Disclaimer:

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners.

The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise.

No copyright infringement is intended.

I've fixed some errors and added almost a thousand words, I hope this version is better.

Ch8

New Players

The weekend before the first task brought Susan and Hannah to the study table, surprising Harry and his girls. It was surprising because neither Hannah nor Susan had stopped anywhere near any of them in two weeks, not to study or even a quick chat in a hallway. Each of the girls had tried to talk to the two Hufflepuffs on several occasions but to no avail.

"Hello Susan, Hannah. How are you today?" Harry asked smiling. He wasn't mad at them anymore, upset and saddened yes but not mad. He was going against a Hufflepuff in the tasks, which was bound to cause strife. It took a few days but Harry had realized that it would have happened with any of the other houses, if one of their house mates were the Hogwarts Champion, Hufflepuff was no different. Padma and Luna told him Ravenclaw would have even worse to him if the Hogwarts Champion were from their house and he didn't want to think, how Slytherin would be handling it, but it hurt that neither Hufflepuff would even talk to him about it.

Susan smiled shyly while Hannah at least tried too. "Could we talk alone for a few minutes Harry?" Susan asked, Harry caught Hannah stiffen for a moment and tried to give her a reassuring smile.

"Sure if you want, Susan, let's take a walk." Harry said standing and motioning for the two of them to follow him out of the library. Hannah looked relieved to be included.

Outside Susan walked beside him while Hannah on her other side. It was a nice day, with only a light breeze. As they walked, Harry waited. He could hear her heart pounding and she was sweating. Whatever she wanted to talk about had her nervous. Padma suggested he let her talk in her own time and he felt that was good advice.

They were on their second trip around the lake when Susan finally got up her nerve. "First I'd like to say I'm," Susan looked to Hannah and added. ", we're sorry Harry."

"Sorry, about what Susan?" He could guess but he wanted to be sure.

"We are sorry we didn't believe you about the tournament, we should have at least talked to you about it before we judged." Susan answered sheepishly.

"I understand Susan, I'm sure it was hard for you, I'm stuck going against your champion. Believe me I don't want to want to be in this tournament at all, I like Cedric, he's a nice guy, but why are you saying all this now?"

"I wrote my Aunt and she sort of set me straight, I didn't know she was even here that night. She sent me this to give you, she says Dumbledore seems to be blocking her investigation and the Minister isn't helping, of course she says the Minister doesn't help anyone but himself." Susan covered her mouth in horror. "I didn't just say that!" Harry had to laugh at that, she sounded just a little too much like Hagrid, as he took the letter and read it.

He sighed and pushed the note to the girls, the girls gasped. 'Dumbledore wasn't even allowing Aurors into the school until the next task, and not near enough of them at that. Dumbledore didn't seem to want to know who was trying to kill him, of course he never had before either and unfortunately someone was always trying to kill him. The other news was just plain strange, he'd have to talk to Madam Bones about it.

"Take them to see Madam Bones Harry." Hermione said with the others agreeing.

Harry sighed, he wasn't sure about showing Susan and Hannah his shadow ability, but he did need to see Madam Bones and needed to get to Gringotts also. "Why are we heading towards the forest?" Hannah asked fearfully being the first to notice Harry was leading them towards it.

Harry heard Hannah's beat start to race. "It Ok Hannah, we are just going to that tree." He pointed to a large tree a few meters from the edge of the forest, its big canopy gave off plenty of shadows for Harry to use, while giving them cover should anyone from the castle be watching.

Harry slipped between them and just as they were out of sight of the castle, he took them into the shadows.

"What are we doing? How are you doing this?"

"It's something that has to stay quiet, please."

"Keeping secrets is something I was taught early on Harry, but keeping something like this from my Aunt…?" Susan left the statement hanging but Harry had to laugh.

"Susan we are going to shadow right into her office, I don't think you're going to have to keep this secret from her."

"Oh right! I guess I don't." Susan answered sheepishly.

"Anyway, I can enter shadows and slip anywhere, if feels more like gliding though, doesn't it."

"Yeah, a little like swimming but I don't have use of my arms or legs, in fact I really don't feel them, and the strange thing is I don't miss them either." Susan exclaimed once she realized that.

Hannah half in panic tried to pull away from Harry. "Hannah, stop, I don't know what will happen to you if I let go, I'm keeping you in the shadows, but if I let go early I don't know if you'll just pop out or get lost in here."

Hannah stopped trying to pull away but was still scared. She felt trapped and didn't like it. "Can we get out of here?"

Slipping through shadows and checking where they were they finally came to the Ministry and then to an office with Madam Bones office sitting at a desk. The desk was full of papers and files one of which Madam Bone was reading, a frown on her face. "Is this it?" Harry asked from within the shadow beside a book case across from the desk, it should be, unless Madam Bones was using someone else's desk.

"Yeah, this is her office." Susan said looking from their hiding place in the shadows at the familiar furniture and plaques on the walls. Susan saw the piles of paperwork on her aunt's rather large desk and sighed. "She is always busy." Susan said sadly, she never truly got to see her Aunt, not for long periods of time at least, she was always busy, always running. Susan always felt loved but sometimes it wasn't enough.

Harry was about to slip in to the office when Madam Bones looked up from her reading and touched her wand to a spot on her desk. The door opened and her secretary stepped in. "Could you please send in Auror Tonks now?" She asked putting t folder down.

"Oh I met her this summer, she's nice, funny too, and she can change her appearance."

"How can she do that?" Harry asked but before Susan could answer a young Auror with pink hair entered. "Director you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, Tonks I need a person in Hogwarts." Tonks came to attention and her voice now had a bit of tenseness to it.

"Is someone bothering Susan?" Harry could see her itch to grab her wand she obviously liked Susan, and was all for protecting her, but what surprised him was her hair changing to a dark angry red and her body changing slightly from the very nice womanly curves to a harder more predator body type. It was like the changes he'd seen in his girls and Pansy after their first change. This new Auror would be stronger and be able to move faster than the average adversary could.

