Uh, hi guys? Longtime no see? …I have no legitimate excuses. All I can say is I am a procrastinator, and while I'll put things off I don't want to do until the last minute, things I want to do are put off to the last second. I had to fight myself to get this onto a document. So, yeah… But look! Nice big pretty chapter to distract you!

(Warning, I guess?) There will be gun usage in this chapter. Nothing lethal, not even being fired at people, but this is just insurance for me, here. (They're airsoft guns, if you must know.) No jumping down my throat, I am warning you.

Disclaimer: Author waves a wand, invoking an incantation to gain the ownership rights to Harry Potter. Instead, an anvil falls on the author's head. Moral of the story: Author still doesn't own the Harry Potter series.

Chapter Fifteen

(Day 1)

Harry shuffled into the Higgindobbins' house, nodding and yawning at a smiling Mandy at the door. It was only another week until Harry and the Dursleys returned to England, so the younger Higgindobbins decided to have this last week be packed with various America-only experiences (according to them). Everything was meant to be a surprise for Harry, and all he knew was he had to show up today at six.

Six. In the morning. He will kill them all. After a nap.

Luckily, Harry's mastery of shadow travel meant he didn't have to wake up even earlier to make up for travel time. Still. The Dursleys never woke him up so early; they couldn't when they themselves never got up before ten.

"Welcome!" the overly preppy Mandy practically screamed. Harry wanted to snap. He did. That just required the energy to open his mouth, energy he really didn't have. He huffed doggishly back.

The rest of the Higgindobbins clan and Alex were lined up in the foyer. Chase's bedhead reassured him that he had no part in this adventure. Alex was softly snoring on Sherry's shoulder. Sherry would've looked as calm, cool, and collected as she normally did if she weren't looking at the world through dead eyes. Harry wasn't even sure she wasn't sleeping with her eyes open. Brandon was the only one of the bunch who looked like he didn't mind the early time.

Harry shuffled over to Chase, whom he heard muttering death threats under his breath. "Not even necessary... Just want to make us all miserable… Slowly and painfully… A knife. No, a spoon… -ing morning people." Harry decided not to bother him. They may be friends, but Harry knew that in Chase's sleep-addled state, everyone was an enemy.

They all shuffled into Brandon's van, waving the two parents goodbye. Or at least, Harry thinks so. It was all just a fuzzy vertigo to him.

Brandon drove much better than his cousin, Harry can attest to. Without even a minute in the car, everyone besides Brandon and Mandy were asleep to the soothing rumble of the engine.

…

The van came to a stop, jolting Harry out of his power nap. Before he could get his bearings, Mandy hoisted him out of the vehicle and clamored him over to a golf cart.

He looked to find himself in… the city?

"Welcome to Hollywood!" Mandy exclaimed.

They had brought him to a tour of Hollywood, and they would be shown around in two golf carts. Harry watched the sites go by. He thought it was pretty cool, altogether. They were even able to watch the movie magic happen at one of the sets. Nothing as impressive as real magic, but… actually… not as impressive as on the big screen, either. One actress couldn't stop laughing in her serious scene. Chase giggled something about a blooper reel, but Harry just thought they all looked silly trying to keep serious facades as the actress lost it.

They ate in a cafeteria-styled area (which came with the tour).

When they were done there, an (assumed) actor approached them. He smiled at them, and making sure their tour guide was busy, greeted them. "Hey! We've got a pretty big group of magicals here!"

They all stared at him, wide-eyed.

"Oh, don't look so surprised. I am, too! How else do you think I can pull off my stunts?" he flashed a charming grin.

"Stunts?" Sherry asked.

"Stuntman Garry, at your service," he bowed theatrically. "I'm actually about to go back on set. You guys want to come watch?"

"Heck yeah!" Alex piped up.

The group shuffled along behind him, their tour guide scrambling to keep up and find out what was happening.

They arrived in a large warehouse environment. A group of assistants showed the Higgindobbins tribe where to stand out of the way. With a jaunty wave, Garry left to get prepped. He was hooked to some rigging, and the director explained to him what scene they were shooting. With a call of "Action!" Garry was punched in the face and the rigging launched him into the wall. "Cut!"

The large group watched as the scene was replayed over and over, either from different camera angles or with them trying something new.

Overall, Harry enjoyed it much more than watching a poor woman laugh her butt off. He did have to fight off an overeager Dogo from jumping in on the action, though.

By the time they were finished, Harry thought the eventful day would be over. None of the other Higgindobbins were having it.

"Nope!" Alex decreed. "We still have more stuff to do!"

They all piled back in the van, the now more awake Higgindobbins arguing over who got shotgun. The resulting car ride was much louder than earlier this morning. They stopped for dinner at an Italian restaurant, Brandon exchanging with Harry over ravioli and lasagna embarrassing baby stories of the others. They tried to stop him, but with a flick of his wand under the table, any time one of them tried to protest, they were silenced for five minutes. They pouted and their eyes demanded retribution when they were outside the restaurant and judgmental eyes.

When they left the building and were walking across the parking lot, Mandy cried, "Retribution!" The other two Higgindobbins helped her dogpile the oldest. Alex and Harry stood to the side and giggled as a war ensued. They weren't too concerned: Any bruises could be healed quickly.

Brandon was grumbling as he drove with a bruise on his cheek. He'd get those munchkins back; he swore to Harry beside him.

They parked in a large and busy parking lot at sunset. Harry was towed to a stadium that was overly crowded and bright lights flashing. They made it through security, only to go to some of the worst seats in the stadium.

