The Hunting Hawk

THE HUNTING HAWK

CHAPTER ONE:

HARRY'S LETTER FROM SIRIUS BLACK

The swoosh of air felt lovely as Harry soared high on his broomstick, far above The Burrow. He spiralled higher and then higher still. Yes, this is simply the best thing ever, he thought, and the numbing in his stomach of Dumbledore's death, for this moment, forgotten. He saw something out of the corner of his eye in the far distance. He stopped spiralling, remaining completely still: he turned to look. It was a hawk diving at great speed at something. It was as if it were a Seeker diving for the snitch. It was diving at another bird. The hawk tore into the other bird, killing it instantly. Harry turned away. The sight repelled him. Even up here in his haven there was cruelty and killing.

Down in the backyard there were the others hovering around on their broomsticks. Ginny was moving around with the same grace and skill that matched his own, her flash of scarlet hair unmistakable even from this distance. Hermione was there, determined to improve her Quidditching skills, even though she was hopeless at it. Ron was flying next to her, instructing, obviously enjoying the role of teacher on a subject Hermione, for once, was not his superior. Harry tilted his broomstick down like a joystick and slowly floated towards them.

'Mum said we shouldn't go too far from the house, Harry,' said Ginny, as she flew alongside him. They hadn't spoken much since Dumbledore's funeral. The days at the Weasleys had been an odd mixture of a subdued household in mourning, and the mounting excitement of Bill's upcoming wedding to Fleur Delacour. Ginny and Harry had generally avoided eye contact during this period. Their brief snatches of conversation had been polite, but Harry felt, he picked up the slightest hint of annoyance in her tone of voice whenever she spoke to him.

'Will you just listen to those two, they're like cat and dog,' Ginny said, gesturing towards Ron and Hermione. Harry smiled and wondered which one was the cat and which one the dog.

'I think you mean the Wronski Feint, not the Wonky Feint,' Ron said, smirking as he looked at Harry.

'Oh, you can shut up. Anyway, it was something Viktor could do and you couldn't in a million years.' Ron scowled and stayed silent. Hermione appeared to regret this as soon as she'd said it. Looking at Harry for support she said:

'He's been unbearable all morning Harry.'

'Don't you two bring me into this.'

'Harry's been trying to reach the stars on just his broomstick,' said Ginny wistfully, with a tinge of sarcasm in her voice that everyone caught. Ron and Hermione both looked at him pensively. They all fell silent. Just then the backdoor opened and Mrs. Weasley stepped out.

'Didn't I tell you three not to go too far!! Anyway, lunch is ready.' The voice coming from such a tiny body could have drowned a ship's foghorn. The four of them obediently descended to the ground and entered the house.

The kitchen was full of the smell of frying onions, served with sausages and mashed potatoes. Fleur was there. Harry had noticed she'd been less critical of the cooking lately. Nevertheless, it was with an effort, thought Harry, that she avoided wrinkling her nose at the smell of Mrs. Weasley's cooking. Fleur smiled at Harry.

'Allo 'Arry, 'ow are you? I saw you from the window. You are a verry strong flier.' Harry blushed.

'Harry, you especially mustn't go far from the house,' said Mrs. Weasley, though she seemed more worried than angry when she said this.

'I was fine,' Harry said, returning Fleur's smile, whilst trying to control his blushing, hoping nobody would notice.

'Oh 'Arry is suffering so much he needs to be alone,' Ginny said this with a mock French accent, clearly noticing Fleur's affect on Harry. Mrs. Weasley shot her a stern look and Ginny looked down at her plate.

'Is Bill coming down to lunch?' asked Ron.

'Bill is sleeping at the moment,' replied Mrs. Weasley.

'O 'ee is looking so rugged as 'iz scaars 'ave start'd 'eeling - not at all uglee.' Hermione and Ginny rolled their eyes at each other as if recovery from a werewolf's mauling was just a bit more important than how handsome he now was. Harry looked around the room and caught sight of today's Daily Prophet. On the front page there was a picture of Snape. His long greasy hair fell in front of his eyes like a dark curtain, which he then flicked away defiantly. Harry saw the long nose and the hated black eyes that bore into you, and he felt a stab of pain at Snape's betrayal of Dumbledore. The headline above his picture said: HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MAN? WANTED FOR MURDER... Harry didn't read the rest of the caption as Mrs. Weasley snatched the paper up and threw it in the bin. She looked at Harry as if she was about to say something, but bit her tongue and instead pushed some more sausages in front of Harry's plate. There were two plates that were without food. Harry looked at Mrs. Weasley:

'Are Fred and George coming for lunch Mrs. Weasley?'

