."
Hermione let herself be dragged along as the trio left the common room and headed wordlessly to a deserted room. Once there, Ron closed the door behind him and turned to Harry, arms crossed over his chest.
"Right," Harry said nervously. "Okay, remember how I said yesterday there wasn't anything else, anything important, that I hadn't told you?"
"Oh, Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. "What now?"
"Just... watch." Harry made sure his wand was in his pocket, then took a deep breath and changed into his Animagus form.
Hermione let out a tiny scream and jumped back. Ron went as white as a sheet and had to grab a nearby desk. "Bloody hell!"
Harry yipped, wagging his tail a little. If he could have frowned, he would have. His head was nearly at the level of Hermione's chest, and while she was shorter than Harry or Ron, she wasn't that tiny. How big was he?
"You're an Animagus!" Hermione said when she got her voice back. She waved her finger at him helplessly. "You're-- you're--"
"You're a bloody wolf!" Ron finished, stepping closer. "Is this how you stopped the werewolf? Being an Animagus like your dad and Sirius did with Remus?"
Harry tossed his head up and down. He'd known he was a dog-like animal, but he had never gotten around to looking at himself in a mirror. Whenever he changed into his Animagus form, what kind of animal he was seemed unimportant.
Hermione stepped closer. "Does it feel weird?" she asked, reaching out. She ran her hand over his head, and Harry was slightly disturbed at how good it felt to be petted. "Oh, how did you do it?"
"A good question," Ron said darkly.
Harry stopped wagging his tail and fixed Ron with a stare.
"Ron, he--"
"He's an Animagus!" Ron shouted. "It takes years and years of practice to become one, you're the one who's always going on about how long it took McGonagall to become an Animagus! Harry's suddenly one and he hasn't said a word to us?"
Harry shifted back to human form. "He's right here!" he said indignantly. Hermione snatched her hand back from Harry's hair as he shot to his feet. "You got something to ask me, then do so!"
"Fine!" Ron exclaimed. "How long have you been hiding this from us? The other stuff, I get, but this means you've been lying to us for years!"
"No, I have not!" Harry yelled. "Dumbledore gave me a book on Animagi on the first day of school, and I got it on my first time, that was only a few weeks ago. I haven't been lying to you to for years!"
"What?" Hermione asked. "Harry, no. You can't change into an Animagus in one try, it takes years and years to even be able to attempt the transformation!"
"Well, I did it in one," Harry snapped. "Dumbledore said it was just a matter of 'being one with your animal side' or some such rubbish. I just let..." He let his voice taper off, knowing how stupid this would sound. "I told you I had a bit of a wolf inside me, right? I just let that out."
Hermione's unblinking stare was starting to worry Harry. "Did you change into an Animagus last night?"
Harry nodded. "I had to track Reece, and I'd never be able to find his scent like this," he said, indicating his human body. "And it's good I did; I got to him just as he'd tracked Snape. I jumped Reece and made him submit."
"Made him submit," Hermione repeated, looking slightly ill. "Harry, he was the size of Buckbeak!"
"He wasn't that big," Harry rushed to say, not liking the alarm on Ron's face. "He's only as big as a small pony. Just a little one."
Ron sat abruptly on a desk. "When Hermione came back and told me, you know, last night," he said, not looking at Harry, "I thought I'd never see you again, that this time you weren't coming back."
"I couldn't just not go out there!" Harry said. "Reece might be a big monster one night a month, but he's just a little kid! He thinks like a kid, needs someone to protect him! In a real werewolf pack, he'd be protected by all the other wolves until he was grown up, that's what he told me. He's all alone here, and the teachers said they were going to protect him but they didn't! Someone poisoned the Wolfsbane potion, someone knocked Madam Pomfrey down and let Reece out of his cage and then stabbed him with a silver barb! How is that protection?"
"They did all that?" Ron said, appalled. "To that little kid?"
Harry nodded, his vision wavering in the corners from exhaustion. "I had to go after him and help him, no matter what." He buried his face in his hands for a long moment. "What would you do if it was Ginny? Wouldn't you do anything to protect her, even if it was something really stupid?"
"Yeah, I would," Ron snapped. "But Reece isn't your brother!"
"But he's kind of like me," Harry said, begging Ron silently to understand. "I was about the only person in the school who could have saved Reece last night without any bloodshed. I'm not sorry I did."
Hermione drifted over to Harry's side. "If it means anything, I think you did the right thing," she said.
Harry smiled faintly. "Yeah, it means a lot, thanks."
"I'm not saying he did the wrong thing," Ron said hotly. "I'm just worried he could have gotten hurt!"