Chase shrugged at him. "Last minute. We were lucky to get tickets at all."

An opening band played on the decked-out stage. Harry thought they were alright, but they probably wouldn't make it far on their own. Then the main event came onto the stage.

They came in a burst of smoke and fire in an impressive pyrotechnics display. To Harry, they just looked like ants, but their sound blasted from the nearby speakers. Much more impressive than their openers, the rock band forced screams from their lips in excitement (or just trying to be heard over those impressive speakers). Harry jumped lightly on his toes to the beat in a semblance of a dance, following Chase's lead. He could see down the dark aisle Alex jerking around, almost whacking Sherry in the face several times.

When they stumbled from the stadium several hours later, Harry couldn't tell which of his senses were more shot. His sight pulsed from the light shows, his ears rang from the speakers, his throat was sore from all the screaming. Probably worst off was his mental-connection-thingy he had with his magic and forms. His Dogo puppy huddled in the corner from the noise, his Hellhound howled in tune with the music, and his magic jumped around his body excitedly. Harry was almost certain it tried to help the pyrotechnics become even bigger (not that it would admit it, nor could his adrenaline-fueled mind remember if he released it himself).

They all stumbled into the van, laughing from the high they were leaving. Brandon took a potion and revved the engine. They had to wait in line to leave the parking lot, but finally they were back on the open road. Harry could feel his energy high quickly tapering off in the quiet, dark car. He heard Chase snoring beside him and quiet huffs and breaths from everyone else besides Brandon. The eldest Higgindobbins smiled at him from the rearview mirror. In a quiet voice, the man whispered, "Don't worry, Harry. You can sleep it off. That's why we brought the van: Magic travel is kinda risky when you've done as much as we have."

Harry huffed quietly. "Not worried. But thanks, Brandon. This was fun."

"And the week's only beginning," the man grinned back.

With a smile, Harry drifted off into dreamland.

…

Harry awoke in the sitting room of his home in the Realm Between. He was in his hellhound form in a puppy-pile with his ancestors. He lifted his head from Ignotus's back to release a great yawn that sent his toes curling. He was curled around in Antioch's warmth, the hound's fiery fur only providing a great heat source to other hellhounds rather than pain others would experience. After basking in being surrounded by family, he slipped out from under Cadmus's head, which rested between his shoulders. Successfully leaving the dogpile without waking any of the pack elders, Harry yawned once more, his fur shifting to become spikey as he stretched his massive dark body. As his body relaxed, so too did his fur.

Harry looked around. There was no sign of Death like every other time he was there. Deciding to explore, Harry walked around the home that was to be his. The kitchen was stocked with various bones, which Harry couldn't tell if it was a joke or legitimately what his ancestors ate while they were here. Where he guessed was the dining room was only an open space. Then again, maybe the three brothers just ate their bones on the rather comfortable floor (which was covered in a soft, thick, woolen carpet he wanted to roll all over).

A library filled a great amount of the ground floor's space. Harry looked in, decided it was a Hermione paradise, and slipped back out to continue exploring.

The only other room besides the sitting room seemed to be a second almost furniture-less room, which held one chair in the corner. Unlike the dining room, the floors were a hard wood surrounding white marble. There were several closets surrounding the room, which seemed to hold various training equipment. Harry was somewhat wary about some of the equipment. He found one sword that was taller than Death itself!

Harry wandered up the stairs to the first floor. Most of these rooms seemed to be mostly bedrooms themed in neutral colors. Nothing caught his interest until he reached the last door down the hallway. Inside was not a typical bedroom. Rather, the bed was set in the floor, and was more circular in nature. No other furniture was in the room. Harry wandered onto the bed.

His claws did nothing to the thick duvet. Unlike in the dining room, he couldn't help but roll around on the soft surface. There were no pillows, he noticed.

Caught in rolling within the softness of the strange bed, Harry didn't hear anyone approach. He jumped at a bark of laughter. He looked up to see Ignotus in the doorway. Grinning as only a dog can, Ignotus followed his heir onto the bed. He sat regally, but humor danced in his eyes. Harry didn't realize until then that his face was buried sideways in the duvet. His ear and jowl were flopped over, giving him a bizarre appearance. His butt hung up in the air; his tail was still wagging.

Straightening out, he jumped (with the help of the bouncy bed) over to his so-many-greats grandfather. Hellhound Harry had just taken over, preventing any embarrassment from Human Harry. His back end went up, his tail still wagging, in the classic doggy-play pose. He jumped quickly at the elder, nipping, and jumping back. Ignotus huffed with "great reluctance," then got into his own doggy-play pose. With help from the bouncy bed, the two hellhounds chased at each other, nipping and pouncing only to dart away in a game of tag. Finally, Ignotus grabbed Harry by the scruff and pinned him. Harry surrendered, relaxing back into the bed. Ignotus released him, and Harry licked at his face in thanks.

The two sat and panted beside each other, tails wagging lazily.

Ignotus looked over at him. "For pack," he gestured at the bed.

Harry looked at the mess of blankets that were once the neatly made bed. His first thought was something along the lines of Ewe. Pack bed? Then he thought back to the dogpile from before. Of course! They slept on here whenever they were in their hellhound forms as a pack! Makes more sense than his first impression, that was for sure.

Ignotus huffed in amusement, having guessed what he was thinking. He grumbled, "Come, pup. You still haven't seen to the guests you brought earlier. I am sure they will be happy to meet with their saviour." His voice, while as wise-sounding as all those who have gone through much, was overall average. Then again, Harry shouldn't judge. His voice as a hellhound might be completely different than as a human.

