Harry Potter And The Mystery Of Atlantis

Chapter 1 - Homecomings and Decisions

"Get out boy, we're home"

This was the moment Harry had been dreading from the second he had left platform nine and three-quarters. This home was most definitely not where his heart was. Stepping out of the car, he noticed that the house had not changed in the least. This was the last family that would do anything out of the ordinary or even just change at all. Walking up to the house he thought about how long it seemed since he was last at Hogwarts. In reality it had been only six hours. This is going to be a long summer, he thought.

"You get your items out of the car right now and take them to your room. I then expect to see you at six o'clock setting the table for dinner," growled Aunt Petunia. Well, so much for a warm welcome, thought Harry.

Harry shuffled his things up to his room and sat down on his bed. Only two weeks ago he had witnessed the murder of Cedric Diggory. It's my fault he's dead, thought Harry. I was so stupid. I shouldn't have made him take the Cup. But Cedric deserved the Cup. But I shouldn't have made him take it... He just didn't want to think about it right then. With visions of that night streaming through his head once more, he fell asleep.

"HARRY, WAKE UP!" roared a voice right next to him. "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DOWNSTAIRS FIVE MINUTES AGO!" It was his whale of a cousin, Dudley. Harry didn't think it possible to see anyone as large as Dudley was at such a young age. His aunt and uncle must have given up on the diet. Sure enough, Aunt Petunia was cooking a very large steak and several baked potatoes for the meal. This was a welcome home dinner for Dudley, apparently. Why he needed such an enormous meal, Harry had no idea. Aunt Petunia must still be in denial about his weight. To no surprise of his own, Harry got a very small portion of steak and a quarter of a potato.

"Mummy, how come Harry got such a small meal to eat?" sniggered Dudley. "I've got loads more than he does."

This time Uncle Vernon decided to speak. "Well, we want you to grow into a proper sized man, unlike this riffraff here." He said, waving a hand in Harry's direction.

Harry had learned to ignore this long ago. It was second nature for him to tune these things out now. But what came next snapped him out of this.

"Boy, you pay attention to this; this is important. For Dudley's birthday, he, your aunt and I are going to America for a holiday. Of course we don't want you in the way, so we'll be sending you to Mrs. Figg's for the summer. We expect you to be packed and ready to move out first thing tomorrow morning. That's all."

Harry didn't know what to think. On the good side, he'd be leaving the Dursleys. But on the other hand, he would be with batty old Mrs. Figg and her cats all summer. He hurriedly finished his dinner and excused himself from the table. Well, he decided, a summer without the Dursleys was better than a summer with them. So on that slightly optimistic note he travelled up the stairs to his room.

The next morning Harry was actually feeling quite good. This lasted until he remembered what he had to do today....

"Harry!" screamed Aunt Petunia. "You are to have your things at Mrs. Figg's house by ten am! If you have anything left in this house by then YOU WILL NOT GET IT BACK!"

Harry looked at his clock and saw that it was already half past nine. Well, so much for taking my time, he thought. He quickly gathered his things (it wasn't hard to do, he didn't have much to gather) and left without bothering to say goodbye to his "family". He put his trunk and cage on Mrs. Figg's porch and rang the doorbell. Nobody came. He rang it again and still there was no answer. Just as he was about to try again the door opened and he saw old Mrs. Figg looking at him.

"Hello, Herwe." It would appear that Mrs. Figg was still completely incapable of pronouncing his name properly.

"Ermm... Hello, Mrs. Figg."

"Herwe, please come in. You'll catch a cold in this dreadful weather." Harry noticed that there wasn't a cloud in the sky and the temperature was comfortably warm, but he didn't ask questions and just went inside. As soon as he entered he expected to smell cat dander and other such things, but there was just the smell of a normal home. Again Harry thought how strange this was...but quickly put the thought out of his mind as Mrs. Figg started poking Hedwig, causing the bird to screech.

"Herwe, what's wrong with your dog? It doesn't seem to like me very much."

Harry just stared blankly at her, wondering if there was any way to justify this with a response. He decided that there wasn't and just informed her that his "dog" didn't like being poked.

"Well, alright dearie, your room is up the stairs and second door to your left. Spend the day getting comfortable and I'll see you at supper."

The rest of the day passed without incident and Harry was thankful to get to bed that night. Soon after he had put his head down, he fell into a deep slumber...

"My Lord, we have found it," hissed the Death Eater. "It was located in the area you had specified. We had no trouble getting to it once we had deciphered the runes. They indicate, though, that there is another copy somewhere. We must find the other."

"Nicely done, my faithful servant. Have you informed any others of your little endeavour?" hissed Lord Voldemort.

"Not a soul, My Lord. I have kept this entirely secret, exactly as you asked me to."

"Very well then. For such an exemplary show of servitude, I shall reward you...let me see, let me see... yes, that would be fitting...Avada Kedavra!"

