Remus watched the club he had in part helped in a very distant sort of way. Well all he had done really was help Ginny get over her disastrous first year. He had done this by bringing Ginny, Luna and Collin together as they were three of his smartest students among the first and second years. Ginny and Luna had blossomed as mentors and Collin had become thoughtful and extremely helpful. They had taken it to the next step and formed a new club, one that would help Muggleborns learn about the Wizarding world. It had become quite the success and many purebloods had come to help explain the magical world to the muggleborn and in turn learn about the world the muggleborn had come from.
Now out of nearly a thousand students a full four hundred were part of the club from small first and second years to seventh years getting ready to head out into the world. Today Sirius was going to talk about what it was like growing up in a bigoted family, how he had broke free of that and how all students had to work together to defeat evil. So the numbers of students had swelled to see the famous Sirius Black speak. Most of the female population had turned out to see the infamous and very handsome rogue that was the lord Black. Most of the time Sirius stayed to the rooms he shared with Remus or roamed in his doggy form so this was the first time the school got a good look at the hansom wizard.
"A bit full of himself isn't he?" Harry said walking up to stand by Remus arms folded watching his godfather strut, yes strut as he spoke, "the girls just love this."
"You know you remind me so much of your mother when you do that." Remus said.
"Thank you, from what you said about my father he was a prat at times." Harry said, "pranks are for fun but some of them…"
"…were cruel and not right at all, yes I did tell you that we were not the best people with that. However I can make up for that now."
"Well we all make mistakes." Harry said sounding so very mature at the moment, but of course he proved he was a teen boy again when he added, "I think I mistakenly turned Malfoy's hair green."
Remus had to keep a straight face as he remembered that well. Harry had studied diligently (with Sirius's help of course not a surprise there) how to change items green. It was a hard spell but Harry had learned it well and had used it on Draco when he was not looking and the Malfoy heir did not realize his hair was green until Snape had told him, Snape knew it was Harry's doing but could not prove it at all. Draco had done something oh so Slytherin then, he refused to allow his hair to be turned back and went to classes with bright green hair for a day, claiming whoever had done this was brilliant and he wanted to thank them. Of course that might have been due to the fact the girls in Slytherin liked the look on him and so he kept it that way.
"You are lucky professor Snape did not find out you did that." Remus said.
"Yea I don't need to lose points." Harry replied. "Or get detention."
"Yes well you would have had to serve it with me."
"You are mean in detention, making me write lines, it's boring." Harry grumbled.
"Well I am a professor you know, have to act responsible." Remus said.
"Some of the time, not all the time." Harry replied.
Remus smirked and looked over at Ginny who stood by Luna and noticed they looked very pretty, looking at both girls he could see they had been working hard not just on their studies but on makeup tips as well. He realized that in a few years they would be very lovely women and right now he was sure that they turned a few teen heads. He thought to Dora Tonks and his heart leapt, hopefully he would meet her and she would want him still. He loved her, he really did and he knew that she had loved him dearly too not caring about his "furry little problem". Then again her gift as he saw it was not viewed as such by the populous as a whole, Metamorphous were feared and by some viewed as dark. She knew what it was like to have something to hide as only a very few knew of her talents.
"Mr. Black is it true you are an Animagmus?" A young first year girl asked then gasped as he turned to his doggy form then back, "oh wow that is cool can I learn that?"
"Well it is very hard, not all witches and wizards can learn it." Sirius explained, "best way to find out is to either make or buy a certified potion to see if you have a form and can transform, however I need to warn you that those under third year are not allowed to try this, too dangerous."
"So you don't choose your form?" Collin asked.
"No, every human has an inner animal, a few like me can manifest by turning into it. I am the dog, a big black dog or as dear Sybil says a grim. Though I do not bring death but fun and light now!"
"How long did it take you to become an Animagmus?" Harry asked.
"Two years to fully get it, I went slow so not to cause an accident and did not have a mentor to tutor me, any of you who wish to become one needs a mentor of course."
What many did not know of course about Harry was the fact that he had found his form and was now learning to become that form. As he had a firm grasp on his mind now to do the transformation he was concentrating on becoming the Peregrine Falcon he had dreamed about when he had taken the potion. It was perfect for Harry as he so loved to fly and when he finally became his form Madam Hooch would help in his training, she was a natural Animagmus, a very rare person who could turn from the age they could walk and talk into their Animagmus form. She was a hawk and she would teach Harry to fly and hunt in his animal form.
There were two registries for Animagmus, the public one that both McGonagall and Sirius were now on and the more private one that was kept with the unspeakable office. There were far more Animagmus than the seven on the public register, there were two hundred of them in the UK alone, ten of these did not have to register as they were natural Animagmus like Hooch. Of course there was something about their animal form that came through to their human form much like Hooch with her yellow eyes and the ministry thought that enough to let people know what they were. The private register was for the others who needed the secrecy so they could do their jobs as Aurors, reporters and the like. In fact one in ten Aurors was an Animagmus and this made their work easier to do.
Finally the meeting came to an end and tea was laid out. The food was great, there were cucumber sandwiches, curry chicken sandwiches, tea cakes. scones with raisins or cranberries, hard boiled eggs, muffins, clotted cream and strawberry jam for the scones, chocolate sponge cake and chocolate dipped strawberries. The students tucked into to the food and tea and talked among themselves while Remus and Sirius took their tea and food separate with perfect social grace. Remus smiled remembering all the afternoon teas he had had in school with his friends and though he missed James (he refused to think on Peter) right now life was definitely looking up for him as he looked over the happy healthy students who were the future of the world.