"I'm always about five minutes away from certain death!" Harry exclaimed. "I had to do this!"
"I know you did!"
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
Hermione shook her head. "You two!" She caught Harry's arm. "You look horrible. Were you up all night?"
"Yeah," Harry muttered. "I should go get some breakfast, first. If I don't eat I think I'll die."
"We'll go with you," Hermione said, holding out a hand for Ron. "And then after breakfast you can give us the Animagus book."
"I couldn't tell you," Harry mumbled as Hermione and Ron pulled him from the room. "I mean, I could, but I didn't, and I just wanted it to be mine for a while, you know?"
Hermione patted his arm. "Because you were almost killed by a werewolf last night, I won't get mad at you, this time," she said. "Besides, since you already have done it, you can give us pointers."
"Yeah, it would be kind of cool, to be an Animagus," Ron said with a crooked grin. "Fred and George wouldn't know what hit them."
"Well, the first step is to read the incantation to change back, before you try to change in the first place," Harry said, the grumbling in his stomach chasing back the exhaustion slightly. "Paws can't turn pages."
"Oh, Harry!"
Harry ate platefuls of food, let Ron haul him back to their dorm, then collapsed into sleep for about five hours. He arose feeling like someone had used his body for bludger practice. After a shower, Harry slipped into some clean clothes and hurried to the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey let him through the door, giving him a very close look. "How do you feel?" was the first question out of her mouth.
"I'll live," Harry muttered. "Nothing's bleeding."
Madam Pomfrey nodded. "You come back here if those cuts don't heal completely by tomorrow morning," she said.
"Okay. Where's Reece?" Harry asked, getting right to the point of his visit. "Back in Hufflepuff?"
Madam Pomfrey pointed over at one of the large windows. "He says he's not going back, maybe you can talk to him."
Harry followed her finger. Reece, wearing a bathrobe, was curled up on the deep windowsill, staring out at the grounds. "Yeah, thanks," Harry said distractedly, already heading toward the boy.
Reece didn't make any indication that he knew Harry was there, but there was a flurry of movement and a cat poked its head out of the crook of Reece's arm to glare at Harry.
"Hey, Reece," Harry said, hoisting himself up onto the other end of the windowsill. "It's a nice day." The boy remained silent. "Is that your cat? Freya?"
Slowly, Reece looked down at the animal in his lap. "Yes," he whispered.
"She's looking good," Harry said, at a total loss of what to say. "How long has she been your cat?"
Reece rubbed the top of Freya's head with a finger, making the cat squeeze her eyes shut in feline ecstasy. "Two years. My mum's got a shed in the garden, and the neighbour's cat had kittens in it one winter. All of them died but Freya, and I got to keep her. She was the tiniest one, like me, but she's strong."
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Harry asked, sensing Reece wasn't yet ready to talk about the previous night.
"No, but I've got lots of cousins, and they're all huge like you," Reece said.
"Hey, I wasn't always this tall," Harry told him. "I was little when I was your age. I think the food here made me grow."
A ghost of a smile passed over the boy's face. "I like the food here. Especially the meat. Mum wants me to eat too many vegetables, and also chicken." The expression on Reece's face told Harry exactly what the boy thought about those foods.
Harry asked Reece what else he liked about school, drawing the boy into a conversation about Quidditch and classes. After a while, Freya twisted up off Reece's lap and stepped delicately across the windowsill to investigate Harry's robes.
Reece fell silent, watching his cat. "Am... Am I going to have to go home?" he finally asked in a tiny voice.
"What? No!" Harry exclaimed. "Who told you that?"
"No one," Reece said. His hands were clenched in the folds of his bathrobe. "They said I had to go in the cage so I wouldn't hurt anyone, but I got out."
"That's not it at all," Harry said vehemently. "Listen to me. Someone came in here and knocked out Madam Pomfrey and then stabbed you with that silver thing, do you remember that?"
Reece nodded. "It got all dark and I couldn't smell anyone, and then it hurt, then the cage door went open and I ran out to try and find them but all I could smell was Madam Pomfrey and the blood. It was light in the corridor, though, so I went there."
"You smelled that Madam Pomfrey was hurt?" Harry asked, confused. "How... why...."
"I'd never hurt her!" Reece exclaimed, looking very upset. "She's always nice to me and helps me, I'd never eat her!"
"Hey, I know that, I was just a bit mixed up," Harry said, putting his hand on Reece's thin shoulders. "The person who hurt Madam Pomfrey and you, he used a potion that can mask his scent. I couldn't smell him either when we got here." He waited until Reece calmed down. "I found you downstairs, do you remember that?"