Lord Voldemort laughed. These idiots would do anything that he willed them to. He could allow no one to know about his project yet. There was too much that could still go wrong at this stage. With time he would have everything he needed. All he had to do was wait...

"My Lord," whispered Wormtail. "Shall I have this body removed?"

"Yes, get it out of here. He is of no use to me now," spat Voldemort.

Dragging the body away Wormtail wondered why his master was so jubilant and why this man was so dead...

"All in good time, my Wormtail, all in good time."

And then, not for the first time in his life, Peter Pettigrew wondered if his master could indeed read minds...

Harry woke up with a start. He had a splitting headache, from his nightmare he supposed. His scar was burning intensely. Harry was beginning to believe that he would just have to get used to that particular feeling. At least the dream hadn't been the usual one; the one with the graveyard, but it had still been strange. He tried to remember it...something about a secret mission somewhere and a copied set of runes.... someone being murdered... no, the dream was fading. He then realised that he was on the floor. Must've fallen during the night at some point, he thought. He glanced at the clock to see that it was half past six in the morning and decided that it was time to get up. An early start might even do him good. He headed for the shower, got dressed and then went downstairs.

"Herwe! Good to see you up... yes, like I always say, 'the early dog catches the newt'".

Harry was beginning to wonder if she had some kind of odd bird/dog complex.

"I have a job for you for the summer, Herwe. You keep my garden in shape by working every day; and I'll pay you five Knu... I mean, pounds a day. You can work from nine until three and have half an hour for lunch. Agreed?"

Harry was just trying to register the fact that she had almost said "Knuts" when he decided that some money was better than no money at all; and that working might even take his mind off of things.

"Yeah, why not?" replied Harry.

For three weeks, he worked. He was slightly relieved when Mrs. Figg told him that he didn't have to do any more, but more money would have been nice. Luckily, the money he had earned was just enough to buy him a new outfit. He bought a nice black shirt and a pair of jeans. When he put them on and looked in the mirror, he noticed that he wasn't the scrawny boy he had been a year ago. He had grown taller and was generally looking older. He also noticed that his muscles were more defined. He decided that this must be from doing physical work for the last few weeks. So, in a good frame of mind, he went downstairs. Humming the tune of "London Bridge" he went into the living room to find Mrs. Figg watching television.

"Be a dear, Herwe, and fetch the post for me, would you?" mumbled Mrs. Figg.

Harry flashed her a smile and went to get it. Coming back from the hall he noticed something that made him stop dead in his tracks. A letter addressed to Mrs. Arabella Figg. That name rings a bell, he thought. Walking back to the living room, he wondered where he knew the name from until a thought struck him like a rogue bludger; Dumbledore had spoken of an Arabella Figg. The Arabella Figg of the "Old Crowd." This must be a coincidence, he thought. There was no way that this mad old woman could be a witch... she was as much of a Muggle as anyone Harry had ever met. But maybe a bit too much so...

"Mrs. Figg?" spoke Harry.

"Yes Herwe?" replied Mrs Figg.

"Why do you get mail the Muggle way when you could just use owl post?" Harry asked very nonchalantly.

"Oh, you see, it's a matter of the Muggles not knowing that I'm a witch; it just wouldn't do to have my cover blown."

Harry's eyes became so large at this point that he thought they might pop out of his head.

"Oh Harry," chuckled Mrs. Figg. "I'm surprised that you didn't work this out before now... I've been meaning to tell you but it was ever so much fun messing with you. Although I will admit that you caught me off guard with that little question." Mrs. Figg spoke with clarity that Harry hadn't thought possible from her.

"This explains so much!" exclaimed Harry. "You must be the protection that Professor Dumbledore was talking about!"

"Yes, and there are some protective charms on your house also. However, Professor Dumbledore wanted some extra protection on you this year so he arranged for you uncle to win those tickets to America in some silly competition and decided that you should stay with me whilst your family was away. Although I daresay that you'll be seeing enough of me this year," said Mrs. Figg, a smirk spreading across her face.

Harry realised that some kind of question was required from him. "And why is that, Mrs. Figg?"

With such a grin he hadn't thought possible on her face, Mrs. Figg said, "Well this year, Harry, I will be Hogwarts' new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor."

"You're going to be WHAT?" asked Harry incredulously.

"Yes, Headmaster Dumbledore appointed me to the position only a week ago. I'm a fully trained Auror and so he thought that I would be well suited to the job," Mrs. Figg said simply.

"OK, I understand that much," acknowledged Harry. "But why are you telling me all of this now? Why not when I first arrived?"

"Well, like I said before, it was fun messing with your mind, but I now believe that it is time we started your training."

Harry didn't like the sound of that at all. "What kind of training are you talking about?"

"I am to teach you how to become an Animagus. Only if you want to, of course."

"But Mrs. Figg, why..."

"Please call me Arabella, Harry," interrupted Arabella. "There is no need to be formal now."

"Alright then, Arabella, but why are you teaching me this now?"