They shuffled out of the room. Hellhound Harry tried to start another round of play, but Ignotus gave off a warning growl. Harry whined but complied.

They nosed their way out the door. Harry started wagging nervously. In the back field was the nightmare herd. He didn't see the Miniature Dragon Inferno, but it was intimidating when several demon-esque horses turn their heads to you at the same time.

The young nightmare he first met and ran away from with the other boys from camp pranced up to him, both head and tail held high. He felt a growl ripple from his chest without permission, making the horse skitter away.

Ignotus sat calmly, apparently already used to the nightmares.

Harry turned to a huffing sound. The massive nightmare he had made the deal with ambled from the heard. It stood several inches taller than the other nightmares in the herd. Its dark blue, fiery mane rippled along its neck. Unlike his younger counterpart, this nightmare's head was bowed, and it approached much more sedately.

"Apologies, he is not used to strangers," the dark nightmare rumbled.

"All young ones are similar," Ignotus griped back.

They both huffed in laughter at Harry's affronted face.

"Thank you once again for this," the nightmare said.

"I think you will get more out of this space than I will," Harry reassured, only to yelp. Ignotus had nipped his shoulder. "Hey!"

"Maybe for now," Ignotus allowed, "but soon, you will be regretting that, Brat. After your vacation, you will be here more than you will want to train."

"Train?"

He looked at me, unamused, "Death told you you still had to learn about your place as a hellhound, did he not?"

"Oh, hehe. Guess I forgot," Harry replied sheepishly. Give him a break! He was still overwhelmed just from being in America!

"We have found an… interesting… result from being here, however," the nightmare hedged.

Harry felt his ears perk up in interest.

With a roar of flames the color of his mane, the nightmare's originally dark pelt became dark scales. Spines aligned down his body. His head, while still horse-like in shape, looked more like a dragon's head than a horse's. With another roar of flames, he went back to normal.

The nightmare spoke before Harry could respond, "The Inferno stays in the woods, but if either of us chooses, we combine into that form. Our consciousnesses combine to become something new, and our combined firepower eclipses everything ever thought of. Truly, a surprisingly fortunate turn of events compared to what your – ancestors? – say could have happened."

Harry stared at the nightmare, "Uh, wow."

A huffing laugh sounded behind him. Both Cadmus and Antioch emerged from the house. "Sees a work of magic, and all he says is 'wow'?" Cadmus crowed.

Antioch rolled his eyes, "Like you were any better when you saw them."

"Hey! Let me make fun of my nephew! It's-it's… family bonding! Yeah! Family bonding!"

"Mhm. Really?"

"Yes, and you, mister, need to learn how to… connect! Yeah! Connect! With our little nephew here before he goes and sees the big, wide world and forgets about us!"

"Oh, after the training we have planned, I doubt he'd forget us," Antioch smirked back. He turned to Harry, "Don't let the old dog get to you, Pup. He's going senile."

"If I'm going senile, then what makes you? Huh? You are the eldest!"

Ignotus groaned. "Thousands of years, and I'm still the only mature one out of the three of us."

Harry's two uncles smirked at him, then pounced on Ignotus, starting a play-fight. Harry looked over at the nightmares, as if asking what to do. He saw them staring amusedly at the fighting trio, dragons alighting around to watch the spectacle. Harry looked back at his ancestors.

With one last look back and forth, Harry shrugged. They were supposed to be teaching him how a real hellhound acts. He jumped into the pile to play-fight, as well.

…

Harry awoke to Chase shaking him awake. "Back home," he sleepily muttered. "You can stay in the guest bedroom tonight. Mom doesn't want you traveling at this time of night.

With a shuffle, they were off to bed. When Harry's head hit the pillow, he was back, wrestling with his "tutors," as Death once put it.

…

(Day 2)

Harry watched the others put many black cases into the back of the van. He turned to Sherry. "Why does this look like some kind of spy movie scene?"

Sherry laughed. "Yeah. I can see what you mean." She turned serious. "This one shouldn't be a surprise. We're going to a gun range nearby."

Harry paused and turned to look at her. "What!" he cried.

Sherry nodded. "We figured since guns are so regulated in the UK, and we know your wizarding world doesn't stay up-to-date, we decided you might want to take this chance."

"Guns? Like kill-in-one-hit? Guns? Real guns?"

Sherry waved nonchalantly. "You only get killed in one hit if you get hit in the wrong place." She turned to look at a thoroughly freaked-out Harry. "I understand your fears, Harry. But listen to me. Your magic, can you kill with it?"

"I-I guess…"

Sherry put her hands reassuringly on Harry's shoulders. "We wouldn't bring just anyone along to something like this, Harry. But you already have more discipline working with lethal weapons than most if not all no-maj teenagers. We'll make sure you're safe, don't worry." Her eyes turned hard, "And if you don't follow our instructions to the letter, we will leave, immediately. We don't need careless accidents from you, you hear?"

"But do we have to? I- "

"Harry, what are you really scared of?"

Harry's head bowed. "I-I don't- "

"You've been taught guns aren't something to jack with. Trust me, Harry, no one in this family just plays with these things. Our parents will be there. And you'll only be learning with no-maj guns. Airsoft guns, at that. They don't hurt too much if you get hit. It helps your accuracy with casting spells."

"But, I'm a wide-based wizard. How can I be accurate? And guns are different from wands."