"Uh huh." Reece subsided back into a miserable silence.
Why can't talking to children be like talking to adults? Harry thought in despair. "Do you remember tracking Professor Snape?" Another tiny nod. "Do you know why you did that?"
Reece licked his lips and pulled Freya back onto his lap. "You said he was teaching everyone a curse to hurt me," he whispered. "And he made me drink that icky potion that made me so sick. When I found him, I... I don't know. The potion and the silver made my head funny."
"It's okay," Harry said. "He's fine, you're fine, it's all over."
Reece sniffled loudly. "How did you do that?" he asked, looking up.
"Do what? Be like a wolf?" Harry asked.
"Yeah." Reece narrowed his eyes. "Is it one of those secret things I'll learn when I'm older? Dad and my Ulfric do that all the time. It's really dumb."
Harry grinned at the obvious annoyance. "I can't tell you right yet, but I promise you, it's all safe."
"Okay," Reece said, sounding as if it was anything but. "I, um, I didn't do anything else weird last night?"
"Nope," Harry said. "Well, you started looking at Hermione like she'd be good to eat, but luckily you stayed put."
Reece swung around, confused. "Hermione? Your friend, the Head Girl? It wasn't her."
Harry frowned. "What?"
"It was the lady behind her," Reece said, then blushed. "She smelled like she'd be tasty. At least, I think I was hungry."
Harry felt his mouth drop open. "You mean Tonks?" Oh my god! Tonks is.... Wait, she's Remus's girlfriend! Maybe Reece smelled Remus... okay, that's beyond weird! "She's an Auror, she's very good at protecting herself from being eaten," Harry cautioned. "Best steer clear."
"Okay," Reece muttered, relieved
"Boys?" Madam Pomfrey called from further down the infirmary. "Would you care to join me for tea?"
"Not hungry," Reece said quickly, going back to looking miserable.
"Not hungry?" Harry repeated, sliding off the ledge. "Man, I'm starving. Supper isn't for a few hours yet. Want to come keep me company?"
After a minute, Reece nodded slightly and climbed down, Freya rubbing up against his ankles. "So they're not going to make me go home?" Reece asked.
"No way," Harry said decisively. "You did a good job last night."
"I almost ate Professor Snape," Reece pointed out.
Exactly what I mean. "But you didn't, and that's what counts, right?" Harry said out loud, a big smile on his face. Reece rolled his eyes.
Harry knocked on Dumbledore's office door, feeling slightly ill. He'd eaten well at his late tea with Madam Pomfrey and Reece, then managed to stuff so much food in his mouth at supper that Ron had told him to leave some for everyone else.
I really got to stop doing this to myself, Harry thought as the door swung open.
Dumbledore was seated behind his desk, frowning down at his desk. As Harry took a chair, he saw that Dumbledore was examining the Marauders' Map.
"See anything interesting?" Harry asked, wincing as his bruised hip hit the edge of the seat.
Dumbledore traced a pair of tiny dots on the map. "Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley appear to be sequestering themselves in an empty classroom."
Harry blanked his features and gave Dumbledore empty eyes. "You know how teenagers are," he said.
"Especially ones with Animagi books," Dumbledore said dryly.
"Them too." Harry leaned back in his chair. "Can we just skip all the fun stuff and get right to what happened last night?"
"If you wish." Dumbledore put the map to the side. "Madam Pomfrey tells me that Mr. Trevelyan is back in his dorm, after an afternoon talk with you."
"Yeah, he was pretty freaked out," Harry said. "He didn't see who shot him, or opened the cage. It was dark. But he did say that he smelled that Madam Pomfrey was hurt and he didn't go eat her."
"So it would seem," Dumbledore said, steepling his fingers in front of his chin. "Yet he tracked Professor Snape."
"Only because Snape gave him that potion that made him sick," Harry interrupted. "But you don't know what Reece would have done in any case, I stopped him. No one got hurt."
"No one except you." Dumbledore's gaze was piercing. "How exactly did you do that?"
Harry stared. "You gave me that Animagus book, remember? I thought you wanted me to become an Animagus."
Dumbledore sat up, visibly startled. "Are you meaning to tell me that you have mastered the Animagus transformation?"
"Well, yeah," Harry said. "That's how I followed Reece like I did. Snape saw me. I thought Snape would have told you."
"No, he did not," Dumbledore said, sinking back into his chair. "Curious. Although," he said, regaining his humour, "Not as surprising as you mastering such highly advanced magic in less than a month."
"Yeah, well." Harry pulled one leg up onto the chair, to ease the pressure on his hip. "I know that Animagi are supposed to register with the Ministry, but... I mean, you're not going to make me?"
