Harry Potter and the New Marauders (A Harry Potter Fanfiction)

Up to No Good

XI

Up to No Good

"Harry, are you OK?" Hermione asked.

"What? Oh, right! Yes," Harry replied, still staring directly at Teddy, and realizing what he was seeing when no one else could:

Harry could see right though his own Invisibility Cloak! Just like Dumbledore could, Harry realized.

"Have there been any other reports of anything odd?" Professor McGonagall asked, and the Heads of Houses all agreed that no, there had not.

"We need to make a list of suspects," Harry then pointed out. "Anyone we can think of, not in Azkaban, who might still have it in for some of us - or our children."

"Didn't Shacklebolt say we'd rounded up most of them?" Ron asked.

"Most, yes," Harry replied, watching with some amusement as Teddy stared back at him in shock. "But it's really impossible to get a full roster, you know. It's not like they all signed a list, like we did with Dumbledore's Army," Harry pointed out.

Malfoy shook his head. "That's what you get for writing things down."

"You know what?" Ron stood up, his face going pink, but Hermione grabbed his arm and pulled him back down.

"Malfoy's right. And," she added, "We don't know the extent of their influence on the continent, either. After all, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang weren't involved in the final battle here."

"Trust me, HE had a foothold on the continent," Malfoy informed them.

"How do you know?" Ron asked, somewhat rudely.

"He knows," Harry said, with a look that silenced Ron. "All I'll say is our mutual contact can confirm that; he's a verygood source. The rest is a matter of Ministry Security," Harry continued. "Anything else? I hear the boys are fine?"

"Back in their House," Madame Pomfrey nodded. "Now, about the dog, Potter?"

Harry grinned at her.

"And while we're at it, let's discuss the rumor about what happened in your class, Harry?" Hermione put in, "Rumor is that Teddy can morph into a white wolf?"

Harry laughed and shook his head, noting the desperate look on Teddy's face. "No, that was his dog, Argos," Harry explained. "When Teddy was very little, a stray dog adopted us. It seems he subtly changes form. He followed Teddy to school one day, and he seems to pop up here and there. When Teddy was in danger from my demonstration, he and Argos switched places, much like the old shell game. What the students saw isn't really what happened."

"Well, you need to squash that rumor," McGonagall told him. "I was about to award points to Gryffindor for the transformation!"

"So, uhhh, is anyone else worried about a shape-shifting-Apparating dog?" Dean asked. "'cause that's not normal? Don't you find it a bit...odd, Harry?"

"No," Harry replied, "If he was a threat, I don't think he'd have waited - in my house - all these years to attack."

"Teddy says the dog told him that it was his Familiar," McGonagall informed them.

"He can talk to dogs?" Dean asked.

"Makes sense," Neville agreed.

Malfoy made an indelicate sound.

"And about the potions marks?" Harry glared at him, changing track abruptly.

Malfoy gasped, looking scandalized.

"Fine, fine!" Malfoy conceded, "Full marks. I was just trying to toughen him up, is all. After all, he is a Black."

Teddy blinked in surprise.