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A few days later Remus looked over the letter given to him by Mercury yet again, he was still finding that Mercury in his true form was not the well muscled oiled youth the Greeks favored a bit strange. Yet he liked the fellow well enough though he rarely saw him, only when he brought the letters instead of just sending them. Remus had read the letter and learned that Fate had allowed both Harry and Ginny a gift they could share. It was easily to explain to others, Harry had been marked as the equal of Voldemort and Ginny had been used by his diary in her first year. So no wonder they were Parselmouth and that was why Remus had them come to his classroom. Sirius being there was all the better as he could freak his friend out, served him right for making him worry all those years.
"You wished to see us sir?" Ginny asked.
"Please call me Remus, your brothers do when not in class you know and you are far more wise and mature than they are." Remus said taking out a long docile king snake, "I have something for you two."
"Oh she is beautiful!" Ginny said reaching for the snake getting Harry to stare at her.
"You like snakes?" Harry asked her.
Oh yes she is perfect, what is your name? Ginny asked in Parseltongue not realizing she had getting Sirius to freak out just as Remus had hoped (he did like his friend but sometimes he had to prank him).
I am Sylvia young speaker, you speak my language?
Ginny when did you learn to do that? Harry asked in Parseltongue.
T-Tom I think, does that mean…
You good, not evil like evil speaker. Sylvia said curling around Ginny's shoulders, you like ancient speaker, good not bad, but snake was bad who fooled her and made all of us look bad. I good snake.
You are really good Ginny, it is not your fault Voldemort took advantage of you like he did. I think we should switch to English before Padfoot faints, talk to you later okay Sylvia? Harry said.
Very well young speakers.
"Both of you can speak to snakes?" Sirius said weakly.
"As usual your intelligence astounds me." Came the voice of one Severus Snape from the door.
He entered the room with a smoking goblet and handed it to Remus who smiled at him and drank it down. It was not Wolfsbane, no that Remus carried now as Severus had found away to make it into chews and had patented it and was now making money off of it. No this was a potion for the werewolf flu, one of the very few illnesses a werewolf could get. Remus had started to get the symptoms and Severus had noticed and made the potion for his friend. Yes Severus did find it refreshing to be friends with Remus, there were still times he felt a bit of fear but those were fewer and much further apart. He knew Remus would rather die than hurt him and always took his Wolfsbane and locked himself up during his change. He saw Sirius and narrowed his eyes sneering at the mutt.
"Oh if it isn't the mutt." Severus said softly, "is the flea potion still working for you?"
"I don't know, I don't need it, clearly you have not used the shampoo I sent you." Sirius shot back getting Ginny to gasp.
"It's not my style, I don't use shampoo that is clearly made for dogs." Severus said, forgetting for a moment the two students watching this unmannerly behavior. "I don't intend to lower myself to that."
"At least I am not cruel to students and belittle them every chance I get."
"Um actually he is a very good professor, he makes sure to give us everything we need to make good potions." Ginny said standing up for her professor.
"I am not giving you any points for your house." Severus said, "you can stop trying to butter me up."
"She only speaks the truth sir." Harry said giving his godfather an apologetic look.
"Hnn, well I have other things to do than hang around a bunch of lions and whelps." Severus said.
He left the room in a billow of black robes in a fairly good mood, he got to insult Black, have two students stand up for him and get the last word in. Life was looking up for him. Remus smirked as Sirius pouted and did his best to look upset. Harry just grinned at him and Remus knew that Sirius did not really hate Severus as he had done in school. After all Severus had brought him to the castle in one piece and he had even gave him all the potions and such he needed to get well. However Sirius and Severus still loved to argue and annoy the other, they would not try to kill each other now but they would not be friends.
"Don't Sirius, just don't prank him." Harry said seeing the look in his godfather's eyes, "he will just turn it on you."
"Why are you on his side Harry?" Sirius whined, "James would not have been!"
"Yes he would have, in the end he was." Remus said.
"Lily ruined him then." Sirius grumbled.
"No she did not, James just realized Severus was not a bad wizard even if he was a slimy snake." Remus replied, "he is a very good potions professor too, I have never heard of a professor putting the instructions in step by step detail on the board before. All a student has to do is follow those instructions and they will make a perfect potion."
"Then why do some students still do so badly?" Harry asked.
"Because they are nervous, nerves and potions do not go together well." Remus replied, "at least Severus is even tempered for a potions professor. Now are you two going to teach me how to speak Parseltongue or not?"
"Sure we can teach you." Harry said.
Remus smiled as Ginny's eyes lit up, she had thought she was evil for knowing this but she was not and now her favorite professor wanted to learn from her! Remus could see the fine young lady she would grow into and knew that this time around she would have a chance to develop into a strong witch. Before her first year she had been well on her way to being strong but was set back fatally with her time under Tom's control. Remus was going to help rectify that now and he saw how Fate having Ginny and Harry speaking the language of the snakes would help with that. He was not sure if Harry and Ginny would get together and wed this time around but at the least they would be very good friends and that is what Harry needed, good strong friends around him at this time.
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I wanted to show Ginny as getting the help she needed too after her first year. I may or may not put her with Harry, however she deserves a good life no matter what. Having her help start a new club with the help of her friends would not be amiss, she did after all help with the DA when Harry was off "hunting" in her sixth year. As for her knowing Parseltongue, well yea that is a bit of stretch I know but well why not? It will make her stronger and I like a strong Ginny after all. Besides I like freaking out Sirius!