"I like her." Harry announced finally.

"So do I, she's fun." Susan said with a giggle seemingly no to notice the battle changes in the Auror while Hannah stayed quiet, deathly quiet.

Before Harry could comment, Madam Bones was answering the Auror. "No it's not Susan, if someone was bothering Susan I'd storm the gates, no it's this tournament, Dumbledore isn't doing anything about the forth Champion. Someone put Mr. Potters name in the Goblet of Fire and it's not for a good reason, I've tried to contact Mr. Potter several times but the owls just return and the Headmaster isn't letting me in to see him. I've asked Susan to contact him but I don't know how he'll be able to contact me, it was more to let him know we were still looking into everything and hoping he could get information out, I swear I'm beginning to think Susan and him are in a prison or something, not a school. Therefore, I need you to enter and be my in-between while keeping an eye out. You'll be authorized to defend Mr. Potter or any other student if needed and this is a covert ops Tonks." Madam Bones stressed.

Auror Tonks nodded in understanding and her body started to change, she became shorter; her breasts smaller unfortunately, while her hair turned reddish-blonde and her eyes changed color to a vibrant blue. The Auror only took seconds to end up looking funny, swimming, in her Auror uniform after going from sexy twenty something year old Auror to pretty fifteen year old nameless student that would blend into any situation. Madam Bones nodded her agreement it was a perfect disguise. Harry couldn't help but wonder about the Maunders Map though, it had showed Peter even while in his Rat form. Harry didn't know how the Map could tell, maybe his magical signature, but the Headmaster didn't know about Peter had been in the castle, or did he?

Auror Tonks changed back to her normal appearance; well at least the one she came in with, with her abilities Harry couldn't be sure she had come I with her own form to begin with, not that he was complaining, this is a nice form.

"Oh Auror Tonks," Madam Bones stopped her from leaving. "The Headmaster isn't allowing my Aurors to continue to fill in for his vacationing Professor. He must have noticed them snooping around." Madam Bones spat out the word Professor as if it was foul tasting, didn't sound like she believed the vacationing part either. "I'd like you to keep Susan away from the new potions Professor, Professor Slughorn; he was always creepy, even while I was in school I felt something off about him. I don't want Susan or any female student alone with him if you can help it but unfortunately he may go for Mr. Potter for a different reason, he likes to collect people, famous people. He uses them to further himself, and Mr. Potter would be his crown jewel, and I don't like the thought of that."

'Well what's one more person?' Harry thought as he slipped into Madam Bones's office, holding both hands up as two wands were brought to bear to them with surprising speed. "Aunty!" ignoring the wand Susan rounded her aunt's desk to give her hug. "It's only Harry."

"Susan how…?" Madam asked lowering her wand but only slightly while Auror Tonks continued to cover her.

"You'd have to ask Harry, he brought us; you did say you needed to talk to him." Madam Bones looked at Harry sternly waiting for an explanation.

"Let's just say it's an ability I have recently acquired for the moment, but it's not something I'm willing to go into, it may just be what saves my life someday."

"Yeah I'll say." The Young Auror said impressed.

"We all have our abilities, Auror Tonks." Harry said with a smile, she was cute but other than that didn't do anything for him, unlike Susan, Fleur and the others, he really didn't have a reaction to Hannah but she just may come as a package deal if anything does happen with Susan. However, that didn't seem likely, Susan and Hannah were together, Hannah didn't seem to like him, and Harry wasn't going to split them.

Over the next two hours, Harry told of his time at Hogwarts, most of which neither Susan nor Hannah knew anything about. Madam Bones was incensed, Susan could have been hurt if not killed, and Dumbledore hadn't said a thing, never asked for help. No one could understand how Susan hadn't written about the monster in the halls or the Chamber of Secrets being opened. It wasn't like her, but her letters showed nothing, it was like she had forgotten all about it, or that it wasn't important enough to write home about. Susan had a new respect for Hermione while Hannah smiled at Harry, something in her had changed towards him, and Harry was happy about that.

Once he asked about this new Professor, Harry wasn't happy. The thought of the slug club was sickening to Harry, and Madam Bones was right, he would be just the sort the Professor would look for. Harry mood darkened at the old rumors surrounding the Professor and young girls. Harry also promised too also look out for Susan and Hannah, both girls beamed at him for that, while back at Hogwarts Hermione and the other started rumors of their own, hoping to keep young girls from being alone with the sleazy Professor, no one cared if there was no proof, better safe than sorry.

"Harry it looks like they've notice you haven't been seen in a while, Professor McGonagall just stopped me, looking for you." Hermione said worriedly.

"Well we've been here awhile, and I'm sure if they haven't noticed I'm missing yet they soon will, and I still need to make a stop of Gringotts, we should be going."

Madam Bones was startled out her thoughts, she was very worried that Voldemort may still alive or whatever he is. She hopped Harry was wrong, but she had heard of ways that dark wizards could stay alive, it's what made the darkest of dark wizards so dark. She had more questions but he was right, they needed to get back, and this shadow ability would allow him to return easily enough. Madam Bones looked to her young Auror. She was white as a ghost the very thought that Voldemort was alive scared her deeply, but Madam Bones knew she was capable. She held out a bag of coins, "I still need you there and you'll need clothes that fit."

Auror Tonks didn't even blink, Madam Bones knew even though at the moment she was frightened she would pull through and do her job, she was a Auror through and through. "Thank you, Director. I'll go shopping now and slip into the school in the morning."

"You'll need a place to sleep, I trust Professor Sprout, and she'll keep things quiet."

Susan bounced up, catching Harry's eye, well a part of her did, Madam bones noticed but she also noticed he took it in stride, he didn't leer like most every man would have, but he did seem to like what he saw, this one might be a good match for her niece. "I can talk to her tonight." She said excitedly continuing to bounce.