Dumbledore sighed. "As much as I dislike advocating a flagrant disregard for our laws, Harry, there are sometimes when decisions have to be made. At this point, you have an advantage that might help you in the long term."
Harry turned that over in his head. "So I don't have to register?"
"No, Harry," Dumbledore said, smiling tiredly. "Not yet."
"Okay." Harry looked around the office, at the portraits that were feigning disinterest in the conversation. "Hey, where's Fawkes?"
"He is off on one of his many flights," Dumbledore said, rising. "He enjoyed a good moonlight flight through the Forbidden Forest on occasion."
"Who wouldn't?" Harry said. When had he gotten into the habit of small talk with the Headmaster? Maybe when he needed a chance to regain his thoughts.
Dumbledore pulled a thin book off one of the many bookshelves in the room and returned to his desk. "Shall we return to the matter of last night?"
Harry sat up straighter. "I don't suppose anyone else saw anything strange last night?" he asked. "Anyone running from the infirmary?"
"No. I have questioned all the portraits, the house elves, the ghosts... not a one saw a thing out of the ordinary."
"So maybe it wasn't out of the ordinary!" Harry exclaimed. "If they thought the person was supposed to be there, then it'd be normal, right? It happened before curfew, so there were probably a million people roaming the halls."
"But not a million people who could have substituted ingredients in Professor Snape's potion stores," Dumbledore said. "My enquiries continue."
"Who?" Harry asked immediately. "Who are you looking at?"
"I am afraid that I am unable to divulge that at this time."
"What?" Harry shot to his feet. "Reece may be in danger and you're just sitting here?"
"What would you do if I told you names?" Dumbledore asked mildly, as if Harry wasn't looming over his desk. "How would you determine the guilty party?"
"But this is Reece!" Harry shouted. "He's just a little kid and he needs someone to protect him!"
"Yes, he does," Dumbledore said quietly. "Please, Harry, sit down."
Fury writhing in his chest, Harry unclenched his fingers from the desk and forced himself to sit down. "So you think you know who did this?"
"I have suspicions that would narrow the field," Dumbledore corrected. "The method behind making the Wolfsbane potion is not common knowledge, nor is the potion that masks a hunter's scent. Combined with those who have access to Professor Snape's stores, the group is not large."
"Plus someone who can see in the dark," Harry said unhappily. "And someone who hates werewolves."
"Not necessarily." Dumbledore glanced back at the Marauders' Map. "There was something you said this morning, Harry, that made me wonder. If the purpose was to harm Mr. Trevelyan, then why injure him slightly then let him loose? Why not finish him off in the cage? What could be more dangerous than an injured and enraged werewolf?"
Harry stood up and paced around the office, anger boiling through him. "What are you talking about?"
"What if the intent was not to harm Mr. Trevelyan, but to harm another walking through Hogwarts' halls last night?"
"No," Harry said immediately. "What happened to Reece wasn't just collateral damage! He's not some kind of weapon, he's a child!"
"Nevertheless, it puts a very different spin on last night," Dumbledore said.
"Great!" Harry said sarcastically. "Just brilliant! That makes everything so much easier, doesn't it?" He knocked a small spindly instrument to the ground accidentally, and the tinkling sound as it broke was enough to pull him back. "Oh, hell, I'm sorry."
As Harry bent to pick up the pieces, Dumbledore walked around the edge of the desk. "Never mind, it does not actually do anything," he said, pulling out his wand to repair the device. "I got it at a wizarding shop in Nepal, after an interesting vacation sightseeing the Yeti."
Harry propped his elbow up against a shelf and watched as Dumbledore used tiny flashes of magic to fix the knick-knack. "What are we going to do for Reece?" he asked quietly.
"We will keep doing what we have been," Dumbledore said, examining his handiwork. "And we will continue looking for who did serious injury to a student at this school and a member of its staff."
Harry looked up as the faint tendrils of phoenix song preceded Fawkes' flight. The glowing bird swooped down to the shelf beside Harry. Even the sight of the phoenix gave Harry strength.
"So, what are we going to do next moon?" Harry asked as he went back to his chair. "Is Reece going to go back into his cage? Or are you going to stick him out in the Shrieking Shack?"
"Considering what happened this month, I would not put Mr. Trevelyan so far away from assistance." Dumbledore placed the repaired object back in its place.
"I want to be involved in whatever you decide," Harry said suddenly. "Reece is going to need all the help he can get, he's pretty freaked out about what happened."
"Indeed." Dumbledore pointed his wand at a nearby cabinet. Moments later, a teapot and two cups floated out toward the desk. "Would you like tea?"