"Well you have special permission, considering the... well, the circumstances surrounding you. Dumbledore believes that it would be a great help to you if you learned how to become an Animagus. It is very dangerous but the Headmaster has assured me that you can handle it."

Harry's mind was reeling at this point. Being an Animagus? This was a lot to think about. Yet, the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. It would have been incredibly helpful in the graveyard last year, he thought. It could probably help him out in many other ways too. Without much further deliberation, Harry reached a decision.

"OK, Arabella, I'll do it," he said confidently.

"Good, good! Now I want you to sleep on this and make sure it's really what you want to do. Tomorrow we can start your training and you can begin thinking about choosing an animal. Off to bed you go and I'll see you in the morning! Goodnight Harry!"

"G'night Arabella!" Harry just didn't know what to think. He had decisions to make and so much to think about. He thought that this summer could turn out to be the best one he had ever had. His eyes started to close and he sank into a sweet and peaceful sleep...

Harry was sitting on a stone in the middle of a clearing. There was nothing around him except for trees. The forest around him would have been deathly quiet but for the footsteps: in the distance but drawing nearer. He listened for a tense minute as they approached...

It was the strangest thing Harry had ever seen. It had, for the most part, the body of a lion, which was jet black except for the tail and head. The tail of the creature fanned out from its rear into long, waving tendrils. These gradually turned from black to red, as did its head. On top of the head there was a great black plume. The expression on the face of the creature didn't quite fit with the lion's body. It looked more innocent and less vicious than Harry would have expected. Altogether, it reminded him of something he had seen before, but couldn't quite put his finger on. Quite unexpectedly, the creature started running towards him. Harry thought about running, but for some reason he didn't find this beast frightening. Then, the creature spread its... wings? These suddenly unfolded from the sides of its body. They were a brilliant red at the tips, darkening to black nearer the body. The creature soared above Harry's head before beginning to circle lower and lower until it landed in front of him. It lifted its head and turned it towards him, opening its eyes. They were a dazzling green colour that he had only ever seen in the eyes of himself and his mother. With that, the creature flew away...

Harry got out of the little bed in his room and started towards the shower. That was a strange dream, he thought. Why am I dreaming about some peculiar lion- bird all of a sudden? What does it mean?

He decided that it would be sensible to ask Arabella about it at breakfast.

"Good morning Harry! Please, come and join me for breakfast," exclaimed Arabella cheerfully.

Harry complied and sat down, pleased at the prospect of food.

"So how are you doing this morning Harry?" asked Arabella. "Sleep well?"

"Well, I slept alright. But I had an odd dream. I was sitting alone in a forest and a big creature came, stayed for a while, and left," Harry replied, feeling stupid for bringing up a dream that didn't seem to matter.

"And this animal you saw, can you remember it clearly?"

"Yes, I think so. But it wasn't a normal animal. It looked like a combination of things," Harry said, feeling unsure of himself.

With this, Arabella's attention seemed to perk up a bit. "Really, now? Can you tell me what animals it reminded you of?" she asked eagerly.

With that, he described it the as well as he could from memory.

"That is very interesting Harry. It sounds like part of it was griffin, a relative of the lion. Except griffins have wings, like the creature in your dream. The other part, though, sounds like it belongs to a phoenix. I have never heard of the two being combined, though. Did you, by any chance, see its eyes?"

Harry, sensing that this was important, although he didn't know why, answered promptly.

"They were green, just like mine," he stated matter-of-factly.

Arabella just nodded her head and smiled. "I believe that I have tricked you yet again, Harry. I very much hope that this doesn't become a habit of mine," chuckled Arabella. "When a person is told that they are going to become an Animagus, and they truly believe it and want it, then they will have a dream. We don't have a name for these dreams, but the animal you saw is the one that you will become. See, the Wizard never chooses the animal; it's the other way around. You do it subconsciously. The animal that you become is usually one that you have forged a bond with in your life, or feel a connection to. If it then deems you worthy, then it will allow you to become one of its own. In your case, this is more than one animal. That rarely happens and is very difficult to accomplish. When this happens, you are not an Animagus but a Bimagus. I hope that I haven't confused you."

Harry stared at her blankly, wondering how this was even possible. A griffin and a phoenix? Put together? Bimagus? This is a bit too much, he thought.

"But how can I be a Bimagus? I've never even heard of them. Anyway, I've never been all that good at Transfiguration and this sounds really complicated."

"Yes, very few people are Bimagi, but that doesn't matter. Two animals, apparently, want to be a part of you so they will... compromise. This also has nothing to do with your Transfiguration classes; it has little in common with the kind of Transfiguration that you are familiar with. This is completely wandless magic. I am sure that you have done some in your life at some point. Now, I would like you to finish your breakfast and then do some research on these two animals. You will some books in the living room, underneath the television. I have some things to do this morning, but when I get back I expect to begin your training. Understand?"

"Sure, no problem," Harry agreed, wondering why everything strange seemed to happen to him.