Hannah found even she had a new found respect for Harry. If he could resist the sight of Susan chest bouncing, he might not be like all the other boys, those that weren't gay at least. Of course, he had a few girls waiting for him, so Susan's chest though bigger than any of his girls may not be that big a deal for him. Susan chest was nice; Hannah use to wish hers were as impressive.

"Madam Bones about that last part, how am I considered an adult now?"

"Oh yes, sorry, my mind was on other things, thank you for reminding me. On Nov 1st Professor Dumbledore and the Minister signed paper work to emancipate you, just so you could compete in a tournament for adults. The thing is, I only found that out through my investigation so I have a feeling that as so as the tournament to finished, they will cancel it. However, if you were able to finalize everything with Gringotts they won't be able to and considering how they tried to hide everything, I don't think they want you to take your lordship. I don't know what's going on Harry but taking your Lordship could help you. However, it is a double edged sword and could cause other problems for you."

"Thank you Madam Bones, I'll look into it."

Scene Break

"I still think that's weird."

"It's something you get used to Susan."

"Why are we here Harry?"

"I have to see the Goblins, Hannah; it won't take more than a few minutes. I just have to pick something up." Harry answered as they entered Gringotts. Hannah was at least on his other side from Susan, this time, but she still seamed leery of him though. Harry was trying not to take offence of that as they sought out the head teller.

"Is Hookknife free to see me?" Harry asked the sourly Goblin behind the podium.

The Goblin looked down at them narrowed his eyes and nodded. "I will see, Mr. Potter, I will return."

Both Susan and Hannah looked at him surprised. "Was he actually being nice?"

Harry shrugged. "I guess, they're not always like that?"

"Um, no Harry." Hannah answered.

"Well that was about the same as the first time Hagrid brought me in, for school shopping."

Once the Goblin returned, they followed him to Hookknifes' office. "I did not expect you so soon Mr. Potter." The Goblin behind the desk said pulling out a wooden box and slipping it across the desk to Harry. Inside were seven labeled vials of blood. Chinese Fireball, Welsh Green, Hebridean Black, Hungarian Horntail, Norwegian ridgeback Peruvian Vipertooth, and one Harry didn't even recognize the writing, he guessed he shouldn't, it was written in Goblin.

Harry's eyes widened. "What's the seventh one Hookknife?"

Hookknife smiled, it was creepy, both girls edged closer to Harry. "Oh that is a Kasiskios, the largest and meanest Dragon ever known."

Susan impressed Harry by asking before he did. "I thought Hungarian Horntail was considered the meanest even if it wasn't the largest Dragon?" She'd have to ask Harry later why he was getting Dragon blood from the Goblins.

"Very good Ms. Bones the Horntail is, but that wasn't always the case. The Kasiskios was the only Dragon to, actively seek out and attack wizards, and wizards of course felt threatened and hunted the Kasiskios to extinction. We were luckily to get there and save a few vials of the last ones blood."

Harry was impressed but they couldn't stay and get to know about this new dragon. "Thank you Hookknife, these will be perfect, I'd like to stay and talk but we must be getting back to school, they don't know we are missing, but that won't be for much longer."

"Yes that is understandable, Mr. Potter."

"Harry what about your emancipation." Susan asked from beside him just as Hermione did from Hogwarts.

Harry smiled at Susan. "I forgot, Susan thank you. I'm told I'm emancipated by the ministry but there's something Gringotts has to finalize for my emancipation to be complete and irrevocable?"

Hookknife smiled and gave a short nod to Susan as he pulled a folder from his desk. "I expected that request." Hookknife said opening the folder and handing a single paper to Harry. "Sign here and Gringotts will recognize your Lordship."

Harry looked at the paper. "I'm tired of being manipulated and this will make it harder for someone to do so?" He looked at Susan for her input and she nodded. Harry smiled and signed the paper work, Hookknife handed Harry a small box and inside was his Head of House ring.

Harry looked to Susan and she smiled and nodded to the ring, he turned to Hannah and though looking surprised he asked she nodded agreeing with Susan for him to put the ring on. Hermione and the others were encouraging him to do the same. Harry took a deep breath and slipped the ring on. The ring resized to fit him and he felt warmth spread from the ring for a second before it settled. He was now head of house Potter. One of the papers still with Hookknife glowed with an update and Hookknife read the changes. "Lord Potter you are bonded?" the ring must link with Gringotts somehow.

Scene Break

"Who are you bonded with?" Susan asked Harry as he shadowed them into the classroom after leaving Gringotts.

"How are you bonded," Hannah asked sounded relieved until she noticed all of Harry's girls in the classroom with them. "You can't be bonded to all of them!" Now she sounded confused and worried.

Hermione, Padma, and Parvati stepped forward, and while Padma took Hannah's hand and Parvati took Susan's leading them to desk in front of the others, Hermione kissed Harry. "Why don't you make yourself known around the castle, we'll take care of this." Harry knew not to argue, he'd just lose, but he flashed Susan and Hannah a encouraging smile and walked out the door.

Susan and Hannah watched as Hermione put up charms around the room, which neither knew, had them worried a little. Seeming to pick that up, Hermione smiled at them. "Don't worry, we just want to make sure what is said here stays here, it's not something we want bandied around the castle."

Scene Break

"It's been five days Hermione, you sure this is working it has never taken this long, not even with your parents?" Harry asked as Hermione tucked him into the small bed, in the little Muggle pup tent. They had decided that transforming into a large dragon wouldn't be a good idea within the castle, so Harry had stayed in a small tent in their clearing, every night.