Sherry nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, but you live in a precision-based society. And the great thing about this range is that we can use magic on the range, as well. And it's… What did my teacher once call it? I think it's called associative learning. You learn how to make your magic more accurate. And it's honestly safer to use Airsoft guns than magic, which you have to focus on both which spells you use as well as your accuracy. Kinda… separates… the training, as the case may be."

Harry was still wary, but he decided to trust them. The Higgindobbins had yet to steer him wrong, and he honestly wanted to be able to connect with them. If this is what they did, he would follow along for now. He could still shadow travel out of there if it was too much. He nodded.

Sherry smiled one last reassuring smile before going to help her family finish up the preparation. Her magic lightly lingered reassuringly around his shoulders before following her.

…

The gun range was in a giant metal building. They were there early, so there weren't any other cars in the parking lot.

They walked into the reception area. Mr. Higgindobbins walked over to the receptionist. "Reserved room for Higgindobbins?"

"Ah, yes," she smiled. "Right this way. Please bring your equipment with you. Do you need anything besides the range? Safety equipment? Rounds?"

Mr. Higgindobbins smiled back. "Thank you, but we should be fine."

"And everyone in your party has signed the liability agreement?"

Mr. Higgindobbins nodded. Harry looked at Chase confusedly. He didn't sign any agreement.

Chase quietly muttered, "Dad got your guardians' signatures yesterday. He said they were fine with it. And that they had a dark sense of humor." He looked at Harry suspiciously.

Harry laughed nervously. "Yeah, I guess I forgot to tell you about that…"

Chase shot one last look at Harry before turning to follow his father into the building. "No need to lie. If you don't want to tell, I just won't ask. Just say the word. And when you're ready to talk, we'll talk. Simple as that."

Harry was stunned. What did he mean, he wouldn't ask? Everyone asked. Hermione and Ron practically hounded him for any detail he'd spill. Honestly, the lack of force from Chase made Harry consider telling him about his home life before Harry shook himself out of it. No need to worry him.

The room they were given was separated by a glass wall. Sections were cut out to presumably fire through. Lines ran down the length of the other side of the room, connecting the cut-out section to targets on the other side of the room.

"Right," Mr. Higgindobbins proclaimed. "Harry, we're only using Airsoft guns, but we'll be treating them as if they were any other lethal gun. If I catch you – and that applies to all of you – playing around, not only will we immediately leave, no magic of any kind will be allowed for the rest of summer that isn't strictly necessary. Do I make myself clear?"

All heads nodded seriously.

"Very well. You've been warned. Harry, I'll be teaching you basic gun safety before I hand one of these over to you. The rest of you will wait to start until this has been covered. Understand?" Another round of head nods.

Harry stood in front of Mr. Higgindobbins, who had just pulled out one of the Airsoft guns from its casing. "Firstly, this is not a toy. You respect this as the lethal item it is. You never point it at anyone. I don't care if there's no rounds or your finger isn't even on the trigger. These things can malfunction as any other tool. Hold it like this," he showed Harry how to properly carry the gun. "Until you decide to fire, your finger should not go onto that trigger. It's a natural position for your finger to go, I understand. But we don't need you to accidently fire the gun. Your pointer, until you shoot, goes along the gun barrel, like this," his first finger was aligned with the gun barrel above the trigger. "Every gun is loaded. I don't care if you think it's not. That's how people get hurt. The rest of your fingers go on the gun like so." Mr. Higgindobbins continued to show him the basics (were these seriously just the basics?) of handling the gun properly. He showed Harry how to properly aim, reload, and fire. They spent more time on the safety rules than the usage of the gun, though.

"Finally, we will be wearing sound-cancelling headphones and safety lenses. Many would say we don't need them, but I personally believe better safe than sorry. Any questions? I will be watching you and helping for now, my wife will be watching everyone else, okay?"

Harry nodded hesitantly. So many safety rules. He hoped he could remember them all.

He stepped up to the second spot on the wall. Mr. Higgindobbins handed him the Airsoft gun. Harry brought the gun up, then waited for Mr. Higgindobbins to correct him.

"Your arm placement is fine," the tattooed man mused. "Put your feet a little further apart. Yeah! Like that. You have better balance that way. Now lean a little further forward. Okay, now aim and shoot."

…

Harry found he wasn't the best at shooting an Airsoft gun. Sure, it hit the target every time once he got the hang of it, but he couldn't seem to stop the slightly reflexive motion of jerking the gun up slightly at every fire, which always put his shots slightly too high.

He was grateful for the experience, and he wouldn't say no to doing this again with the Higgindobbins, but Harry doubted he'd ever invest any more interest than that. He'd just stick to magic. None of the Higgindobbins gave him grief about his decision when they asked how he liked it during the short break they had.

After their hour-long practice, they unloaded the guns and put them back into their cases. Of the Higgindobbins, only Mandy had wide-based magic, so she would be teaching and helping him.

She stepped to her place. "Okay, so what you'll want to start with since you don't have your focus with you is spread your magic in front of you." A light mist spread before her, about shoulder-width and torso-length. "You don't have a focus, so this should be easier. Next, condense so much of the magic together." The mist condensed to form several small, almost bullet-sized and shaped, forms. "This is harder. Your magic doesn't want to be here. It'll naturally fight you to go back to what it was, which isn't conducive to what we're trying to accomplish." Even now, he could see the magic bullets shivering, no, trying to expand. "Now you just launch in the direction you want it to go. I'd suggest throwing your arms out at first. Helps visualize. Like so." She thrust two open palms in the direction of the target. The magic flew through the air, hitting the target – and several feet around it. "This exercise might not be the best for accuracy, but it is good for learning the basics. Make sure you concentrate to not let them explode until after they hit the target. Your turn." She practically bounced out of the way.