'No dear, they'll be here tomorrow; we're expecting Remus and Tonks - they're late. I do hope they're OK.'

Just then there was turbulence in the next room, which Harry guessed was Tonks and Lupin appearing with a flash of green floo powder in the fireplace. The voices had a familiar muffle. Harry's heart gave a silent sigh of relief. The Aurors were in particular danger with Death Eaters so rampant and Harry had a particular fondness for Tonks.

'That will be them now,' Mrs. Weasley said, as she left the kitchen.

'Great to see Lupin again,' said Ron.

'Wonder what colour Tonks's hair will be? If it's that shocking pink, then she and Lupin will be together again,' said Ginny. The obscure logic of this remark was left to hang in the air as in walked Tonks, Lupin and Mr. Weasley.

Tonks entered first. Her face flushed as pink as her hair. She was greeted by delighted squeals of approval from everyone in the kitchen. Lupin shambled in after her and gave a grim smile in Harry's direction. Surprisingly, Arthur Weasley was home from work early. A plate flew off the wrack at Mrs. Weasley's wave of her wand and appeared on the kitchen table. As Arthur Weasley stepped into the kitchen, his face looked drawn and pale. He looked at the seated guests, smiling briefly at them before turning to his wife.

'Molly, there have been reports of magical activity not far from that muggle farm just across our meadow.'

'Oh, Arthur! Is Mr. Spencer all right?'

'He appears to be. There was just a faint trace of magic around there. It could have been a false alarm.' He turned and looked at Harry, Ron and Hermione.

'The three of you haven't been anywhere near Spencer's Farm have you?'

'No, Dad. We've only been flying around the Burrow,' answered Ron.

'There is probably nothing to worry about Molly. Our borders are safe. Nobody can apparate inside the Burrow. Nevertheless, we must be extra careful,' he said, giving Harry in particular a steady gaze.

'What about during the wedding Arthur?' Mrs. Weasley asked as if the 'probably' in her husband's reassurance hadn't reassured her at all.

'The security will be even stronger Mrs. Weasley. There will be an army of Aurors protecting everyone at the wedding,' Tonks said smiling at Mrs. Weasley. And then turning to the table full of sausages and mash, she said:

'I am so, so hungry.' And they all sat down to eat.

'Harry, this letter was found at Grimmauld Place a few days ago,' Lupin said when he'd finally got Harry alone. 'The Aurors have been staking the place out, hoping to trap a Death Eater. But they must have got wind of it as they've steered well clear of it. Tonks discovered this letter in Sirius's Study. It was in a secret box within his desk. When she tried to unlock it Moony came up in silver letters. I remember Sirius telling me about it. So, it's obviously something he wanted me to give to you.' Harry looked at Lupin. His expression had its usual kindly, haggard expression. But, Harry had a strong sense that Lupin knew what the letter was about. Harry took the large envelope. Harry Potter was scrawled large in Sirius's bold handwriting. 'It has a protection spell on it. It can't be opened by anybody but you Harry'.

'OK, thanks Remus. I'll take it to the bedroom and open it.' Harry sped upstairs to Ron's bedroom where both Hermione and Ron were. Both looked at him and the large envelope in his hand quizzically.

'Lupin's found a letter from Sirius,' Harry said, and tore the envelope open and started reading it.

12 Grimmauld Place

Dear Harry

If you're reading this then almost certainly I'll be dead. My dear friend Remus Lupin will pass on this letter and the parchment with it to you.

I expect you know by now from the reading of my Will that I have left you all my money and this family house at Grimmauld Place. Well I know money and wealth don't mean as much to you as it does to some. What I can give you, and what I'm sure James would have wanted you to have, is the same knowledge we had when we were at Hogwarts. By 'we' I mean Moony, Padfoot, Prongs and that other creature I cannot bring myself to name.