"Calm down Harry," Hermione said as grabbed the Amulet and held it out for him to see. ", the blood is finally gone, it makes sense that it just takes longer to transform into such a large and magical creature may be slowing it down also, but tonight is the night, you know it is," Harry did know, deep down he knew, he would make his first change into a Kasiskios dragon. None of his girls was sleeping with him, they'd be hurt during his change, but he didn't like it. He hadn't slept without, at least, one of them by his side, in a long time, and it wasn't something he wanted to get used too. "Now, good night, Harry." Harry pouted but Hermione only smiled. "Oh no Harry, that's not going to work, we are just a few meters away. Each of the girls are going to come and give you a kiss," Harry's eyes lit up but Hermione dashed those thoughts, ", just a kiss Harry you need sleep to transform and any more than a kiss and none of us will get any sleep."

Scene Break

Harry's head hitting a tree woke him up. He was big, very big. Harry rolled to get his clawed feet beneath him and stood to spread his wings. He wrapped them in front of him to be better able to see them. They were beautiful, and he was sure the rest of him was too. He started to crane his neck but he didn't need too, his girls were sending him the images. He was blood red in color with four legs, two hind two front, each with deadly looking claws, his front claws could even pick up things, almost human like, his long neck could see all around him and he had a long armored tail, he could swat at anything near him. Even armored from head to tail, he was very movable, and his size belied his speed. Harry doubted the basilisk would be any problem now; it was almost a garden snake in comparison.

He would be quick on land, but how quick and maneuverable would he be in the air, Harry had to see and with a quick flap of his powerful wings, he took off. With a look down, he saw his girls, he could see why wizards feared this beast, and he could see what Harry could only describe as their magic. They glowed; there were few ways, a witch or wizard could hide from him. Their magic almost called to him, he could see the other creatures that called the forest home, even the ones without noticeable magic, like dear and the like. Their scents carried on the wind too, his sense of small was even better; this was the predator of predators. Anything coming against him would die a horrible death. Flying in this form was better than flying as an owl, better then flying on his broom even. He flipped, he rolled, he dived, and he hovered almost motionless in the air. He could do anything in the air.

The first razes a sunlight hit him and he turned back lest he be seen. It was then he saw them, Dragons, four of them, in cages hidden in another clearing deeper within the forest. Harry dove down, landed, and transformed, soon to be surrounded by his ladies. "Why are there dragons here?" Ginny asked worriedly. Ginny knew the reason, they all did, four dragons, four competitors, but the question should really be what did the champions have to do with or too the dragons? That's what had her worried and she wasn't the only one.

Harry followed by the girls slipped into the shadows to get a closer look, they knew each of these types of dragons. They had researched them all while searching for the one that matched them, but seeing them up close was something different. A ripple of fear shot through the girls at the sight of the dragons, even if Harry's new form was bigger, much bigger than even the biggest of these dragons, the Horntail, but that was Harry. They all knew Harry, could feel Harry within his dragon form, but these were normal, mindless, though angry dragons. Nesting ones at that and nothing was more dangerous than a nesting dragon and these were becoming agitated, breathing fire more and more, something had spooked them but neither Harry nor the girls knew what that might be until they nearly turned as one to look in their direction and started pushing at their cages trying to get to them.

The horntail was actually damaging her cage to get to them or actually, she seemed intent on Harry. "I will kill you, tare you apart, stay away from my children." The thought that dragons speaking like snakes temporally turned them from their fear but it came back with force. They hated Harry; they must feel the dragon within him, a dragon, they feared, was there to take their eggs.

The cages would soon fail and the bonded made a hasty retreat back to the castle.

"I can't believe they would send the champions against nesting dragons." Hermione said wrapping her arms around Harry more for her own comfort then his, as the others crowded in for a hug also.

"And now whichever dragon I'm assigned will be after me from the get go, and I can't exactly change to meet her head on." Harry said within the group hug. The hug came crushing down harder around him in response.

Scene Break

The morning before the first task, Harry and his girls were showing Neville and Pansy their little field within the forest. Unfortunately there was no grass left on the ground now, the beginning frost of the coming winter took care of that but it was still special for the bonded, and they wanted to share a little of it with Neville and Pansy. "So will Lavender become one of your bonded?" Hermione asked Neville. She was starting to like this new Lavender; she wasn't as flaky as before, her association with Neville and Pansy really helped her there. She'd noticed other boys in Gryffindor giving her looks, she now, not only had a body but was finally showing she had a brain, though some of the boys, the ones wanting a dumb blond, didn't seem to like that part.

Neville nodded while Pansy answered. "Yes we think so, were not sure how she will handle it. The change is a lot to take and the bond that if formed only adds to it, though it does help in the end. Besides, I'm finding I like her, she's so different, then I first thought, I think she will add a lot to the mix, also." Pansy turned to look at Neville it was obvious they were talking silently until Neville nodded his acceptance to whatever she had asked of him.

"With Susan and Hannah back with the study group will you be adding them?" Both Neville and Pansy knew it had been hard for Harry the last couple of weeks.

"We talked for a bit the other day, Susan seems likely but we're not sure, Hannah hasn't opened up to Harry, we're not sure she likes him, she may like someone else or just plain doesn't like boys, and we refuse to break them up, it was decided to back off and let things go naturally. They do know of Harry's shadow walking; Madam Bones does also, by the way, they just don't know we all can.