"Sure," Harry said. "Hey, are the Aurors asking any questions about last night? Did they hear anything odd?"
"They did not," Dumbledore said as he handed a teacup to Harry. "But that reminds me. Have you written to Remus Lupin about what happened to you in St. Louis?"
Harry froze, the teacup halfway to his lips. "No, I haven't," he said, then made himself take a sip. "I figured maybe when I saw him, you know, at Christmas."
"Why not before?"
Harry whirled his cup around, seeing the tiny tea leaf dregs move sluggishly. Wonder what Trelawney would see in my future today? "Because I don't know how to tell him that I'm not a werewolf, that I'm..." Harry made a face and set his cup down. "That I'm sort of a wolf, that my mum had a vampire father? Or that I got myself in such a mess?"
"You do not give him as much credit as I believe he deserves," Dumbledore said. "However much respect I have for your wishes, I suspect your timeline has been turned on its head."
"Huh?" Harry asked, blinking owlishly.
"Auror Nymphadora Tonks," Dumbledore clarified.
Oh, shit! Harry dropped his head into his hands. "Tonks saw me hurt last night, with Reece... she's going to think I'm going to be a werewolf! She can't tell Remus that!"
"She is not able to contact Remus at this point, Harry," Dumbledore said. "He is in the middle of a very dangerous task for the Order of the Phoenix, with Voldemort's allies stirring as they are. I am afraid that no owl can reach him."
Harry slumped down in relief. "Oh, good."
"He needs to know," Dumbledore chided gently. "He deserves to hear it from you."
"Probably, but when have I ever done anything like that right?" Harry asked, not trying to mask the bitterness in his voice. He suddenly missed Sirius terribly. He'd think this was funny, could make Remus understand. "Can... do you think I can ask Tonks not to tell him?"
"You can ask her anything you like," Dumbledore said, rising. "Unless there is anything else, Harry, I will have to ask you to leave. There are things to which I must attend."
"Not unless you have anything else on the creeps who hurt Reece," Harry said, getting to his feet. "They can't do this again."
"They will not," Dumbledore said, power stirring in his eyes. "Not while Mr. Trevelyan is under the protection of this school."
Later, when Harry was standing back in the corridor, he remembered that Dumbledore's protection hadn't ever worked too well for Harry himself at Hogwarts. Then, before he depressed himself further, he headed back to Gryffindor to see how far Ron and Hermione had gotten on their Animagus work.
The question of why hadn't Snape mentioned to Dumbledore that Harry was an illegal Animagus plagued him all the way back to the tower.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 02:18 am (UTC)i love how harry is being so protective of reese, like the responsible alpha he is. i have absolutely no guesses as to who could be the culprit, and am content to let you reveal it in your own times.
you are, however, teasing us with the remus confrontation - foiled once again!
i do wonder why snape didn't tell dumbledore about the animagus transformation... v.interesting. and the next full moon will be interesting, too, with even more people watching to see what happens to harry. i hope he can spend time with reese, though. the muffin.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 02:38 am (UTC)i do wonder why snape didn't tell dumbledore about the animagus transformation... v.interesting
v. i. indeed. What could Snape be hiding? *twirls evil moustache*
the muffin.
As long as he's a believable muffing (who might one day be bigger and scarier than Richard O_o)
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 02:36 am (UTC)More questions..
Who wants to hurt Snape, but what a great way to do it. Use a Werewolf.
I wonder what Slughorn's history with Snape is??
I wondered before about Reece's size as a werewolf relative to his size as a person, small.. his he a "small" werewolf?
Ron and Hermione FINALLY came around, but what happens when they don't become anamagi right away??
Harry is really like a big brother to Reece, right down to the eye rolls.. but I bet Reece will start bugging/hanging around with Harry..
Tonks???? Reece had the hots for Tonks?? (OH extra brownie points, with chocolate chunks and nuts, Reece's response to Tonks what a way to describe an youthful attraction!)
That was so good.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 06:58 am (UTC)Coffee and unemployment.
Reece is small for a werewolf, but that's still nothing to laugh at.
but what happens when they don't become anamagi right away??
Hermione grumbles and obsesses, Ron mopes a bit then gets over it, and Harry's all like, "Why is this so hard?" and Ron's all *slappity*
what a way to describe an youthful attraction!
Well, at eleven, puberty waits for nothing ;)
Glad you liked the chapter :)
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 02:43 am (UTC)Ok..So Im not thinking its Snape for a reason, But during last chapter I thought it was the Potions teacher for some reason..I dunno you make everything so mysterious! So good.