This knowledge is the Transfiguration Spell of how to transform yourself into an Animagus. This will help all three of you in fighting Voldemort and the scum that follow him. I am sure you will want to share this knowledge with your friends. We discovered how to do this a long time before we should have done. But then I know that you, Ron and Hermione have a similar attitude to the rules that we had when we were your age. When I was living as a fugitive my life would have been unbearable without being able to transform into 'Snuffles', as you three call me when I am Padfoot.

Along with the Transfiguration Spell is the cloaking spell you'll need to perform before you attempt this so the Ministry of Magic won't find out what you are doing. Like most spells it's not exactly complicated. It needs more of a knack, a flair, which I'm sure you'll all get with a bit of practice. Also Harry, don't buy all that rubbish McGonagall says about it taking years to become an Animagus. On one of our escapades we found out the secret from a wizard who could transform into a grizzly bear...I'll tell you about it if I see you before you read this. Anyway, he told us of this simpler and shorter method. James, Remus and myself got it down within a week.

Do not worry if the animal you become is not what you were expecting. Just because your Patronus was a stag doesn't necessarily mean you will become a stag when you transform. Harry, your true nature is brave and noble. So, I don't doubt that the animal you transform into will be magnificent. There is no chance of any one of the three of you turning into those loathsome animals, a rat or a snake.

Always remember Harry that you are James and Lily's son. Look after yourself and the three of you look after each other.

Sirius Black

Harry looked up from the letter. He felt the prickle of tears stab his eyes, which he knew he must not give in to. Whilst he was reading he could hear Sirius's deep voice saying the words. The feelings he'd kept inside himself for the last year began welling up. His body felt strange to him. His palms sweated; his legs seemed unsafe and he sat down on Ron's bed.

'What is it Harry?' Hermione asked. Harry remained silent. Instead he held the letter up to her. Ron peered over her shoulder as she read it.

'Whoa!' Ron's eyes opened in amazement. Hermione left the letter with Ron as she moved over to where Harry was sitting and put her arms around his neck, bringing his head close to her. Harry felt the comfort of her long enough to make sure he wouldn't cry and then felt the discomfort of Ron staring at them both.

'I'm OK Hermione, really I am,' Harry said, gently disentangling himself from her. He stood up and straightened his glasses. With the envelope still in his hand he took out the parchment and examined the spell.

'Well, should we try it?'

Harry soared high, then higher still. This is better than flying on his Firebolt broomstick, thought Harry. The wind and the air flowed over his tawny brown wings. Harry Potter, the Animagus, was a hawk. He wondered what it meant to be a hawk. The other birds in the sky seemed scared of him. He just had to face another bird in the sky, even at a distance, and it would scurry for safety. He remembered a week ago he saw a hawk streak towards another bird and kill it instantly. The other birds had a good instinct to keep clear of hawks. Sirius said in his letter that the animal you transformed into would be your true nature. Then he must be a hunter. But he was a hunter of Death Eaters, not of birds. Yes, that made sense. He felt he'd just become what he was already. His eyes were stronger. As a hawk he could see a leaf on a tree, a rabbit on the ground. He could see Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Neville as glowing shapes moving across the meadow. There was one bird in the sky not afraid of him: a cuckoo that was making eccentric circles just above the forest opening that the four Animagi on the ground were heading towards. Harry tilted his majestic wings in her direction.

The Burrow was good mile behind as a ginger tomcat and a golden retriever ambled alongside a vixen and a badger.

'How far is this Spencer's farmhouse?' asked the badger, his short legs having to move faster to keep up with the cat, the dog and the fox.

'Neville, it's better to go the long way round through the forest,' replied the vixen.

'I think we could easily have gone straight across the meadow,' complained the ginger tom, the whine in his voice sounding a bit like an out of tune violin.

'Shut up Ron,' barked Hermione, her golden retriever tail wagging emphatically. 'Ginny is right in being safe. All four of us are highly conspicuous out in the open.'

'All right then, how will Harry and Luna keep track of us when they're flying above if we're hidden by the trees,' snapped back Ron.

'Luna's a cuckoo, a small bird; she can enter the forest with us. She can keep Harry informed,' Neville said this in his badger's voice that was gruff but somehow gentle at the same time.