Harry stopped and turned suddenly to listen. "Whatever's been watching us is back." Everyone turned to a different direction and readied for anything when a strange grey girl stumbled out of the tree line. As she stumbled towards Harry, they all took her in. She wasn't human but she wasn't any magical creature they had ever seen, it wasn't just her grey skin, her dimly glowing blue eyes or her pointed ears, it was her clawed wings. They seemed to flare out from her back along with her arms for added balance when she stumbled again. The closest anyone of them could come up with was a gargoyle, but not a gargoyle any Muggle artist had ever envisioned. She was beautiful for one instead of more House Elfish and she was a girl, a well endowed girl with very shapely legs. In the process of stopping in front of Harry the gargoyle, stumble forward and Harry had to catch her. Her blue eyes opened again and flared bright blue with the little strength she had left to look him in the eye. With the eye contact, images invaded Harry's mind of a battle her people were in. It had been going on for a while, the spiders had found them, her people used their amazing wandless magic to blast the small force of spider away. However, one had escaped and another force was right behind them, then another and after that another, and soon the whole army of spiders would be upon them. Harry could tell her people were excellent warriors with weapons, spears or swords along with magic, though they needed no wand, magic just seem to flow from their hands, but they were overwhelmed, to be torn apart by the spiders. With each attack her people lost a few more of its protectors so there weren't many of the young girls people left. Only a few of the older warriors and the youngest mostly defenseless were left.

Harry watched through the young gargoyles' eyes as a group of spiders had made it past their weakening defenses and an older female gargoyle stepping in front of her and taking the hit from a huge spider. Harry saw the blood there was a lot of it, her wound was bad The older gargoyle was her mother Harry realized and their Queen. Their Queen her mother might now be dead saving her thirteen year old daughter's life.

Harry lowered the girl, now knowing her name to be Tiasim, to the ground. "Luna, Protect her." Luna nodded and stepped closer and Harry ran towards the forest transforming in to his dragon and lifting off with a sweep of his wings. Harry's girls had seen everything Tiasim showed Harry, shifted to their cats and slipping in to their shadows to go battle their cursed foe.

Hermione looked to Neville and knowing he had not seen what Tiasim had shown them, briefly explained. "Tiasim's people," Hermione nodded towards the young gargoyle girl, "are being attacked by the whole colony spiders; we could use your help."

Neville glanced at Pansy. "I'll stay too, go, but call if you need me." Pansy answered his silent, silent to everyone but her, question, Neville smiled proudly before turning and taking Hermione offered hand. He and his girls were going to have to get that shadow ability, he was fast as a basilisk but shadowing was be far a better way to go.

Scene Break

Form on high Harry saw the battle, he could see Tiasim's people fight a losing battle as more and more spiders charged ever a hill towards them. Harry banks and sat the whole colony approaching the hill. The largest group by far were going slower than their brethren. They seemed to escorting Aragog and the youngest of their brood, the ones too old or small to fight, but they were coming to watch and join the feast afterward, not if Harry had anything to say about it.

Harry swooped down and flamed Aragog and his youngest offspring, the striping run he did on the huge column of spiders marching towards Tiasim family, showed that the relatively small amount of spiders the girl and he had dealt with over last few months was just a drop in the bucket. Well this ends here, Harry thought as he spun on his tail and headed to the main battle where several hundred spiders were attacking the much smaller number of Tiasim's people.

Harry was getting images of his girls surrounding the small colony exhausted gargoyle numbering less than twenty, slashing and biting any spider to come near. Neville's snake form was out among the spiders using his deadly gaze at the distant foe coming over the hill, his jaws chopping at anything that came near him.

Harry landed leaving thirty meters or more between him and Neville to give them each plenty of space but still able to defend each other and bellowed his challenge and followed it with a jet of flame to roast as many spiders as he could. Two of the larger spiders come up from behind him, and with a warning from Pavarti he was able to grab one in each hand, finding it very easy to hold them with his clawed hands, and even easier to smash those things together, though messy, kind of like smashing two raw eggs together.

The battle was soon over and Harry found Tiasim's mother, she didn't look good, she wouldn't be making it. She locked eyes with Harry. "My daughter, found you, I didn't want to believe you would help, I'm glad my daughter doesn't always listen to me." Her voice his head even sounded weak.

Scene Break

Luna sat with the girls head in her lap while Pansy kept watch for any danger. The girls skin was fine grey fish like scales though not slimy or course in anyway, they were rather soft in fact. The girl's head turned head allowed Luna to be able to look at the girls pointed ears. They were cute in a way, molded almost to the side of her head, most likely to make flying easier, curved quite beautifully if Luna had anything to say about it. She couldn't stop herself and lightly ran her finger along that delicious curve. The girls eyes opened and she turned weakly to look at Luna fearfully before saw images of herself, the loss of her mother, the loneliness, the pranks played on her, her bonding with Harry the love she felt for him and her other bonded.

Luna felt a small pull on her magic and watched, as the girl's eyes brightened and she knew the girl had used some of her magic, the girl's images and thoughts were stronger now. Finally understanding Luna tried to think to the girl, it was different then talking to her bonded but not difficult. "Take more, I don't mind and you need it."

Even as the girl took a little more magic Luna felt the confusion, the girl didn't fully understand, Luna's magic was different, while Tiasim's came from around them, slowly, Luna's came from within. Understanding a little about House Elves Luna tried to explain them, Tiasim countered with they didn't bond with a family, their world, a part that Luna didn't understand but allowed Tiasim to continue anyway, had lots of magic to draw from, a lot more than this world. The images Luna received of this truly magical world where even the plants where magical, their sun would fall the plants glowed giving off their own light, it was beautifully breathtaking. Luna expressed her desire to see Tiasim's world and fear raced through their mind like, a war from below, and ancient enemy thought long gone had waited a millennia to rage their war again, taking the peaceful inhabitants by surprise. Millions died those first days, all was lost, and Tiasim's father, the King, had to abandon their world. The destruction of the surface world had been devastating and complete, their world was dead, and Tiasim's people could no longer survive there. A hundred volunteers used all their magic to open a Transeo, a pass-through gate to the first world they could, and the rest of Tiasim's surviving people passed through only to find that that world had no magic, it hadn't been destroyed like their own world's had been it just didn't have any and they soon were starving. In a last ditch, effort a thousand stepped up and sacrificed them-selves to open another Transeo, that one landed the Royal family, their guards and a few others here, less than a hundred in total. However they found they could do little more than survive here, but they would live. The magic of the school called them but they couldn't risk come too close to being found for fear of what would happen, but they were found anyway by the spiders.

