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Harry Potter and the Wanderer by The Shadows
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Harry Potter and the Wanderer

The Shadows

Well, I got a lot of reviews for the last chapter, and I just want to say thank you for them here and now. It means a lot. I did get a lot of questions about Snape's comment, though... but that will be explained in this chapter, have no fear.

On another note, I have recently put up the first several chapters of one of my novels online. It can be found here: http://www.fictionpress.com/read.php?storyid=1737541&chapter=1

And I would appreciate it if anyone interested takes a look and lets me know what they think about it. This is not the story of Talisien, but is actually a prequel to it. I am working out the kinks in the story right now, and would love to know what people think, so please have a look if you can spare the time.

Thanks!

Incidentally, starting at the next chapter, the chapter going up at fanfiction.net and at Portkey.org will be different. The one at fanfiction.net will be remaining PG-13, but at Portkey, it will be changing to an R rating. There will be extra parts going up there, and more detail put into the final battle, but beyond that, I can't tell you exactly what will be different - I don't know myself, yet.

That said, here is the latest chapter. Quite a bit happens here: Hermione and her dad have a nice heart-to-heart, Rozan tells Harry a little bit, Harry and Hermione make up and Harry shows her something no one else has ever seen (Get your minds out of the gutter, thank you very much!), there is more animagi training, and Harry and Hermione learn a bit about Harry's mum that niether expected.

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Chapter Twenty Two: Road to Recovery

Mike Granger was beyond confused. He paced back and forth in his room three more times before finally sitting down next to Hermione on the bed that was hers - though she hadn't slept in it for several days running now.

"So, he scanned your memories, and you're worried about what he might have seen?" he asked, finally breaking the long silence that had started when her tears had stopped.

"No, daddy," Hermione whispered. "He didn't scan my memories, I opened them to him by mistake." Trying to get her father to understand the complex magics of legilimency and occlumency was a near impossible task to be sure. "I was trying to calm him down, like I have in the past, but something snapped and I couldn't stop my mind from showing him..."

"Fine, fine," Mike interrupted his daughter gently. "He saw your memories. Can we leave it at that for now?" When she nodded hesitantly, he smiled softly to her. "And you are worried about what he saw, right?" Again, she nodded, but didn't say anything. "Well, babe, why don't you just ask him when he wakes up?"

Hermione looked up to her father slowly, blinking away the remnants of the tears in her eyes. "How could I do that?" she asked quietly. "What if he saw what I think he did? How will he react to that? Will he even tell me what he saw?"

"Mia, babe," Mike said softly, causing her to stop and just look at him blankly. "Do you trust this boy who you are spending your nights and days with? You are practically breathing the same air as him at almost all times... so do you trust him?"

"Harry would never betray his friends or his family," Hermione said instantly, coming to Harry's defense even though, in this case, it wasn't needed. "That's one of the best things about him, really. If I ever had to go into hiding with the Fideulus Charm, then I'd want him to be my secret keeper," she added.

"Fideulus Charm?"

Hermione took a deep breath and counted to three carefully. What she really needed was someone who understood about magic, not her father who, though he cared a lot, didn't have the first clue about it. "It's a charm to hide someone, so that no one can ever find them unless the secret keeper reveals the information." She paused for a moment, and then shook her head. "On second thought, I wouldn't want Harry as my secret keeper. I'd want him in hiding with me."

"So you do trust him, then?"

Hermione met her father's eyes steadily and nodded. "With my life."

"Then I see no problem," he said with a shrug as he stood up. "If you trust him so much, why do you think he wouldn't tell you everything that he saw if you ask him?"

"How would you ask someone about seeing your most intimate memories, daddy?"

"I'd ask them what they saw in my mind," he said simply with another shrug. "I don't see the problem, babe. You trust him... and it's obvious that he trusts you. I don't understand everything that happened earlier - especially with whatever Harry did to that professor of yours - but I know that you trust each other more than anything. So just talk to him when he wakes up."

On second thought, her daddy was just the person Hermione found that she wanted to talk to, even if he was as clueless as most muggles when it came to magic. He just knew how to handle people.

"So what did happen earlier?" Mike asked from the doorway. "With that professor and Harry's... outburst?"

"Snape said something to me about not accepting any public displays of affection at school, and how he would be waiting to dock fifty house points each time he saw us," Hermione explained. "It caught me off guard, but I guess it really upset Harry."