'Harry's hawk can fly in the forest as well as above it Ron,' said Ginny, the vixen, her voice sounding both husky and subtle. They all looked up and around them at the forest they'd entered. The forest was becoming increasing dense. The long wings of Harry's hawk would have less freedom in the forest, but his sharp eyes would still be able to see gaps to fly out into the sky. Above them flew the cuckoo they were expecting. On recognising them, Luna Lovegood flew down above Ginny, the vixen. Her pointed wings and tail inscribing the air as she hovered.

'Harry's just above us, just above the trees,' said Luna, her pointed cuckoo tail appearing to gesture skywards as she squeaked this out. The other four animals made noises of acknowledgement in response to this.

'It's a shame Harry couldn't get closer,' Hermione said, the sadness in her voice undisguised in her doggy voice.

'I always have a strong sense of Harry being near,' said Luna.

'Oh, that must be because you're both birds!' said Ginny, the yellow in her foxy eyes flashed up at her friend Luna as she said this.

'Yes, I dare say you're right Ginny,' said Luna and flew high above all of them and circled down above Neville's side.

There was a strange sense of ease and excitement amongst the group as Hermione, Ron, Neville, Ginny and Luna got to know themselves as their animal selves. Luna and Neville had been invited to the wedding and had arrived three days ago. This last week had been a hullabaloo at The Burrow. Guests and family members had arrived in droves. Extensions to the house had been instantaneously added. As a result, nobody was paying much attention to the youngest members of the household. After they read Sirius's letter, Harry, Ron and Hermione had been closeted in their bedrooms throughout this period. Mrs. Weasley approved that they were "doing their homework" and were out of harm's way, and also out from under her feet. Though she did remind them that healthy children need plenty of fresh air.

'It's good that you are taking your studies seriously at last, Ron. But, we don't want you cooped up in the house all day - it's unhealthy.'

'We're not children, Mum,' said Ron petulantly.

'You're right Mrs. Weasley, we will spend more time outside,' Hermione said, whilst giving Ron a pointed look. When the three of them were out earshot on the landing, she hissed at him in a low voice:

'Ron, how could you be so thick! We mustn't attract attention to our practising The Spell. We must act as if everything is normal.' So engrossed were they that neither of them noticed that Ginny's bedroom door was slightly ajar as they entered Ron's bedroom.

Three days after practising The Spell, the three of them all transformed successfully on the same day. Hermione transformed first, then Harry, then Ron. On the evening of their success they were interrupted by Ginny. Ron was in his animal form, as Ginny burst into Ron's bedroom.

'That must be my brother,' she said without any surprise as she looked towards the ginger tom that had just leaped onto a couch. The bedroom door had been locked magically; she had unlocked it magically.

'Do you three think I'm stupid? That I don't what you've been up to all this time?' she said, as she looked at their stunned faces.

'You've read Sirius's letter without Harry's permission!' accused Hermione.

'Yes, of course I have. It's a good thing you three "take advantage of the fresh air". We wouldn't want you "studying" too much, now would we? It just isn't healthy,' she said with a sly smirk.

'It's all right Hermione, back off. We were going to tell you, Ginny. We just wanted to master it ourselves first,' said Harry. Just then the ginger tom transformed back into the ginger haired Ron. He was on an arm of a couch as he furiously transformed and, finding himself on one leg, toppled over, landing indignantly and with much swearing on the carpeted floor. As he did so, Ginny coolly closed the door behind her and locked it magically. Then with a wave of her wand she said the words:

'Ego Metamorphoso!' In a flash of golden light she became a fox, a vixen. Harry saw a girl that had been his girlfriend less than a month ago become this sleek animal that was still undeniably Ginny down to the last orange-scarlet hair on her back. She saw him look at her, her slanted yellow eyes didn't miss much, and she enjoyed the look she saw in his eyes. Just then she spoke:

'Metamorphoso Ego!' The voice speaking this command was velvety, whilst being as sharp as a needle. Returning to her human form, Ginny casually said:

'Whilst you were practising, I was too.'

'Ginny, there's no need to gloat,' said Harry. 'We really were going to share this with you. Neville and Luna come down tomorrow, we'll tell them as well. Dumbledore's Army will be all the stronger if we are all Animaguses.'

'Actually, Harry, it's Animagi,' corrected Hermione.

'Whatever.'

'We've all been transforming after we've performed the cloaking spell. I didn't notice you do that just now,' snarled Ron, having stood up from his tumble and was holding both hands on his hip.