The only thing Luna found to smile about was the fact that Tiasim disobeyed her family and continued to watch her and the bonded. It was Tiasim who Harry had felt all those times, when Tiasim wasn't mindful of her broadcasting her thoughts centered on Harry. She was attracted to the alien even if he didn't have wings and that was before she watched him turn into his dragon, now she was positively in love him. Luna took delight in telling Tiasim that Harry felt attracted to her too and he would love to go flying with her if she could fly that is. Tiasim's only response was to show Luna her flying above her beloved home with all the glowing flowers in bloom, below her.

Tiasim suddenly turned sullen. "Mother calls, she says she will not last much longer." She said worriedly.

As Tiasim stood, Luna noticed all the little cuts and scrapes from her run through the forest to find them had healed. "Harry Tiasim says her mother calls is it safe?"

"Yes hurry, her mother doesn't look good and she won't go to Hogwarts not that I'm sure Madam Pomfrey could do anything, I've been getting a lesson, their Queen, they're not from around here." Harry said trying to lighten the mood a little.

"I got a similar lesson, from Tiasim here but we are on our way, and I have an idea." As she took Tiasim and Pansy into the shadows, she told Harry of her thoughts.

Scene Break

While Tiasim dropped to her mother's side, Pansy went to Neville's, looking him over as she did, and Luna went to Harry's and started to explain her theory silently to the bonded at the same time mother and daughter were having a private conversation between themselves and the twenty other survivors.

"You are my oldest Tiasim and I make you queen." While Tiasim nodded reluctantly, the others of her race knelt in recognition of a new queen.

Luna having the most contact with Tiasim called out. "Tiasim what's happening?"

Tiasim looked up confused at the foreign words but when her eyes locked onto Luna's it only took a second to understand. "I am now Queen my mother has made it so, as her last command."

"But she can heal."

Tiasim shook her head. "There is not enough magic or time." She looked around sadly.

"Tiasim look at you arms." Luna demanded, several of the warriors stood in anger at the disrespect shown to their Queen, however when she did she gasped, her arms were healed, Luna's had given her the magic to heal, she wouldn't have been able to heal that quickly on her own world. She looked down at her mother then at Harry. "Please!"

Learning enough from Luna, he knelt before the Queen or ex-queen. "Take my Magic."

The ex-queen looked affronted. "No! It is not right, using another's magic is forbidden."

Luna touched Tiasim's arm drawing her attention. "Tell her how we understand you cannot make magic on your own but we can; how we are different in that small respect, sharing our magic will not harm us, and that we will gladly 'share' our magic with your people."

Tiasim told her mother and showed her how she had been healed of her minor injuries, she begged her mother to try. She could not lose her mother; her and her brother needed their mother, now more than ever.

After several long minutes, Tiasim's mother turned weakly to Harry and tried to hold her arm out to him but was too weak to hold it up. Harry took her hand and held it as he felt a small trickle of magic leave him. Slowly the trickle of magic increased as the ex-queen in turn became stronger. They all watched in amazement as her slice across her stomach closed and healed to the point of not even leaving a scar in its place. They all watched her gaunt look fade and change into a younger looking gargoyle; she must have been a young queen.

She let go and stood on her own as her daughter and son hugged her while the few others of their race left, cheered. The ex-queen turned to Harry and Harry felt the full weight of the healthy mind upon his. He saw his whole life, as a baby he saw a heard more than before, more then what the Dementors brought out of him. He saw how much his parents loved him, he saw Padfoot and Moony as young men, and he saw the night his parents died. He not only saw the good times, but the bad to. His life with the Dursleys, the beatings and starvations, he saw the night he met Hagrid and his first time meeting Hermione. He saw everything first, second and third years, including receiving the Amulet, his transformation and his second, he heard the old Queen chuckle at his guilt about his hunting of that first Kneazle. Then he saw and felt Hermione's first transformation, the pain was unbelievable even in memory form, but as he watched, he knew the pain had came from his scar, in fact he hadn't had any pain from it since. He watched, as the Queen seemed to slow down the memory, through Harry's eyes they both saw a black mist leave Harry's scar and scream in bloody murder just before feeling the connection to Hermione forming before hearing her frantic call and his fall into unconsciousness.

The Queen watched as each new girl was added, he was embarrassed, but she didn't seem to mind. She watched until everything just stopped, then they were both in a forest, a forest Harry recognized. They were still in his mind but this was different, they weren't just looking at old memories now, this was live, this was…he didn't know what, he didn't' understand how he could be walking around in his own mind. "We can't be here, we should leave." Harry pleaded however, the Queen wasn't listen, she was leading him to the large cat with green eyes watching them from the tall grass.

"Why have you locked part of yourself in this cage, Harry?" The Queen asked as she knelt before the black beast.

"My…myself?"

"Yes, yes, while you retained some of the base instincts of this noble creature they are well incorporated into you, they are the same as your own, to eat and procreate. Though this form would be more aggressive in those pursuits, all living creatures have them. However this creature before us, represents more than just those instincts, your fear and anger that you repressed all these years are here, locked away, saving you from dealing with them. It's not your cat form that wants out, you saw that mist that left your scar when your bong with Hermione broke it's lesser bond with you, with it gone you need to learn to use and not hide them, they are what make you, you." Harry nodded, it was creepy to say the least, and seeing the memory reminded him of the wraith of Voldemort as he stabbed the diary.