BTW I totally adore Reece, I think hes the cutiest little thing.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 02:48 am (UTC)I love Harry's anger. In the books, we don't get that. We get some anger, but not the blood curdling frustration that Harry exudes now.
I thought Hermione and Ron took the animagus stuff pretty well. They are starting to get back into the swing of life with Harry. Normality at last. I still can't wait until and I suppose if, they meet Anita.
Dumbledore's surprise that Harry had mastered the animagus spell surprised me. I assumed that he gave Harry the book because he knew he'd be able to channel his beast.
Brilliant overall, as always.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 02:56 am (UTC)He also looks up to him because he's familiar, and is totally okay with Reece being a mini-wolf. If the muggle world of UK werewolves is anything like Anita's world, then Reece probably has dealt with the prejudice. Also, Harry's rather cool.
I decided Reece was from Wales for no reason other than we don't have any main students from Wales at Hogwarts in the books.
Harry really has reason to be angry now, at least in his mind. Other people are in danger, and Harry thinks this is wrong (Reece, everyone with the Horcruxes).
Dumbledore's surprise that Harry had mastered the animagus spell surprised me.
He always expected Harry to get it, just not in like a day and a half. That's a bit much even for the wonder boy ;)
Thanks
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From: (Anonymous) - Date: 2006-03-28 01:04 pm (UTC) - Expand(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 02:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 02:59 am (UTC)"The question of why hadn't Snape mentioned to Dumbledore that Harry was an illegal Animagus plagued him all the way back to the tower."
Something shady is afoot!!! And it reeks of evil!! EVIL!!!
no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 06:45 am (UTC)... the corridors on a Friday night?
... before curfew?
Oh right. Work. Never mind.
Reece is such an adorable little bundle of trouble. Sort of like a certain character whose initials are Harry Potter.
Glad you liked it :)
no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 03:03 am (UTC)my god, i adore this fic...
no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 06:37 am (UTC)Thanks :)
no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 03:04 am (UTC)And this is a problem how? ;-)
Seriously, it does look like Dumbledore's on the right track here. He obviously doesn't think it's Snape (and I'm sure he used his powers to grill Snape like a panetta sandwich) -- if Snape wanted Reece dead, he could do it in ways that would never be noticeable. Whoever did this wanted to use Reece as a weapon -- and to have all the evidence point towards one person.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 03:31 am (UTC)"I almost ate Professor Snape," Reece pointed out.
And this is a problem how? ;-)
next time, just bite him in the ass! ... talk about karma :)
and i agree with the thought that someone's using reece as a weapon... but who?
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 03:09 am (UTC).. or they were aiming at someone other than Snape and I'm just latching onto Snape 'cause he was nearly eaten.
But curiouser and curiouser.
-Sonya
no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 05:46 am (UTC)Did I say that? Close. Snape was merely in the wrong place at really the wrong time.
But curiouser and curiouser.
Indeed. Indeed it is.
Before the Storm: Attacker/attacked; goals
From:Re: Before the Storm: Attacker/attacked; goals
From:Wonderful chapter
Date: 2006-03-28 03:25 am (UTC)Did the chapter seem fast. Yeah it did, but it was satisfying anyways. I think it seemed fast because there was so much going on. You were worried about who the culprit was, wondering who saw Harry as a wolf, who now thinks Harry's going to become a werewolf, what's going to happen to Reese, how will Harry explain what happened to Hermione and company and so on. As for who the culprit is I think it's Draco. Just because he caused these types of 'accidents' in HP&HBP and you seem to be keeping a lot of the aspects of the books in here. Besides the whole seeing in the dark, and good with potions? Well I might be wrong.
Anyway great chapter I can hardly wait for the next chapter. But don't rush and botch it up to satisfy the blood thirsty (fic thirsty) reviewers.
-Mashell
Re: Wonderful chapter
Date: 2006-03-28 05:43 am (UTC)I think you may be on to something there Mashell - Hand of Glory anyone? That would explain the not being able to see...
:)
Jaydeyn
Re: Wonderful chapter
From:no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 03:28 am (UTC)I feel so bad for Reece, he's just a little kid...he shouldn't have had to go through what he did. Thank goodness Harry was there to help out for some of it. He's almost becoming Reece's pack-away-from-pack!
Snape is very...confusing. I can't figure out what he's up to, and seriously, I have NO idea as to who could have hurt/used Reece...my brain just cannot think.