"I thought you told me earlier that Harry didn't really care about house points with how often he ends up breaking the rules, right?"

Hermione frowned as she thought about that. It was true - though Harry did like Gryffindor winning the House Cup, he had never been one to care too much about points being awarded or taken by their Potion's Master.

"I'll ask him about that, too, daddy."

--------------------

The first thing that he saw when he opened his eyes were grey eyes looking back at him. It took several long seconds and a few deep breaths before Harry realised that the eyes didn't belong to a human - the smell of Rozan was rather peculiar, after all. Harry tried to say something, but all that came out of his mouth was a groan.

It is good to see you have regained some of your strength, Harry. Harry blinked several times and managed to pull himself up from the bed to be sitting before the blue grey time wolf in his room. He looked around slowly to try and figure out just what had happened, and then a rush of images struck him from what he could remember. You have been through an interesting day, haven't you?

*Must you sound so bloody smug all the time?* Harry growled before he could stop himself. Although he didn't understand how he was talking to an animal in the animal's own language, he found that he didn't care right then if it let him talk in general. *Seriously, you sound like you knew this was going to happen!*

I did warn the Wanderer that he should explain something of the Oakrium's powers to you before they went out of control, Rozan's voice sounded in his mind, soothing him just a little despite himself. It chose to protect you from mental intrusion, and as such, its powers have been steadily growing without an outlet for them.

"That burst of energy, then, that I let out at Snape?" Harry asked in surprise.

No, the Oakrium doesn't hold destructive power like that. That was magics powered by a different source. One that I do not fully comprehend just yet, Rozan admitted. However, the dagger did play a part in that episode - just not the one that you assumed.

"What did it do, then?" Harry demanded. "I don't care about the explosion of power - I'm sure I'll get yelled at for that later. The bloody git deserved it, though, for what he said."

What did he say then, Harry?

"You don't know?" Harry asked in surprise. "I thought you could simply read my memories to figure it out," he pointed out. "Something wrong suddenly?"

The Oakrium has the power to block me from your mind as well, Rozan explained. I can still speak with you, but if I attempted to delve any deeper into your mind, then I would be victim to a terrible shock that I could do without right now.

Harry sighed and nodded. That bit of news did a little to hearten him, though the fact that he had just effectively raped Hermione's mind was more than a little unsettling. "Snape warned her that pregnancy was no excuse for his class, not even from a know-it-all mudblood like her."

He did not say that, Harry.

"You weren't even there, Rozan!" Harry shouted back at the time wolf. "I was there, I heard him mutter to Hermione! The very fact that he would dare to..."

Think such thoughts? Rozan provided for Harry when he faltered.

"He spoke them, Rozan."

He did not, Rozan corrected him. Snape simply warned her against showing any sign of your relationship in his class or he would dock points. I have read as much from Hermione's mind.

"I heard what I heard," Harry said fiercely. "I couldn't have mistaken a warning about House Points for that!"

Snape was thinking much worse than he said, Harry. He thought what you assumed he spoke.

"Are you suggesting that I read his mind without even meeting his eye?"

The Oakrium needed an outlet for power, and it chose that time to read another's mind. His thoughts were very loud for the dagger to have picked up on it without instruction.

"So you're saying that Snape didn't..."

That is correct.

Harry could only groan into his hands as he sank back to be lying down on his bed. "How am I going to be able to be in his class now?" he moaned. "Better yet, how am I going to be able to face anyone in this house? Especially Hermione!"

What happened with Hermione's memories was not your fault, Harry.

"How can you say that?" Harry demanded harshly. "I'm the one who is carrying this dagger that acts on its own, right?"

Indeed, Harry. It was trying to protect you from intrusion.

"What intrusion?" Harry shouted. "Hermione always calms me down! Just a quick look at her eyes is enough to..." he stopped shouting and took a deep breath, sitting up slowly to look at Rozan again. "Her eyes are enough to calm my very soul, Rozan. And now I've hurt her by seeing what I did. How can I ever apologise for that? How can I ever make it up to her for doing this to her?"

I am not the one to be answering these questions, Harry, Rozan's voice was softer suddenly as the time wolf stood and appeared to shiver slightly before starting to fade. The one who is is standing in your doorway.