Harry stepped up. He concentrated, and he could feel his magic escaping his pores. A light mist formed, just like Mandy's.

"Good, now force it together."

He grit his teeth. It was like trying to push a balloon to be smaller. Wherever he pushed down, somewhere else expanded. Sorry, I'm really trying here, his magic apologized. You'd think this would be easier. We do use a wand all the time.

No-no sweat, Harry reassured.

Finally, his magic was in pebble-shaped forms. They weren't nearly as clean as Mandy's, but at this rate, he'd take what he could get.

"Good, Harry. Now push."

Harry followed instructions. He even did the arm-thrust she did.

His magic dissipated before it got half-way across the range.

"What?" he panted out in disbelief.

Mandy handed him a water. "You didn't keep it contained before it hit. Try again."

Harry swallowed several mouthfuls of water before handing the bottle back to her. He went back through the steps, finding it already infinitely easier than he had before. When he thrust his arms out, he focused on the magic pebbles. They landed… around the target. Not even one hit!

Harry sat down tiredly. "Why is that so hard?" he panted.

Mandy smiled sympathetically. "You've never done it this way. Just watch. Soon, you'll be an expert."

More? his magic complained. I don't know if we can take more.

…

They did the magic-condensing exercises for another half-hour before Mandy told him to rest. Harry sat at the bench at the back of the room. He watched as the other Higgindobbins send spells at the targets, one streamlined magic hit after another. Their effects looked like a Weasley Twin dueling match on steroids.

Mandy sat beside him. "Not what you're used to, huh?"

"I still don't understand. I can send several spells like that with my wand."

Mandy shook her head. "Maybe, but that's with a wand. It's like training wheels. It does that part of the equation for you. But this is better for your magical health. Even if your stress levels go through the roof trying to contain it properly."

"Magical health?"

"Magic is like a muscle. Think of it like push-ups. Doing it with a wand for us is like doing girl push-ups, with your knees on the ground. You can do more, but they don't do more for you. Using your magic like this is like push-ups on your knuckles. You can do less, but you become infinitely stronger than just doing girl push-ups."

Harry laughed. "I don't know if I've ever done a push-up in my life."

Mandy smiled back. "Maybe we should have you get a training session from my dad, later, then."

Harry nodded good-naturedly.

"We won't do any more of that. It could strain you too much. Tear a magical muscle, as it were. When you get back to Britain, you should do it weekly, at most. If you can find a private nook, of course. Once they're done, we can get to the fun stuff." She gestured at her family.

"Fun stuff?" Harry would admit, his interest was piqued.

Mandy nodded. "We can't do anymore of those exercises, but we're wide-based magicals. We have a lot of fun spells they," she looked at her family, "can't do as easily as we can. As soon as they stop hogging the range!" She yelled none too-subtly at her family.

"Yeah, yeah. Ten more minutes," Chase griped back.

Harry looked over at the two Higgindobbins parents. They were watching their kids on the bench a few benches over. Even though they hadn't done any practicing like the children, they looked like they were having as good of a time as their children.

Harry watched the others for the next ten minutes, jumping when an alarm rang through the room. He looked over at the source of the noise, only to see Mrs. Higgindobbins's hand in the air. "Okay, that's break! Time to let you sister and your guest," there was no subtly there, either, "get their practice time in."

The Higgindobbins shuffled away, grabbing towels to wipe the sweat off and water bottles.

Mandy jumped in excitement. "Come on! Come on! This is the best part!"

She opened a door in the side of the glass panel, bringing Harry into the range area. The floors were surprisingly padded. Harry would've expected them to be concrete like the rest of the building.

"Okay," Mandy instructed, "relax, and let your magic spread however it wants. There are no barriers to hold it back. Not even your own body."

Harry felt his magic surround him as it was wont to do when he didn't keep a tight leash on it, but it tiredly hovered around him not even two feet away.

"Good, now spin it."

"Huh?"

"Watch mine."

Harry watched (without magically-sensing) as a vortex of pure magic swirled around Mandy's form.

Fun! his magic exclaimed, before following her lead. While Mandy's magic was an ocean-blue, Harry's was tinged a brilliant green. Wee!

"Now!" Mandy yelled over the roar of magic, "Release!" Her magic rippled outward, creating a classic shockwave.

Woohoo! His magic called as it mimicked her.

"Nice," Mandy smiled. Harry smirked. She was right; this was the fun part!

They continued, first just letting their magic out like it wanted. Then, Mandy showed him how to do pulses, as she called them. Rather than being released in a condensed stream, rings of magic flew from them, pulsing in beats, the diameter of the circles of magic extending the further from them they were. Harry was able to make a perfect circle perfectly around the circular target in front of him. (Only the one time, but still, it counted!)

Somehow, Mandy was able to convince Harry to produce a Patronus. She explained that the magic was an intermediate between precision and wide magics.

Prongs rushed from his hands, prancing proudly around the range. He bowed regally to the oohs and ahs from the peanut gallery before nuzzling at Harry's hair and dissipating. Harry didn't notice, but Brandon pulled a notebook from a pocket and started sketching the magnificent beast.