It's about time Harry had incentive to tell Remus everything that happened over the summer. I think it'd hurt Remus more to find out from a third party than to hear from Harry himself that he got scratched up and isn't changing (but at least he's got that nifty Animagus form now!) Speaking of animagus forms, I knew he'd be tall! I'm glad he gave the book to Hermione and Ron...they could, like, become the new generation of Mauraders! LoL
Good chapter, it made me happy. I'd love to see some more Anita characters soon. Even Elsa or some more letters! Can't wait till the next updaaate!!! ♥
no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 05:38 am (UTC).he shouldn't have had to go through what he did
Testify.
Snape is very...confusing
And how. It's like, is he evil? Not evil? A fuzzy bunny in disguise? What?
I have NO idea as to who could have hurt/used Reece
Really? I had the biggest clue EVA in there for anyone who's read HBP.
No comment on the next chapters. Let's just say, things are about to change, big time.
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:Love it
Date: 2006-03-28 03:31 am (UTC)I like the protective Harry vibes, and was wondering why he didn't insist on being with Reese in the first place.
Re: Love it
Date: 2006-03-28 04:53 am (UTC)He probably had some kind of strange idea that the adults had some sort of "working plan". Don't worry, he knows better now.
Re: Love it
From:no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 03:32 am (UTC)snape not telling dumbledore about harrys wolf animagus is pretty strange. what is he hiding? and the confrontation with harry is a bit strange. hmm. i wonder what he really wanted.
reese is so cute. he reminds me of a younger jason, sort of. haha. :)
no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 04:51 am (UTC)Oh man. If Reece and Harry is bad, think of Reece and Jason. That poor kid :P
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 03:33 am (UTC)keep up the good (and fast!) work :)
no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 04:47 am (UTC)This chapter had to end here because of what's in store next, ie the Storm from the title.
Thanks :)
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 03:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 04:45 am (UTC)I thought Harry was going to St.Louis for Christmas?
Harry has been avoiding giving any thought to Remus, and he just pulled that out of the air to appease Dumbledore. Who knows what he'll end up doing
(Well, I do, but I don't count)
We are on Saturday, Sept. 26.
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 03:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 04:40 am (UTC)Actually, it's the perfect place to stop; the story changes dramamtically next chapter.
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 04:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 04:36 am (UTC)There's also a reason this chapter went kind of easy for Harry. His life is about to get very, very rough.
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:Kobayashi Maru
From:Re: Kobayashi Maru
From:Re: Kobayashi Maru
From:Re: Kobayashi Maru
From:no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 05:42 am (UTC)Supposed to be Nope? *g* or Snape? Because that could kinda fit...
Not too short at all, btw, and such a nice thing to come back from dealing with the government beauracratic gose that I had today.
Looking forward to the Storm! :)
:)
Jaydeyn
no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 06:29 am (UTC)It's sort of like Pinky's NARF comment, all sort of goofy and such. K not really. Thanks.
and I'm also glad you're enjoying the tale, as always :)
Reece
Date: 2006-03-28 08:30 am (UTC)I can't wait for the HarryRemus part of the story, been tinking about it almost from the beganing.
Re: Reece
Date: 2006-03-29 02:14 am (UTC)Oh, Harry/Remus. Should prove "interesting"
no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 10:46 am (UTC)I must say that Ron and Hermione took the amingus thing very well if you look at the way they have reacted on everything new about Harry up until this point.
Poor Reece he had a really bad night but it's good that Harry is there to give some comfort which he obviously needed.
Please update soon:)
no subject
Date: 2006-03-29 02:13 am (UTC)Good. This means there's no dragging! A chapter must flow with plot, in order to maintain interest. I like to think sometimes that I can pull that off :)
I must say that Ron and Hermione took the amingus thing very well if you look at the way they have reacted on everything new about Harry up until this point.
They had bad ideas of what had happened to him, so he got a bit of a free pass. It's sort of the same as if I were to break my mum's vase, then get hit by a car. She's not going to be worried about the vase.
Poor Reece he had a really bad night but it's good that Harry is there to give some comfort which he obviously needed.
If Harry hadn't been there.... bad things could have happened. I think Reece is starting to understand that magic school isn't all fun and games.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 12:14 pm (UTC)Loved the chapter. The image of Harry staying awake all night to entertain Reece is adorable, and also close to my heart - that's pretty much exactly what I did with my puppies when they were 12 weeks old and woke up every two hours to play. Ye gods, was I tired in the morning!
You've made Poppy Pomfrey come across as a real person (rather than just a strict nurse-type adult in the background). I like how she shows sympathy towards both the werewolf under her care and the supposed werewolf-to-be. I guess she must have come across a lot of anti-werewolf prejudice in her time, and it seems realistic that in her capacity as a nurse, her interactions with an actual werewolf (Remus as a student) would let her see that they are people just like any other patient. In fact, I wouldn't mind seeing more of her in the story :).