'I did it silently,' said Ginny, somewhat chastened by Harry's remarks.

'When Neville and Luna become Animaguses, I mean Animagi, then we can all go over to Spencer's Farm to see what is going on there.'

'Won't we be exposed if we go across the meadow?' asked Hermione.

'We could cut through the woods,' suggested Ginny, the snide tone had left her voice now.

The dog, the cat, the fox and the badger could feel and smell the undergrowth in the wood more keenly now with their new animal senses. The badger was feeling wonderful. Neville Longbottom's confidence was never great, but in his new skin he felt he knew who he was. When he was asked if he wanted to perform The Spell, he was cautious at first. When he saw Luna transform into a cuckoo and fly around Ron's bedroom, he practised in earnest and got it down within two days. He was the most recent Animagus. Hermione, Harry, Ron and Ginny were six days old; Luna was five days old; he was four days old. He did feel as if this was a sort of rebirth. He was also part of the DA's and on an adventure from the beginning. He was also proudly walking next to Ginny.

The Burrow was a place of immense commotion today. His grandmother was there. As was Luna's father. Fleur's parents and her younger sister were there and so it seemed were half the Beauxbatons School. Fleur's Veela grandmother was there and, in spite of her advanced years, still caused a stir in every male wizard at the The Burrow. The entertainment had arrived; it was Bill's favourite rock band, The Twilight Ravens. They were going to play a gig after the wedding ceremony. It had seemed a good idea to make this secret excursion to the farm on the day of the wedding. They could easily be back by noon, well before 2 o'clock. This morning Ron said, 'the farm isn't far; we should be back in a couple of hours.' Neville was thinking this as he padded along the forest undergrowth in rhythm with Ginny's vixen stride. He wondered if one day he and Ginny would be made such a fuss over on their wedding day. He had cause to daydream now that she and Harry were longer...

There was a rustling to their right. Into their view walked a fox. His bedraggled fur was flecked with a few white feathers that suggested a recent feast of a goose or some other fowl. The four Animagi stopped in their tracks. The look of hunger in his eyes was unmistakable to all the five Animagi there. His eyes burned into one of them: Ginny, the vixen. Neville felt the hairs on his back bristle, he growled at the fox.

'It's alright Neville, I can handle this,' assured Ginny, as she moved to perform a spell.

'It's best if we keep the magic down to a minimum Ginny,' said Hermione, 'I'll send him on his way.' The golden retriever let out the loudest and fiercest bark she could muster. The fox sauntered away to their left, hardly terrified, but at least moving off.

'Harry said Spencer's Farm is over to the right, the way the fox just came,' said Luna, agitated by the encounter, 'we need to leave this track and make our way that way,' gesturing in the direction of much denser forest. The four altered their direction, but travelled in single file with Hermione leading, followed by Ron, then Ginny, with Neville the rearguard. Luna was fluttering just above them. Ginny cast a backward glance and thought she caught a glimpse of the fox's muddy brown coat between some foliage. She didn't care. She could handle him and any other male that came her way now she was a vixen Animagus. She felt much more powerful than she ever did as just a girl wizard.

Their progress through the forest was steady and without conversation. They became more aware of their surroundings. Over rich, springy vegetation, it had been raining the day before, they got a sense of being noticed by the forest fauna and becoming their objects of curiousity. They all got a sense of the squirrels, hedgehogs, moles, grubs, mice, birds, were asking themselves: who are you and why do you appear to be so familiar and strange at the same time? Luna began circling excitedly as they were reaching a clearing.

'I think I can see Harry!'

The four earthbound Animagi looked in the direction she was pointing. Sure enough, there was a magnificent copper-brown hawk, with emerald eyes glittering even at a distance: it was unmistakably Harry. He was inside the wood on a low branch of a large oak tree. The sunlight dappled the ground around the tree with gold, yellow and bronze. He left his perch and glided down to greet them. Hovering just in front of them he spoke:

'Hello everyone, how are you?' The voice was Harry's, but it had a timbre and a precision quite unlike his human voice. It stilled the air and commanded their attention. The others made excited noises at seeing and hearing him. He continued: 'Spencer's Farm is not far from the clearing. There's something not right about it. Let's be careful when we get closer.'

Luna joined Harry as he flew ahead. The four padded their way eagerly to the clearing.