They finished at lunchtime. They ate at the Higgindobbins' house to save money, according to Mr. Higgindobbins, and "We have food at home. Deal with it," from Mrs. Higgindobbins.

Leftovers and sandwiches were on the menu, not that Harry was complaining. The simple lunch didn't weigh heavily in his stomach like some of the lunches he'd had with the family.

After the lunch and a change into fresh clothes (Harry borrowing from Chase in this instance), Brandon opened a portal to their next destination.

When Harry stepped through, he found himself in front of a worn metal sign with Mage Farms across the top.

"You told me about the nightmares the other day. We thought you might enjoy learning how to ride a horse," Chase explained to his confused face.

They met with the owners of the farm, who took them to the horse stables. Stable hands brought out seven tawny horses with a slight bump on their heads. "Australian Unicorns," according to one stable hand. Unlike most unicorns that had prominent horns, the horn of these unicorns ran the length of their faces. It was long, but narrow, creating an almost ridge down their faces. They didn't look sharp, but Harry had no doubt those "horns" could protect the unicorns as well as necessary.

Unlike most unicorns, the Australian Unicorn was supposedly as tolerant of males as females. Their horns held no healing properties, so they were less skittish than other species. Their temperaments were milder, making them a perfect breed to learn how to ride, according to the owner.

The stable hands showed them all how to properly approach, saddle, and mounting the horses before letting the Higgindobbins clan at it. Mrs. Higgindobbins had no trouble mounting her horse, obviously having done this at some point in her life. Mr. Higgindobbins had somehow jumped over the horse, to the laughs of his family. The others all had small hang-ups, but Harry had the worst luck of them all.

The supposedly not-skittish horse shuffled away from him any time he got close, once even rearing back threateningly when he got too close. The stable hand had to help calm the horse down while also trying to determine what Harry was doing wrong.

The hellhound in the back of Harry's mind whimpered. I think it's our smell, his magic agreed. Most sane animals don't want to be around death, nor a predator at that.

Harry agreed. The horse seemed to just have a problem with him. Finally, against the instructions of the stable hands, Harry bowed, just like with Buckbeak this past year. The horse finally settled down and seemed to snuffle at his house. Harry could hear the other stable hands tittering worriedly before the horse bowed back to him. Harry smiled before saddling the horse and mounting it (with the help of the stunned stable hand who tried to keep the poor horse calm).

The owner of the farms got on his own horse, an "Atlantean Thoroughbred" (a beautiful greyish-blue mare with flowing mane), and slowly showed them all how to ride the unicorns. Finally, he led them in a ride around the property.

They quickly reached an apple orchard, where all the horses snagged an apple to snack on. As they ambled along, the owner chatted with the older Higgindobbins as the younger were adjusting to being on something alive. Finally, they all were somewhat used to the sway of the saddle along the unicorns' backs, in time for when they reached an open clearing, where the owner showed them how to get their horses into a gallop. Mandy, Brandon, Mr. Higgindobbins, and Harry were all quick to a race, Mandy winning.

They continued touring the property for several hours, all the humans basking in the summer sun and walking alongside their unicorns when their backsides started hurting too much.

When they were finished, both Harry and Chase had noticeable sunburns, but they were all calm from the peaceful ride.

When they got back home, Harry and Chase had to wait in the kitchen as Mrs. Higgindobbins made an Aloe Vera potion to sooth their burns.

When Harry reached his hotel bed that night, he was out like a light. If it weren't for the extreme workout in the morning, the draining warmth from the Sun would have made him pass out quickly. As it was, Harry was lucky to reach his bed before his body shut down.

…

(Day 3)

When Harry walked into the Higgindobbins' home that day, he found them all surrounding a magazine.

"Hey, Harry!" Brandon called.

"Hey, what's that?" Harry asked.

"The No-Maj Tribune," the oldest of the Higgindobbins siblings replied. "Legally, magicals can decide whether or not to be in contact with the no-maj world, but all of us must read the monthly issue to know about no-maj news and trends so we understand what's going on when we do need to interact with it. This magazine," he held up a copy, "has the largest news stories, fashion trends, popular music genres and songs, and newest technologies premiered this month."

"I wish we had that in England," Harry mused. "My friend's dad didn't even know what a rubber duck was used for."

Brandon chuckled. "Yeah, well, technically we used to be like that. What was it, forty, fifty years ago?"

Harry sat in the seat across from the man. "Really? What changed?"

Brandon mused, "I guess you could say it all started with the second world war. Magicals are U.S. citizens, so wizards were part of the draft. We found our men had to learn quickly to not arouse suspicion from their comrades. That started the rise in learning about our no-maj counterparts. Then, in the fifties and sixties, no-maj born were inspired by other civil rights activists. They started lobbying for legal marriage with no-majes and looser restrictions on our interactions with them. Now, here we are," he shrugged. "Originally, we were even stricter on staying away from no-majes than almost every other country."

Harry blinked in surprise. "Do you think English wizards could get to this point?"

Brandon shrugged. "Hard to say. We were stricter on our interactions with no-majes, but overall, we were still looser with restrictions on magic itself from the get-go. I don't know if it would translate over well or not."

Harry's musings were cut off by Mrs. Higgindobbins coming in with plates upon plates of eggs along with several stacks of toast. Harry found that while the Higgindobbins made near as much food as Mrs. Weasley, they didn't make too many different dishes in one sitting. "Dirties up less pans," Chase joked when he mentioned it once.

Over breakfast, the Higgindobbins explained what the adventure would be for today. They were going hiking in the nearby mountains, apparently.