The Queen smiled sadly. "Yes he was inside you, it wasn't a true bonding so it could do very little but what it could was harmful. I could see the evil and darkness along with the hate that comes with it, so much hate that positive feelings, like love hurt it, so it did the only thing it could and shunted those feelings away from you, while stealing some of you magic to do so. All your emotions in fact and with its influence gone you were afraid of the new almost foreign feeling and so couldn't cope with their influx, blaming your master form or the Beast as you called it was easier." Harry didn't understand the master form comment and at Harry confused look she explained. "You know how it's easier to use your shadow cats form above all others," Harry nodded, ", if your human form were master wouldn't it stand to reason that it would be the easiest?" Harry could agree with that and nodded again. "Good, now back to point, we will merge the two of you back together, you will have to learn how to deal with those negative feelings just as you have with those positive feelings you associate with your girls." At Harry's horrified and worried look, the Queen shrugged but smiled thinly. "Yes your Luna came to you at one of those times when one of those feelings about anger and control were at their highest, and maybe you are a little lucky it was her that time. Padma would have been a good choice also to explore those feelings, but I think Luna would feel differently about that and if that was the case you may not have your dear Luna now. Oh have no doubt young Harry it will be hard for you at first but your girls will be there right with you, including my daughter I believe."

Harry tried to protest but the Queen was having none of it. "I have seen all that you are Harry and I agree, you will make a good King." Within moments, the cat pounced, not to harm but to regain its rightful place as part of its master.

They were only gone a few moments, at least on the outside, even if it seemed like hours to them when they returned. "May I see the amulet?" the Queen asked while Harry brought his bonded up to speed.

While Hermione shadowed out to Hogwarts her daughter the Queen turned to her. "Take the Queenship back mother, it is yours by right, I am not ready, you still have a long life to lead."

The old Queen smiled. "No my daughter, that is not possible, I cannot take it back and you cannot give it back either. You are our Queen as long as you live and I will follow you until my end. You are more ready than you think, we are in a new land and new leadership will be needed, I would have doomed us all and so would have your father." Tiasim looked around hurriedly at all the survivors and didn't see her father, he had perished and she wasn't there for him. The old queen gripped her crying daughters shoulder. "He died honorably in battle, be proud of him, be proud of all that lost their lives saving us."

Everyone's head was still bowed when Hermione returned with the Amulet and handed it to Harry who handed I to the old Queen. She studied it for a few minutes from all angles, then ran her finger along the runes, amazingly each rune she touched light up briefly until she moved to the next, it was like she ws testing each one, seeing what they did. Once she'd done that, she cupped the Amulet between her hands and they started to glow as she poured magic over and through the Amulet before finally smiling. "Ingenious, I've seen what this can do." Harry had seen those memories pass by when she read them from him. The old Queen looked between her daughter and Harry and smiled, saw the desire between the two of them and decided help both of them and the last of her race at the same time. The amulet did similar things to the parents of the one called Hermione but she could manipulate the changing magic better then the Amulet could.

She turned to Harry, "If you're are going to be King, we must make a few changes, and now I know how." She said holding up the Amulet.

"King?" Harry asked looking at Tiasim who blushed purple it was quite pretty, and looked away shyly.

After several minutes of debate and questions from Hermione and others Harry accepted and was standing in front of the older Queen, he didn't know how the changes were going to be made without the Amulet but Hermione was excited to see. Harry trusted his girls to see him through safely. The old Queen started to chant as Hermione and Ginny laid their hands on the queen's shoulders giving the queen access to their magic if needed, no one wanted to Queen to weaken in the middle.

The old Queen finally laid her hand on Harry's arm, blood would not be needed, no blood bond would be created as with the Amulet, only own touch would be enough and focused on the runes guiding the Amulet's power, modifying the effect as they happened. Within moments Harry felt an itch in his back just before his wings started to grow from between his shoulder blades, then his ears itched and lengthened while fangs grew. He watched as his skin started to slowly change to white pearly scales, which was strange, he was expecting grey like the old Queens. His eyesight and hearing started to change, he started to be able to see and hear differently. He could see the magic all around like his dragon form, and he just knew he would be able to see perfectly at night, like several of his animal forms. He realized she was adding all the better characteristics of his animal forms at once, it seemed natural. He felt stronger, much stronger, physically, magically and even mentally. The changes his body had went through each time he used the Amulet paled to the changes the old Queen was making within him. Having a highly intelligent mind to guild and control the changes and not just preset runes were a vast improvement.

Finally, the old Queen collapsed, even with both Hermione and Ginny lending her their magic the changes she made in Harry took all she had for the moment. Once Hermione and Ginny felt a backlash of their magic they stepped back and the Queen turned to them and thanked them. "I could not have done that with just my own magic reserves, thank you."

Luna reached out to touch Harry's arm. He felt different then Tiasim, while her scales where soft and smooth Harry's were stronger as if armored but it was still smooth to the touch. His scales almost seemed reflective in a way, could his new scales really reflect most of the magic cast at him before it could truly hurt him. Luna hoped so.

Scene Break

"They're not even from this world!" Dan practically shouted.

"Dad! I was thinking more a different dimension then a planet. They had to leave their world and ended up here, but they're not many of their race left, we're going to help them fix that."

"How honey?" her mom asked as she pulled her husband back down to the couch between her and Aunt Connie each taking a hand to keep him there.

Hermione changed into a white gargoyle, she turned to show all sides including her bat like wings, the electric lights made her skin sparkle as if each scale was a slightly different color. A stunned set of parents and their bonded looked around the living room towards each of their guests. Harry, Ginny, Luna, the twins the new girl and her mother both of whom were Queens of their race and one boy only a year older then Sara, were no longer human but white gargoyles with wings, horns that arched backward and even tails. Luckily, none was naked, a top and bottom changed with them, even if they were more like bathing suits. "The Queen," Hermione gave a slight bow to the old Queen before continuing. ", learned how to make the genetic and magical changes from the Amulet and she taught us, so now we don't need the Amulet, we can give others the transformation ability with just skin to skin contact, without creating a bond, Tiasim still used blood though, to bond with Harry, him being King and all. The power of the Amulet has saved their race; they couldn't live here comfortably without magical cores, and the Amulets power fixed that much like it did for you and your animal cores, but she was able to use our magical core in their own transformations and now have core of their own. We are hoping daddy, to do the same with you."

Shaking off the King part for later, Dan had to ask. "So we will be able to use a wand?"

Hermione smile grew. "Well yes, the only reason you couldn't before was because the animal used with the amulet though magical didn't have the right kind of core to use a wand but give us a few minutes and that can be fixed, even if you would no longer need one." As Hermione finished a ball of fire appeared in her hand dazzling most everyone. "Magic now flows through our living bodies better than it ever could through a dead wand."

Trying to get a grip on everything her daughter just revealed Jean turned to Harry. "You've been quite quiet Harry, is something wrong?"

Harry turned towards her but didn't look her in the eye. "Um no Jean, it's just that Hermione is much better at controlling her telepathy then the rest of us." Harry answered more than a little embarrassed. He did not need to know what his mother in law was thinking at any given time.

"If you've noticed that none of our guests have spoken at all." Looking around they nodded. They had noticed but then at the same time took no notice, none of them were talking even the young one Sara was with they were just watching each other, almost to the point of having a staring contest and Sara not talking was almost unheard of. Then it hit them telepathy, they didn't need words, they may not even need a spoken language.

"So what do we need to do?" Dan asked.

Harry smiled. "Just stand up and I'll do the rest."

It only took seconds after Harry touched his arm for Dan to feel the changes start to take effect. It was so different then the Amulet, it started with warmth spread from chest outward to his limbs, then he felt his new wings grow from his back and a tail start to form. His eyesight was the biggest change, the sight had been better with just the wolf changes but his actually saw magic, it was surreal. Harry was in his head, showing how he didn't need structured spell like with a wand, he saw how to make a blue ball flame, and finding it was his daughters favorite spell held out his hand and a blue ball of flame was in his hand. Freaked Dan tried to yank his hand away but found the ball stayed within his hand. Dan turned at hearing his daughter giggle.

"Dad for one the Blue Ball flame won't hurt you, just think about it going out, and two you're naked." Hermione tried not to look at him; she did not need to see that!

Dan looked down and found it was true he was naked while his destroyed clothes lay on the ground at his feet. He turned away from his daughter, for his own embarrassment as well as hers. His transformation had been so mind boggling that he hadn't noticed his new wings ripping his shirt to threads or that his tail had done pretty much the same thing to his pants, at least to the back. They had slipped down his legs; he also noticed his shoes hadn't survived the experience, his gargoyle feet were clawed for grabbing trees and such when landing. It was strange to see four larger clawed toes with the fifth where his human heel would have been. With a mental nudge from Harry Dan wrapped his wings around himself, clasping his joint talons together making his wings look more like a cloak.

Harry watched the happy little girl pull her sister up the stairs and into her room. It would only take a few minutes to help her transform the first time and then a few more for Hermione to teach her how to use her magic to conjure clothes like everyone else had already been taught, before they came down to show everyone.

Sara was excited; she may have had to go last even if she was the only one who couldn't transform before now she was finally being allowed to. It would be a dream come true for her and it was ten minutes later as she glided down the stairs, with her wings outstretched to catch as much air as possible. She glided right to Harry as everyone clapped, she may have been the last, but she made an entrance. "I did it!" She exclaimed before kissing Harrys cheek.

Not being able to control it Harry saw into her mind and smiled. "I've been replaced." Sara's eyes glanced to Tiasim's brother.

Sara smiled and nodded. "I think I like him, he showed me so much." she finished sadly. He had shown her his world, the tall trees and blooming flowers, the glittering stars above while the plants glowed in their magnificence blows, as he glided on the night wind.

She watched, as everything turned ugly as large worms broke through the surface eating everything in their path, plants and animals alike. It didn't take long before there were thousands of them, and nothing was spared. Another memory showed one of the huge worms up close, the basilisk had nothing on them, as a hundred royal palace guards died trying to stop just one of them. The guards were amazing, even if their hide were both magic and edged weapon resistant, their spears and edged weapons which were effective against their battle with the spiders, just bounced off the thick hide of these attackers. The guards spells bouncing off in all directions was just disheartening to watch. While attempting to go after their little bitty eyes black soulless galleon sized eyes was just impossible even for the best of shots.

The only up side was that the creatures didn't seen too bright, their only deaths came from the ones being crushed by crumbling buildings.

"Can't we help them?" Sara asked, as tears threatened to fall.

"I don't know Sara." Harry said, not wanting to disappoint the girl. He knew he needed to change the subject and looked to Gorath waiting patiently across the room and when Sara turned to see, he decided to try to do just that. "See I told you, you would find someone, now go, I bet he wants to see the new you." Sara nodded and turned, wrapping her wings around and clasping her talons together so that they made a cloak of sorts and walked regally across the room to him but for anyone that knew her could tell she was barely containing the skipping she wanted to do.

Hermione sat beside him. "He's going to have a lot to learn before they start school."

Harry nodded and turned to her. "So what forms does she have?"

"Oh I talked to her mom, just her Gargoyle form, more for protection then anything and a Kneazle form so she could get used to transforming, and I glade you decided not to teach anyone else how to do the modifications."

"Thanks, I know you don't like keeping things from your parents but it could cause so many problems if everyone could do it." Harry said and Hermione was in complete agreement.

As hugs were given to the Hogwarts students Hermione noticed her father talking to Tiasim's mother, seemingly lost in those eyes of hers, Jean just smiled when she caught her daughters' eye.

Authors notes:

Some have said they didn't like and others said they didn't understand why they are needed for this story, I'm a sci fi fan at heart and that is my defense at the moment and that is coming out with the other dimensions.

Just so, you know, the Gargoyles' are from a cartoon I watched as a teen.

Hope you like.

10,500 words

Favs 689 follows 983 as of date 5/31/15 thanks so much again.

Next chapter of course if the first task.