Harry snapped his vision away from the time wolf who was vanishing to his door to find Hermione standing there, silently watching him. She looked scared - almost as scared as he felt, and didn't move from the frame even as Rozan vanished entirely.

She stood there for several minutes before Harry finally built up the nerve to beckon her inside the room. She smiled weakly to him and walked in, closing the door behind her as she took a seat on the bed next to him.

Still, neither said anything for quite some time. Harry was vaguely aware of someone knocking on the door, but he ignored it completely, just as Hermione seemed to. Finally, he closed his eyes and dipped his head down. "I'm sorry, `Mione," he whispered. "I don't know what happened... I don't know how I did what I did... all I know is that I didn't mean to. And I'm sorry." He hesitated for a minute before opening his eyes and looking up to Hermione, finding her large chocolate eyes looking back to him. "If you want, you can look at my memories to make up for it."

Hermione shook her head almost right away. "I don't want to," she said softly. "Memories are very special, Harry. You shouldn't share them just because you feel guilty," she whispered, looking away from him. "And you shouldn't be sorry. I'm sorry enough for the both of us."

Harry tried to come up with a response for that, but found his voice caught in his throat. He didn't know what she was trying to say, but he knew that it didn't sound good. Suddenly, he was faced with the very real possibility that she wanted away from him, that she had finally decided that it was too dangerous to be close to him.

"What did you see?" Hermione whispered after a long silence.

"I'm sorry!" Harry blurted out right away. "I know it's dangerous to be near me, but I don't think I can go on without..." he trailed off as her words sunk in. "What... did I see?" he repeated softly.

She smiled weakly to him. "That's what I asked," she said. "What did you think I said?"

"I thought you were going to say that you didn't want anything to do with me anymore," Harry said softly. "And even the thought of that scares me more than anything else now."

It took no thought at all for Hermione to put her arms around Harry now. He was looking lost again - a look that she hadn't seen him with for quite some time. Even after the attack during the holidays, he still didn't look lost. The last time he was lost was after the Ministry attack.

She held him for quite sometime before finally letting go and holding him at arm's length. She smiled weakly to him again, and then opened her mouth to speak, but his fingers found her lips first, keeping her quiet.

"I... I'll try to tell you what I saw, `Mione," Harry promised her. "But I don't know if I can tell you all of it or not. There was a lot... I'm sorry if I forget something by mistake. Only four scenes really stuck in my mind."

"Those will be enough, then," she said with a faint nod.

Harry nodded and took a deep breath, unable to meet her eye suddenly. Rather than look towards her, instead he simply closed his eyes and tried to remember every scene exactly as he had seen it.

"You were about five in the first memory," Harry offered softly. "You were wearing a rather cute pair of overalls and your dad gave you a piggy back ride when he picked you up from school. None of the other kids were playing with you, though." He looked to her slowly as he cracked his eyes open just enough to let a bit of light through, and saw a very sad look on her face. "I'm sorry," he said again.

"It wasn't your fault," Hermione reassured him. "The other kids thought I was too different, that's all. Looking back, I guess they were right, weren't they?"

"That's no reason to ignore someone," Harry said with more conviction than he meant to put into it. Another long silence fell between them before he started again. "I wouldn't have ignored you. I know what it was like." Before she could reply, he went on with the scenes. "The next memory I saw was you being picked up by your parents from the library. You were really excited by the trip, and your parents just let you talk their ears off about it."

When he looked up this time, he only saw the top of Hermione's bushy hair, as she seemed to be looking at his - their - bed. "Not many ten year olds would have enjoyed a trip to the library like I did," she whispered. "I can still remember hearing all the other kids making fun of me about it."

"It didn't stop you, did it?" Harry asked with a grin, trying to get her to look up to him. "I mean, you still spend a lot of time in the library, and you can't try and tell me you don't enjoy it."

"They called me `book freak,' or `paper girl,' and constantly stole my pencil case and any book that I left lying around for long. I'd always find the books easily enough - I guess that was my own accidental magic that Min - Professor McGonagall told me about when I first met her," Hermione explained softly.

"Hogwarts was different, wasn't it?" Harry pressed softly, putting a hand on her shoulder, getting her to finally look up to meet his gaze again. There were tears in her eyes, and he knew he felt his own prickling behind his eyes at such a sight. "If I knew about the way you were treated before you found out that you were a witch..." He let his threat stand unspoken, for she understood what he was saying just by the look in his ocean eyes.