…

Harry decided that he hated hiking. Sure, it was relaxing, but did there have to be so much… hiking involved?

His magic loved it, stretching out from the cramps it was getting from yesterday's workout by playing with the natural magics of the forest.

They stopped at an old picnic site, which had rotting wood benches and a rusted-over fire pit.

Harry sipped at his water, staring at the tree line. Did he just see movement? There it was again!

Finally, out shuffled an almost pitiful-looking creature. Hairless, its overall shape was similar to a canine. It had longer-than-average fangs, and spines running down its back. It might've been intimidating, if not for the fact it looked nearly half-starved.

"Chupacabra," Sherry breathed when she saw it.

"But what's it doing here?" Chase muttered. "They live down in Texas and New Mexico!"

The animal shuffled over to Harry, whining pitifully. He carefully stuck the back of his hand out at the urging of Mandy. The thing snuffled at his hand, then ducked under it so he was petting the top of its head. Harry carefully scratched at the beast. It was almost purring in satisfaction.

Brandon muttered, "We can't leave it here. It's too used to humans, at the very least. They're supposed to normally be skittish at best."

Harry continued his ministrations as he looked up at them all. "It hasn't had anything to eat, that's for sure. Do we have anything it'd want?"

Brandon shook his head. "They're the vampires of the animal kingdom. They drink the blood of smaller livestock. Even if we offered it some of ours, they don't like human blood."

Harry frowned. "Is there anything in the nearby area it could eat?"

Brandon sighed audibly. "Even if there was, it should've eaten them by now. Chupacabras are great natural hunters."

They all pondered the new conundrum, before Harry lightly picked up the animal from under its backend and front legs. The Chupacabra curled into his arms. "I really don't like this," Chase mused.

"Yeah, neither do I," Sherry muttered. "C'mon. We should start heading back. Maybe we can find a squirrel on the way or something."

They started walking back along the trail, the animal quietly napping in Harry's arms.

"Why did it just… approach Harry, though?" Sherry asked Brandon.

Brandon shrugged. "Any reason it saw fit. Let's just get it to a vet and hopefully get some answers."

Less than five minutes out, another Chupacabra, slightly smaller, shuffled from the bushes, followed by several tiny mini-me's that were obviously its pups. They huddled around Harry, the largest snuffling at the one in his arms. Their just-as-malnourished forms shivered in the light wind.

"I really don't like this," Mandy muttered.

Brandon hummed. "They came from the same place, right?" he asked Harry.

Harry nodded, sitting Indian style to put his cargo closer to the family.

"Then I'll take Mandy and Sherry, while Chase and Harry stay here. Watch them. We'll try to figure out where they're coming from," Brandon ordered. Harry noticed the man's hands shaking slightly, although from stress or rage he wasn't sure.

Chase settled beside him a couple feet away as his siblings shuffled into the brush. Brandon held a machete Harry hadn't noticed he'd brought (his pockets must be huge!) out, Sherry her wand, and Mandy her… hands. Who could blame her? In a fight, a wide-based wild magician is better without a focus.

Harry petted the various Chupacabra heads that forced their way under his hands. The adults' otherwise smooth skin was littered with scars, while the babies' was as smooth as a human baby's. Harry's magic tickled along their spines, making them snap playfully at it.

Harry and Chase spent twenty minutes listening for the others. Chase became more and more restless the longer the others were gone. Finally, Sherry's head popped out of the bushes.

"Hey," she whispered. As the rest of her emerged, several Chupacabra pups, small enough to be only a few days old, nestled in the pouch of her shirt. Mandy held several more pups in her arms, and Brandon led several more scarred adults into the trail way.

Chase gasped. "What?"

Mandy harshly shushed him, trying to keep her charges asleep.

Brandon petted the largest one's head. "Tell you when we get to the car. We need to move, now." He conjured several baskets lined with blankets to put the pups in. Harry helped shuffle the largest pups into their own basket before Brandon picked them up.

Harry stood with the still sleeping Chupacabra in his arms. The group trekked back down the trail once more, the girls cooing at their charges.

It wasn't until they reached the halfway point before the eldest of the group started talking.

"I think it was a breeding ring," Brandon explained.

Mandy continued, "It was awful. Just a shed. They were chained up, even the babies. No food or water in sight."

"Chupacabras aren't an animal you can legally breed, anyway," Sherry cut her cousin off. "It puts too much stress on their bodies just to be in captivity, much less breed them."

"Unfortunately, these animals won't survive in the wild," Brandon said. "They've been in captivity for too long; they wouldn't know how to survive."

"But, why?" Harry asked.

"Chupacabra spines are valuable in wand making. And I'm sure there's some exotic pet ring for them as well," Sherry explained.

They continued down the path, Brandon, Mandy, and Sherry explaining what they found while Harry and Chase listened in horrified silence.

When they found the van ("Thank God we brought the van this time," Mandy mused), they first lifted the babies into the back before one-by-one helping each adult along with them. They lowered the back seats for the most room. The final Chupacabra was lifted into the back before finally closing the doors.

"They're scared," Brandon mused. "They should be fighting us. They shouldn't be this… tame. They were really hurt, and they must've been shuffled around a lot."

"It's so sad," Sherry whispered.

They piled into the van. Luckily, those back seats weren't being used, so they didn't have to pile on top of one another. As Brandon pulled from the space, Harry saw another van pulling into the trail parking lot. He wondered if those were the breeders.

