Harry was nowhere. There would be only darkness if not for the creatures. Creatures of all kinds rushing past him before he could get a good look at them.
Glimpses of birds swooped overhead. The odd fish or two swam through seeming nothing. Land mammals brushed past his legs. Every one a different shape and size. All an almost translucent glowing silver.
One similar to a mouse slipped through the air on graceful dragonfly wings. Another, the size of a small house, tipped toed by a dog with three heads.
Through the haze of almost see-through creatures, one stood out. It was dog like with large ears that swiveled for its own amusement.
Large eyes stared into his own. Harry reached out and -
"-arry, Harry wake up," a voice echoed throughout the nothingness causing the animals to run out of view as if noticing his presence for the first time.
The canine never moved from its spot. It sat there staring at him, his hand frozen less than a foot away from it. Even as the world faded from view.
Opening his eyes, Harry was greeted with a familiar room. They had recently saved up money and bought a cabin about five months ago.
They had come a long way from who they were a year and a half ago when they first met. They both look and are healthier. Remus
"Harry," the familiar voice of Remus, his adoptive father, called as he shook him awake.
"It's been a month," Remus said his voice full of pride. It took a second for Harry to realize what he was talking about.
When he did his eyes lit up. Jumping out of his bed, Harry ran into the bathroom and spit out the mandrake leaf.
"You don't even know how nasty those are," the boy complained as he made a face. Remus just laughed.
"What's next!" Harry excitedly asked as he remembered why he had the leaf under his tongue for a month.
"How about breakfast?"
"Sure," Harry grumbled as he took his seat at the small kitchen table, Remus put a plate of waffles on the table. Waffles, the only thing he could make without giving someone food poisoning.
As the two ate, Harry, talking about how great it was to talk again. The leaf made it hard (and embarrassing) to talk so he decided to not talk until his month was up.
Remus was nodding along with every so often. He was thinking about how helpful Harry being an animagus would be.
He wouldn't have to worry about full moons (Mooney took offense to that he would NEVER hurt his pup.) And if any danger arose Harry could make a quick getaway. Not to mention all the perks he would get from whatever animal it turned out to be.
"Harry," Remus said as he took both their plates to the sink to rinse.
"Hmm?" was the reply as he sat down on the couch and watch the weather.
"Happy eighth birthday," Remus said as he sat next to his adoptive son.
Without a word, Harry threw his arms around his adoptive father in a tight hug. The last year with Remus had been the best. A wide grin spread across his face as he acioed three boxes to them.
With the fanfare aside, Remus handed Harry his first gift. A large bag with colorful tissue paper hiding its contents. Ripping the paper away Harry found a watercolor set as well as color pencils and an art book to go with.
His second gift was a leather satchel. Its soft browns mixed well with the bronze accents. Carved into the buckle was a wolf as well as a blank spot.
When Harry asked about the wolf and the blank spot Remus responded "blood wards so only me and you can open it, we need to put some of yours and it will show up as your animagus,"
Almost as if an afterthought he said, "A few expanding and featherweight charms on it as well," Giving the two a good laugh.
The last gift was a Coldren and a stirring stick.÷&$>
"Well, you enjoy cooking and potions are similar," Remus explained, then with a wink he said, "You may even get a head start,"
Remus had plenty of books on about anything, so they both knew that Harry would have no trouble finding something to help him.
Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" Harry repeatedly excitedly as he looked at his new items.
They never went hungry, but they didn't have extra money lying around. So, these gifts meant extra to the boy.
For the next hour, Remus and Harry's played around with the new gifts.
"Now are you ready for-" Remus started but was interrupted by an excited "Yes!" that ruined his perfect speech.
Rolling his eye good-naturedly, he leads Harry to a clearing nearness the cabin. Tall grass and large patches of flowers littered the clearing as the shade from the nearby trees kept the sun off them.
Sitting in the shade Harry looked to Remus for instructions. "Now," he started," I want you to meditate, look into yourself and look for an animal,"
With a nod, Harry closed his eyes.
Harry found himself in the same place as his dream. It was pitch black if you ignored all the creatures. They seemed to be patronus like glow and all.
They continued to ignore him as the brushed(or fly/swim) passed him. There was an undeterminable amount of them. But throughout all the beautiful chaos, one stood out.
The same one as in his dream.
Getting up he took a few steps to it. A few creatures noticed him and took off. This continues until he was right in the ground of it. Only a few creatures were left soft glows in the distance as they watch the boy and the dog like glow in front of him.
Unlike some of the others, this one was less defined. Harry could make out the shape but nothing more.
Without a second thought, he reached out and laid a hand on its head. It looked at him as light overtook him.
Opening his eyes Harry saw Remus looking down on him with a proud smile.
Wate down?
Looking down at himself Harry saw not his own legs and arms, but forelegs and hind legs. Falling back in surprise he tripped over himself giving Remus a good laugh.
A bark of protest seemed to quite him down as he righted himself.
Remus acioed a mirror and showed Harry what he looked like. Large rounded black ears sat atop his head. Browns, blacks and whites coated his body and legs in a splotched like pattern. A bushy tail continued the pattern until it turns pure white with a black ring above the white.
They spent an hour getting Harry used to his new four-legged forms. Learning to walk and run. And half an hour get adjusted to his new appendages and enhanced sensitivity.
Then two trying to get him to go back to a human.
After hours of practice harry now had a 50% success rate when changing his forms.
Later, as they ate dinner they talked about his animagus. The similarities and differences from animagus and werewolf transformations.
"I wonder what kind of canine it is?" Remus wonders aloud as he ate his half of the Mcmagus pizza they ordered.
Harry was about to guess when the answer came to him.
"It's a painted dog," he said with absolute senterie.@
Remus opened his mouth to ask but shut it when he remembered that things just happened because of magic, and neither of them would know the answer. It was probably some lost inheritance knowing how random magic looked at times.
"To be honest," Harry said as they washed the dishes, "I thought it would be a dragon or something,"
"I was thinking a deer," he passed, "maybe even a fox or raccoon,"
"A deer?" Harry asked confused, he could see the other two, but a deer.
"Both of your parents were deers," he said softly. Harry knew of his parents and the night He-who-must-not-be-named killed them. Remus didn't want him to be told the story by a stranger wanting to leech of Harry's fame for 'taking him under their wing'.
The two even got some laughs out of the theories of where he was(their favorite being in an underground bunker training under monks in the olden ways)
That night as Harry fell asleep, he thought about the other creatures in his dreams.