Hermione found herself wondering what Harry would do to the kids their age in her neighbourhood if he ever came to visit.

"Speaking of Hogwarts..." Harry whispered. "The second last vision I had was when you received your letter. You were so happy, and your parents promised you that you would meet some good friends when you arrived."

"It took a while, didn't it?" Hermione asked with a grin, wiping her eyes on the edge of her cloak. The thin fabric that held her warmth in so effectively wicked the moisture away instantly, and felt so soft against her cheek and eyelids. "Knowing what I do now, it was all worth it, though. Being bullied as a child, the troll problem, and everything in between. It brought me so many good friends, and brought us closer together than I ever thought I would get with anyone."

"That's the `Mione that I'm happiest seeing," Harry said with a warm smile of his own. "A smiling one. The tears just don't suit you, you know?" She sniffled a little and smiled a bit broader at him, though it did look a little forced. He pulled her into him then, to hold her for a brief moment before releasing her again. Rather than pull back, though, she just snuggled into him, and he turned with her so he was leaning against the wall with her resting against his chest.

"What was the last scene you remember?" she whispered, ignoring another knock at their door. She could have sworn she heard several alohomora spells being cast, but the door didn't open. She made a mental note to ask Harry about his locking charms later.

That thought vanished when she felt his arms stiffen a little around her at her question. "It wasn't that long ago," Harry admitted slowly. "You were in this room... with just your mother."

She pulled away a bit to look into his eyes, and saw that he was still feeling quite guilty about everything that had happened. She looked passed that for the time being, though. She had to know. "Did you hear the talk I had with my mother about you?"

"Just the ending of it," Harry admitted.

"So you heard me say..."

"Is it true?" Harry asked, cutting her off before she could say the words to his face. "Did you mean it then, or were you just trying to make sure she wouldn't object to your staying with me in here at night?"

Hermione put a hand on either of his shoulders as she turned to face him fully. "I meant every word," she promised him. She didn't have a chance to say anything else as he pulled her forcefully into his arms again. It was so sudden and so strong that she didn't have a chance of pulling away - even if she had wanted to.

It took a moment or two for her to place the feeling that was coming from Harry. He wasn't just holding her, he seemed to be shaking just a little, and she wasn't sure if he was just cold or... "Are you crying?" she whispered. "Does the mere idea upset you that much?"

She felt his head shake back and forth, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he started to rock ever so gently, still holding her close to him. "No one ever said anything like that to me before," he said after she was sure he must be coming close to an end of the tears. "Never."

"I do, though, Harry," Hermione whispered, finally gathering her energy to push out of his arms enough so she could look him in the eye. "I do." She kissed him then, before he had a chance to react, and she allowed her lips and tongue to act of their own accord as she felt him react beneath her.

He somehow managed to pull away anyway before very long at all. "I never meant to hurt you, `Mione," he said, looking her in the eye again. "Never. I just..."

The two sat in silence for a few minutes before Hermione leaned forward again, and stopped with her lips next to his ear. "I love you, Harry Potter," she said so softly that, even if there was someone else in the room, there was no way they could have heard her.

She felt his arms tighten around her again almost instantly, forcing her to let out the breath that she wasn't even aware she was really holding. "You mean so much to me, `Mione. I'm so sorry I hurt you..."

She surprised even herself when she stiffened a little at his words. It wasn't that they weren't nice words to hear... but if she was completely honest with herself, she knew she was hoping to hear three different words.

Harry slowly let Hermione out of his grasp and sat looking at her for a moment. Even if he didn't know her as well as he did, it was rather obvious that she was upset about something still. If it wasn't that he had seen her memories, then what was it? He closed his eyes carefully and took a deep breath. "I want you to see some of my memories, `Mione," he said steadily. "I need you to see some things... that I can't explain to you. Please?"

Rather than reply with words, Hermione simply looked straight into Harry's eyes. The memory of the last time any mental magics were used around him was still fresh in her mind, but she had to believe that he had some idea as to what he doing now.

Still, being sucked out from the comfortable bedroom just as a young Harry is very oversized clothes was slammed into a wall was not what she had expected. Another boy who was about Harry's age was hitting him, and she tried to reach out to stop what was happening, even though she knew it was in the past anyway.

Just as suddenly as the first scene started, it was over, and she found herself standing behind a slightly older Harry at the kitchen table. From the way his aunt and uncle were eyeing him, she suspected it was just after first year was over and he returned to them a little wiser and a little happier than he had been.

Even though there was a lot of food on the table, the miniscule amount on Harry's plate was hard to miss. Equally hard to miss were the leers from his so-called family, daring him to ask for more.

She must have blinked, because she was no longer sitting in front of the table, but was standing in the living room. A large, portly woman was standing on the other side of the room holding a glass of red wine, while both herself and Harry were in the doorway. Harry seemed to be trying to slip away.

"If there's something wrong with the bitch, there'll be something wrong with the pup -"

Hermione told herself again that she was just a witness to the memory, and she wasn't there at all. She had to tell herself this several times, and even though she did, she tried to wrap her arms around the younger, upset Harry next to her before the memory shifted again to show her something else.

She would have to ask him later if he was showing her specific things, or just as they came to his mind.

"By all means, continue destroying my possessions," Dumbledore's calm voice came to her ears next before anything appeared before her eyes. "I daresay I have too many." The next thing she knew was ducking as a small table flew out of nowhere towards her and shattered behind her.

She missed whatever Harry from the end of last year said to Dumbledore for the next few minutes as she stared around the office. She had been inside earlier in the year, and it hadn't looked like this. Broken chairs, books ripped apart, little metal globes shattered into thousands of pieces on the floor... there was even a ripped painting or two that she knew had been repaired since. Harry was shouting at Dumbledore still, and she was surprised to see how sad their Headmaster looked as the young wizard continued his tirade.

She tuned back into the conversation then, although she wasn't sure if it was simply because Harry had forgotten just what had been said earlier or if her own subconscious had allowed simply shut her out.

Sitting on Dumbledore's desk was his pensieve, the one that Harry had told her about earlier. She watched in awe as the figure of Professor Trelawney rose from the mist and spoke in harsh tones the words that she had memorised when Harry had finally told her the full prophecy in the beginning of December.

Somehow, hearing it from the source made it sound ten times worse.

Almost as soon as it had all started, however, Hermione found herself sitting on their bed again, tears she didn't know she was crying pouring down her face. Harry was trembling and no longer looking towards her. Carefully, as though she was afraid she might break him if she moved too quickly, Hermione Granger took Harry Potter into her arms and held him against her as they cried together over the few... the very few memories that Harry had shown her. And she knew that they hadn't even scrapped the surface... but it was enough.

No words were spoken between the two for the next couple of hours. After Harry finally shuddered his last silent sob out of his body, he looked down to the still quivering girl in his arms. Looking back up to his door, he muttered something under his breath and then started to shift them both so they were lying down.

*We'll talk more in the morning, `Mione,* Harry purred into her ear.

*I will always love you,* Hermione mewed back before nuzzling a little closer and closing her eyes to let her body finally rest. It had been a very trying day for both of them, and they hadn't even bothered attempting any animagus training.

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The next morning started earlier than Harry had expected. Of course, he hadn't been expecting to be woken up by Hermione nibbling on his ear, either, but he didn't really complain about either.

*Harry?* Hermione purred softly as he was just starting to wake up. *I have a bit of a confession to make...*

He silenced her quickly with a finger against her lips, and motioned that they should sit up first. Nodding her understanding, she waited until the sleep was wiped from his eyes and he was sitting before continuing.

*What's wrong, `Mione?*

*Remember yesterday, when you saw all my memories?* Hermione mewed so softly that Harry had to strain his ears to hear her. *I... I think that might have been my fault.*

*How so?* Harry frowned. *I mean, it was my dagger that went out of control, and I sought out your eyes, because they always seem to be able to calm me down... they are beautiful, you know...*

Hermione blushed a little as she looked away from him. *You never told me that before...* she purred. Looking back to him, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. *My eyes have calmed you down this year because I've been doing that to you.*

*What?*

*I've been performing basic legilimency against you Harry, to take some of your anger into myself so you don't experience it. I'm a little better at handling anger than you, and I thought...* she trailed off, not telling him just what she had thought.

Harry took a deep breath before nudging her chin with a finger to make her look to him again. *Are you okay?*

*Am I okay?* she growled back. *I should be asking you that! I invaded your mind countless times this year, just to...*

*Try and help?* Harry provided when she faltered. *But you said you were taking my anger into yourself...*

*Oh, that,* Hermione laughed. *I just focuses it into my essays. You should have seen Minerva's face when I handed her our last essay on the difficulties of vertebrates. Twelve scrolls long, that one.*

*Wasn't it supposed to be three?* Harry asked with a smile. Hermione nodded a little bashfully, and Harry couldn't help but laugh as well. *I don't mind, `Mione.*

*You don't?*

Harry shook his head. *I just think you should wait to do it again until I've had a chance to talk to Talisien about my dagger. Rozan said it was what flipped your spell around - of course, he couldn't have just told me that... he said it lashed out of its own accord.* A sudden thought entered his mind, and he grinned a little. *'Mione?*

*Yes?*

*Do you remember our first Potion's class of the year, when Snape was so mad at the fact that I made it in with an Outstanding OWL?*

*It would be hard to forget that...*

*And how, after he took points off me again for not knowing an answer, I looked to you for support...*

*Uh... Harry...*

He cut her off by shaking his head. *You gave me that answer, didn't you?* With a wry grin, she nodded so lightly that he could barely notice. That didn't matter, though, because as soon as he knew the answer he threw his head back in a deep, throaty laugh - a laugh that hadn't been heard in that house since Sirius had died.

*What's so funny?*

*Snape was right!* Harry managed to blurt out. *He was right! Only, he was wrong, too, because it wasn't me who was using legilimency on you, it was the other way around!*

*Oh honestly, Harry, I know I shouldn't have cheated like that, and I swear to you that I haven't cheated on anything like that ever again and...*

This time, he silenced her with a light kiss. *Never mind,* he whispered. *It's in the past. Let's go downstairs to find something to eat before Minerva comes looking for us to start our daily training again.*

Hermione caught him as he was standing, and pulled him back down to the bed. *About yesterday, Harry...*

*And Snape?*

*Yeah...*

*I told you, `Mione... no one calls you that anymore. No one.*

She was caught off guard by that statement. *Calls me what, Harry? All he said was not to be showing our affections in public and not to fall behind in class, or he would take fifty points off apiece...*

*Bloody hell...*

*What?*

*Rozan was right,* Harry growled. *And that means I've got to find our Potion's Master and apologise for what I did.* Seeing the confused expression on her face, he sighed. *Look, the Oakrium did act up yesterday. Mainly, it let me hear his thoughts rather than his words... only I thought he said them out loud and didn't just think them. I'm sure everyone's thought bad things about others before, and I can't really punish people for thinking, right?*

*What did he think that set you off like that, Harry?*

*Something about you being pregnant wouldn't be an excuse to fall behind... and then he called you a know-it-all mudblood Gryffindor.*

*Well... I guess that explains the anger, then, doesn't it?* Hermione asked once she recovered from the shock. She knew Snape didn't care for her very much, but the fact that he might think something like that about her...

*It doesn't explain where the power came from, though,* Harry pointed out. *Which is another thing I want to ask Minerva about during training today.*

Hermione kissed him lightly on the nose and then pushed away from the bed. *In that case... I've got the shower first!* she mewed quickly as she shot towards the door. Harry just groaned and laid back down to bed. He should have seen that coming...

---------------------

"Explain yourself, Harry," McGonagall suggested. They were sitting on the floor of the downstairs study, about to begin their relaxation exercises when Harry had spoken up.

"I just want to know if any of the animal's strengths or weaknesses transfer over to us when we become animagi," Harry explained. "In particular, since we are both turning into magical creatures, will any of their abilities transfer to us when we aren't transformed? Like, the kneazle's ability to detect truth and lies?"

"Magical transference?" McGonagall repeated. "Well, that is subject that is highly under debate since there are very few magical creature animagi out there. It is a proven fact, however, that normal creatures don't transfer very much to the witch or wizard at all... I, myself, have gained a quieter step, but that would be about it."

"You said you knew a few witches and wizards in the past who became magical creatures, right?" Hermione pointed out. "Do what about them? Like, the lethifold, for example..."

Their transfiguration Professor seemed a little startled by the question, but recovered quickly enough. "Very well, Hermione. My friend who can change to the lethifold - I still feel it a great honour to have even met him, by the way - did indeed inherit some abilities... in fact, a very powerful ability."

"Is that why he remains unregistered?" Harry asked. "Because he doesn't want anyone to know about the abilities, and you are agreeing with covering it up for the same reason?"

"I would never wholeheartedly agree to break the law, Harry... but some cases do prove to be the exception. He can see through the shadows that are close by. In fact, I believe his current range is close to five miles, but he does need to be concentrating to make much out - there are a lot of shadows out there to look through."

"He can see through the shadows?" Hermione breathed in surprise.

"So he can see everything that goes on around him, can't he?" Harry asked.

McGonagall shook her head. "That is neither here nor there," she said firmly. "Why were you asking about magical transference, Harry?"

"Uh..." he trailed off. He didn't really want to reveal the fact that he could speak with Buckbeak and Crookshanks just yet, at least, not until he had done so again to make sure it wasn't just because he had been tired and his mind was tricked. "Hermione could tell that I wasn't telling her something about yesterday," he lied quickly. He met Hermione's eye before she could say anything, and she nodded subtly to say that she understood.

"Very well," McGonagall said after a moment. "In that case, we shall begin with relaxation, and go from there. After you have both attempted the change at least twice more, we will be going over more advanced relaxation techniques, until you have both perfected the forms, and it is no longer necessary."

It was four hours later that a very tired Harry sat down in one of the kitchen chairs. Hermione sat down next to him and immediately put her head on the table as though to sleep, but Harry couldn't find the energy to say anything to her. She had managed to transform twice more, but Harry hadn't managed it even once.

Apparently, magical animals were very difficult.

He looked around the kitchen slowly, waiting for his exhaustion to lift even a little bit so he could do something - like eat. He was pleased to find the damage that he had been told he had caused yesterday was almost entirely cleaned up. There was still a pile of broken glass in the sink, but otherwise, everything was cleaned up. The chairs had been returned to normal, and the windows had been repaired, as well as several glasses - enough for one a person who was staying in Grimmauld Place.

"Feeling better, Harry?" Remus asked as he came into the kitchen. When Harry looked up but didn't say anything, the werewolf smiled. "Good to see it. Sorry you are so tired... Minerva is trying to fit six months of work into eight days, though. Six now, though."

"Six?" Harry asked in surprise, reaching within himself for the energy he needed to talk with his godfather. Something had changed, and he had to know what was going on. "Are people coming earlier than expected?"

"Your friends will be arriving tomorrow," Remus replied. "So she is hoping that Hermione finishes at least. No one would be surprised to hear that you were receiving extra training, though. At least, none of those coming."

"Who all is coming, anyway? I mean, I know Ron and Ginny will be here, but..."

"I can't tell you the rest just yet, Harry," Remus interrupted him. "But you will be in for a pleasant surprise, I imagine." He pulled up a chair across from the two children and conjured a plate of food and a few goblets filled with chilled pumpkin juice. "Minerva tells me that you both need to learn to relax more before you will be able to get this down."

"I don't understand how anyone can relax more than we have been," Harry objected, nudging Hermione awake as he reached for a goblet to hand to her. "It feels like we are almost asleep when we are finished the sets."

"I'll admit, it was quite amusing to see James and Sirius trying to relax that much," Remus said with a chuckle. "They were always on guard, after all. After pulling pranks on almost the entire school, they had good reason... even though I doubt anyone would have tried for revenge except old Snape." Both Harry and Hermione noticed that he skipped mentioning Peter Pettigrew - the traitor Wormtail.

"Didn't they relax by pulling pranks, though?" Harry asked after taking a long pull on his cold drink. It seemed to breath energy into him again, and he sat forward to listen a bit better. "That's why they did it, wasn't it? For fun?"

"Yeah... and it was fun," Remus admitted. "Oh, don't look at me like that, Hermione!" he objected. She was staring at him with a surprised look, as those she hadn't expected him to admit to anything like that. "I was a Marauder, too, after all. Just because I was a little more grounded than the others didn't mean I didn't step out of line at least as often!"

Harry smiled as the two looked at each other, and he reached forward for a treakle tart. Even though he should have been taking a sandwich or something first, he wanted the sweet treat before anything else. "Could you tell me a bit about... my mum?" Harry asked when the two fell silent. "Like, how did my dad ever get her to like him after all he did that upset her?"

Both were surprised when he leaned back in his chair and got a far off look in his eye. "Well, Harry, I can try. I don't understand it all myself, though. Sometimes, things just can't be explained. But the main thing was that James let his big head deflate a little - he stopped walking around like he owned the place. He was still an excellent chaser and pulled pranks whenever he thought he could get away with it - even as Head Boy, he did that!"

"And Dumbledore let him?"

"I doubt he could have stopped him, even if he had wanted to. But I remember hearing him say something to another teacher one day about how we all need a bit of laughter in dark times."

"He said that about Fred and George, too," Harry pointed out.

"That's why they kept getting away with things, right?" Hermione asked, looking to Harry, who shrugged. "It must be. And I guess it makes sense... but some of the things they did went too far, really! I mean, stealing all the toilet seats on the entire third floor? Honestly..."

"We stole them from the first through the fifth," Remus interjected. Both younger people in the room looked to him in shock, and he chuckled. "Actually, that was Lily's idea... once she and James started going out, she loosened up a lot, too. Started suggesting pranks that we hadn't even dreamed of before. Brilliant mind, Lily's..."

*Like yours,* Harry purred to Hermione, looking over to her.

*Think I `loosened up' like your mum did around your dad?* Hermione mewed back to him, still leaning on the table more than usual. *I break the rules for you all the time... and...*

*Not all the time,* Harry objected. *But sometimes...* he added with a grin.

*Do you think you like me because I'm like your mum, or because...*

*You are you, `Mione,* Harry interrupted her, putting a hand on her shoulder to make her looked right at him. *And I don't care what anyone else thinks. That's why I've fallen for you. That's why I chose to try and be with you. Because you are you.*

The sound of Remus clearing his throat tore the two teens away from their conversation with each other and back to him. He looked back and forth between the two for a moment before leaning forward. "Tell me... how long has this been going on?"

"What?" Harry asked, confused. He looked over to Hermione, who looked equally confused until something clicked in her mind and she sat up quickly. "What is it?"

"You mean, us talking to each other in kneazle," Hermione replied to both questions at once. "That's what it sounded like, right? Purrs, hisses, mews, things like that?"

"But you can't talk to animals," Harry pointed out. "I can, but..."

"I change into a kneazle, Harry," Hermione reminded him gently. "Magical transference... I guess I can speak kneazle now, too. I mean, I'll check with Crookshanks and do a quick search in the library for other cases, but I'm sure that's what's going on," she explained.

Remus shushed them both suddenly, as they were talking a bit louder than they had been earlier. "I take it you just found out about this?" he whispered to them. They both nodded. "But you knew Harry could talk to animals... because of Buckbeak and Crookshanks, right?" he asked as he realised what had happened after their initial transformation. Again, they nodded. "So you had no idea you were talking to each other differently?"

Harry shook his head. "It's just like my parseltongue," Harry explained. "I don't realise I'm talking in another language at all..."

Remus nodded as Hermione shot up again after having slouched a little - obviously still tired. "We're going to have to be very careful, Harry," she whispered. "We can't be talking in kneazle around anyone else! They'd know that I went through the training, too, and we can't let anyone know, remember?"

"They aren't supposed to know about me, either, but I guess that's changed a little, hasn't it?" Harry asked, looking to Remus. "If they're coming tomorrow and all."

Hermione sat forward and started eating quickly. "If they're coming tomorrow," she said in between mouthfuls. "Then we have to really work this afternoon and evening. We've got to get it down before they arrive, right?"

And that was how Harry found himself later that night completely knackered. He wasn't entirely sure how he ended up in bed before falling asleep, though he suspected their professor might have had something to do with that. After explaining to her their newfound abilities, she pushed them quite hard to perfect their forms. Hermione had managed to transform four more times that day, while he had managed it only once all day. Still, it was a great feeling of accomplishment, even though neither had managed to perfect their forms so they could transform without tiring or relaxation.

Even if he hadn't found anything out about the strange power he had excerted the day before, he still felt that they had done a lot that day.

With a contented sigh, he wrapped his arms firmly around the already sleeping Hermione lying on top of him and tried to kiss the top of her head. Unfortunately, he only made it halfway there before sleep took him.

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That's it, everyone. Thank you for your reviews, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if you have a moment, please check out my regular writing at the address listed at the top. Thanks!

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Until the sun sets upon a broken world...

The Shadows

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