Snape, such a mystery... What is going on in his head? He seems convinced that Harry will turn into a werewolf now; perhaps he hasn't been putting the clues together, what with Harry's prior injury from the anti-werewolf spell, and his wolfy Animagus form (I wonder if a werewolf can also be an Animagus, or if it would be redundant?). Or maybe he's been putting two and two together and getting five, and that's why his motivations are unclear. We'll just have to wait and see which direction he jumps.
I'm glad Harry's finally come clean with his friends, and given them an opportunity to try to learn to be Animagi. I don't hold out much hope for fast transformation, though - neither Ron nor Hermione strike me as people in touch with their animal side, and they don't have Harry's advantage.
I liked how Harry managed to draw Reece out of his shell. He's becoming a real big brother and confidant. I can't imagine how hard it would be for Reece without this little slice of Pack to protect him.
Speaking of Pack - a reference to our favourite Marauder and DADA teacher! I can't help feeling that the longer Harry waits to let Remus know, the worse things are going to get. It seems to be a pattern with him, huh?
As for who our mysterious saboteur is: my first guess is Draco. A distant second is Slughorn because he obviously has the knowledge to ruin a Wolfsbane potion, though he doesn't strike me as the type to do these things. But this is all idle speculation - I await the villain reveal with bated breath!
Two spelling catches:
He didn't want Snape owing him a damn thing.
and
"...Someone poisoned the Wolfsbane potion, someone knocked Madam Pomfrey down and let Reece out of his cage and then stabbed him with a silver barb."
This is the calm before the storm. But why and how will it break? (dun dun DUN!)
no subject
Date: 2006-03-29 02:10 am (UTC)You've made Poppy Pomfrey come across as a real person (rather than just a strict nurse-type adult in the background). I like how she shows sympathy towards both the werewolf under her care and the supposed werewolf-to-be.
Poppy is no fool. She probably had a hell of a good idea what made Hermione a cat in 2nd year; why Harry keeps showing up with odd bruises, and she's always right there, annoyed and competent, when any student gets hurt (i.e. GoF tournament). She *gets* teenagers, and after so many years at that school isn't going to be letting anyone override her in the students' best interests. Hence her comment to Harry about Reece.
Snape, such a mystery... What is going on in his head?
He's had YMCA stuck in his head for 12 years. It'd drive anyone mad.
perhaps he hasn't been putting the clues together
Nope, he has the clues all in hand. If there's one thing Snape seems to do is to draw inferences. What he *does* with that info is the real Q.
I liked how Harry managed to draw Reece out of his shell. He's becoming a real big brother and confidant. I can't imagine how hard it would be for Reece without this little slice of Pack to protect him.
It's be bad. Real bad. Not to give too much away, but I think it's why Remus had such a hard time of it -- he had no one around to guide him when he was young and still uncertain in his werewolfinity.
It seems to be a pattern with him, huh?
This requires the use of the Harry Potter Issues icon *points*
I have no comment on the villain of the piece. Well, we all know that's Voldemort, but I mean in this case :)
no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 01:32 pm (UTC)I wonder if Snape didn't tell Dumbledore of Harry's animagus form as his own weird way of paying Harry back for saving his life? Then again, maybe not. So this makes two Potters that have saved him from being eaten by a werewolf. Bwah!
no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 04:50 pm (UTC)Oh, that's highly unlikely. You almost got to feel sorry for Snape; no matter what he does, a Potter will always show him up :)
no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 08:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-29 02:00 am (UTC)I got a lot of info into such a short space, that's for sure. All stuff that needed to be sorted out, and frankly no one was up for long involved soliloquies the day after.
I had fun writing Dumbledore. He got really loquacious, long words and the like, sort of like I am early on in a bender. Maybe that's indicative of my view of him :)
Get better soon!
no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 09:01 pm (UTC)I was surprised that Ron and Hermoine took him turning into a wolf so easily....since they had freaked out about everything else so far.
I hope that Harry can bring Reece home with him to St Louis, that would be awesome and Anita would flip over the kid were. I can just see it. Or her wanting to come and check on him if Harry doesn't bring him back with him.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-29 01:52 am (UTC)Heck, Reece should just go home to his obviously supportive family. Bet they'd never let him get poisoned by a teacher. Well, accidentally :)
no subject
Date: 2006-03-28 09:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-29 01:50 am (UTC)Me too. I waffle between loathing his guts and just wincing at his behavior, at least in canon. There are some fanon Dracos I love, Echo's is one. Have you read her stuff?
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From: