A Familiar Friend

Chapter One

2 November 1994 - Unused Classroom, Hogwarts

Harry sat alone at a dusty professor's desk in an abandoned classroom, lost in his thoughts. Classrooms like this were the quickest way to get some much needed privacy. Two days ago, the Goblet of Fire announced him as the fourth contestant in the Triwizard tournament. None of his friends, save Hermione seemed to believe him. 'And even she is trying to appease Ron.' He thought sadly.

'Prek' Hedwig barked, sending him a gentle reprimand. "Yes, I know," he replied, stroking her feathers, "no wallowing in self-pity. At least we have each other." Hedwig sent a hint of satisfaction in response.

Harry heard a tapping at one of the large windows in the east wall of room. Turning, he saw a large brown post owl hopping impatiently at the sill. "Just a moment!" He called out as he made his way through the scattered chairs and tables. Hedwig flew quickly to her usual spot on his shoulder.

He pushed the pane, which opened with a rusty squeak, nearly dislodging the owl. He could feel Hedwig's amusement at the sight. "Sorry about that" he mumbled as the owl flew to a nearby chair and held out it's leg expectantly. Harry reached out and retrieved the letter, then made his way back to the old teacher's desk. The brown owl followed.

Harry sat down and looked over the letter. It was rather heavy for it's size. An elegant script spelled out his full name on the front. A red wax seal held it closed. He wasn't familiar with the emblem - a raven on a shield wreathed in laurels. The enchanted raven moved about and ruffled it's wings every so often.

'Prek' Hedwig chuffed impatiently. "Fine, I'm getting to it" he replied, sliding his finger under the flap.

Dear Harry,

I was sitting on the beach the other day when it occurred to me that I hadn't gotten anything for your birthday. Now, being the popular guy I am, I can't just wander to the corner store without getting mobbed by the ladies. Instead, I thought I would share with you something of your family's legacy. I have included the Marauder's Guide to Discovering your Inner Animal, along with a freshly brewed goblet of a potion that speeds the animagus process considerably.

The potion is, according to your father, something of a Potter family secret. I only know how to make it because old Fleamont (your grandfather) adopted me as an honorary Potter after my mother threw me out. Anyway, the potion is under a stasis charm, so it will be fresh when you get to that point in the guide. The guide itself contains the written version of the Potter animagus process handed down from generation to generation.

Now I'm not normally a stickler for the rules, but it is very important to follow the steps outlined in the Guide, especially surrounding the use of the potion. Fleamont told us of a Potter a few generations back that misused it. She was stuck in the form of an ocelot for five months before she could get someone to reverse the transformation.

I continue to lay low for now, though I hope to visit over the holidays. Maybe we can give the horse and walrus a good scare.

(In)Sincerely Yours,

Your Amazing Dogfather

P.S. Set this letter flat on a table. Touch your wand to the rune seal below and recite the Marauder's Oath to receive the goodies.

Harry did just that. After a quickly muttered "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good", the rune seal began to glow. With a loud 'slurp', a small leather-bound book and a large pewter goblet popped into existence,

Harry peered into the wide-mouthed goblet. the potion within seemed frozen in time, mid-boil. Curious, he reached out and grasped the cup. The air immediately filed with a foul, rancid odor. The once frozen surface bubbled energetically with each bubble releasing a green puff of... something. Hedwig sent a tendril of disgust and the impression that he should leave it well alone. "Yeah, I agree" he replied. Wrinkling his nose, Harry set the goblet back down. Thankfully, the stasis charm reactivated, though the smell remained. He picked up the book.

The Marauder's Guide to Discovering your Inner Animal appeared in an elegant script etched into a brass nameplate on the cover. Opening the book, Harry was surprised to find all the pages blank. 'Of course' he thought to himself, and spoke the Marauder's oath a second time. Just like the map, the book's pages quickly filled with ink.

Just as Harry began to reading the first page, the post owl hooted rudely at Hedwig. Harry could feel her indignation as she puffed her feathers and hopped from his shoulder to the desk. "Hey now, that's no way to talk to a lady. Go on, get out of here!" Harry said, waving his hand dismissively at the bird. The owls ignored him. They stared at each other, ruffling their feathers and bobbing their heads.

Suddenly, the brown owl screeched and leaped at Hedwig. As he jumped, his wing clipped the goblet, spilling the rancid, oily potion all over her feathers. The acrid stench filled the air again.

With a screech, the startled brown owl fled through the still-open window, leaving a furious, potion soaked Hedwig.

"Here, let me clean you up," Harry said as he reached for his wand. Before he could begin a spell, Hedwig shivered, sending Harry a wave of alarm and confusion. The liquid on her feathers began to bubble and give off a thick greenish-brown smoke. She stumbled to the edge of the desk.

"Hedwig!" Harry gasped as he reached out, too slow to stop her fall. She tumbled to the floor and flopped around awkwardly in a thick cloud of vapour.

In that moment, Hedwig began to shift. Suddenly, in place of a potion soaked, bewildered owl lay an equally bewildered girl. Her long, wavy white and black hair barely preserved her modesty. She gazed in wonder through amber eyes at her outstretched hand, flexing the fingers experimentally. She gasped and looked up at her wizard. "H-Harry?" she called uncertainly.

(Lazarillo) Author's Notes

This will remain a T rated story. There will be romance, but anything of a mature nature will be implied rather than described (not that there would be much, given the characters' age, personalities, and experience).

I was inspired by several other fics involving Harry/Hedwig, like More Than Familiar by grenouille7777 Unlike many of these, this is not a Harry/multi/harem fic and has no slash pairings (of either gender) for main characters.

I am trying to write a realistic, crack-free story. Canon events are assumed up to the beginning of the story unless explicitly stated otherwise. The existence of familiars is the only major departure from canon before the start.

Tips/suggestions/criticisms welcomed. Reviews are appreciated but not required. Expect infrequent and irregular updates.

(SpookyScaryAnirban) Author's Notes

The same things he said above, and remember, I didn't write this masterpiece!