"Let's get out of here," Mandy muttered.

"Agreed," said Brandon.

They pulled away from the parking lot, Brandon making sure to not go too fast so as to be seen as suspicious. Once they were out of sight of the other van, Brandon quickly drove fast enough to match Mandy's usual speeds (although with so much more control).

Sherry pulled out her mirror to call the magical veterinarian clinic a few towns away.

"Hello? Yes, I'm calling to tell you that we're heading your way with several Chupacabras and their pups… Uh… Let's see. For sure several lacerations and malnourishment... Ten adults and twelve pups… Yes. Uh-huh. Thank you," she hung up. "We've got some questions to answer when we get there," she reported to the rest of the van.

Over the rest of the trip, the trio in the back (Harry, Chase, and Sherry) reached behind the seats to pet the closest Chupacabras. They all slept soundly, only the ones being pet awake. Brandon and Mandy talked quietly in the front, Mandy with the map and giving directions for Brandon to go.

When they reached the clinic, they saw no other cars parked in the parking lot. They all jumped from the van. Brandon rushed into the clinic to see what they needed to do while the others carefully opened the back doors and pet the Chupacabras reassuringly to keep them calm.

Several adults in scrubs came out following Brandon to the car. Quickly and efficiently, they brought the Chupacabras into the facility. Harry followed with two pups in hand, both licking his fingers nervously. They were all deposited into a large kennel before one after another being brought into an operating room to determine what ailments they may be facing.

Two magical P.D. were in the waiting room when the kids had finished getting the Chupacabras settled. They questioned them about what they found before talking to all the kids with a serious look. "You kids were lucky you didn't meet these breeders on this trail. We'll investigate this further. And next time, leave this to the professionals."

The moment they left the room, Mandy rolled her eyes. "Leave it to the professionals. Meanwhile, if we left them there, the breeders would've found us all and the ones that escaped."

"Just accept the advice for what it is," Sherry muttered.

"Yeah, yeah."

They spent several hours in the waiting room. Finally, one of the veterinarians came out from the back.

"They'll be fine," she said calmly. "We'll be taking them to a magical sanctuary. They'll be rehabilitated and, if possible, released back into the wild."

"Any clue why they approached us?" Chase asked.

The vet smiled self-depreciatively. "We can guess, but I'm afraid we'll never know."

They nodded.

They were allowed to go to the back to say goodbye to the Chupacabra pack. All the pups gave Harry "kisses," making every female in the vicinity coo, much to his mortification.

They arrived at the Higgindobbins home earlier than expected, yet smiling at helping the animals out. Hopefully, the police would find the scum that kept them in such deplorable conditions.

…

(Day 4)

Unlike the rest of the week, today was not meant to be exciting. Mandy, Brandon, and their parents all had to go to work today, so only Chase, Sherry, and Harry were home.

Sherry decided it was "baking day." Harry found his interest peaked; Chase found his stomach peaked. Harry had never cooked recreationally. He hoped it was more fun than Aunt Petunia breathing down his neck to get things perfect.

One food fight later, Harry doubted there would be much stress on perfection.

They ended up making several dishes that day: Three casseroles (green bean, sweet potato, and some kind of chicken dish), a soufflé, chicken and spinach enchiladas, baked mac-n-cheese, a lasagna-esque dish with egg noodles and cream cheese filling, and several deserts (a cake, cake pops, brownies, fudge, fudge brownies – Harry even got a treacle tart!). Harry's favorite was probably the rice crispy treats, which he could "taste-test" before they were set to harden.

They left the enchiladas for dinner, but put the rest in "Everlasting Tupperware," which would prevent the food from spoiling.

Harry smiled happily as they watched television and waited for the rest of the family to come home. He still couldn't believe they finished it all in time, much less with time to spare. Sherry explained to Harry that it was common for the Higgindobbins to make food in bulk whenever they had time. Homemade food ready in moments so on busy days they wouldn't have to worry about what to make.

Mrs. Higgindobbins rushed into the room from a portal one of her employees must have made, using her own portable mirror as a phone.

"Yes, I understand that I signed up for this job. All I asked for in return is to give me a heads up. Yes, I understand the person you were going to send was sick, but that doesn't mean you couldn't have called me a couple of hours ago! No, no, it's not too much trouble. Yes, yes, just let me get a notepad to write this down at." She gestured at her children to help her find a notepad and pen. Let it not be said that a Higgindobbins could not lose a hundred pens inside their house when they always put them in the same spot.

Sherry and Chase darted around to find a working pen while Harry grabbed the notepad that was set on the countertop for needs such as this.

"XXX Peachberry Drive… And they're there? Currently? Okay… And what can I expect? Six older siblings? And none have had any signs? Wow, that's unusual. Guess they all need to know as well? Hm…" She looked over at the three teenagers and smirked. "Think they might be more receptive to someone their own age? My kids and their friend might be willing… I was being sarcastic! No, but they might want to ride along. Yes, I'm taking the car. How else will I get there? I'm seriously leaving now. Okay? Goodbye!"

Mrs. Higgindobbins sighed wearily. "No respect, bureaucratic idiots," she muttered to herself. She visibly shook her tiredness away and turned towards the teenagers. "Any of you want to come with?" she asked.

Chase looked warily at Harry before turning to reply to his mother. "No thanks, Mom. I think we're too tired from bake day."

Mrs. Higgindobbins chuckled. "Decided to do that today, huh? Glad one of us could get off our lazy arses and finally cook. Good job." She turned to Harry. "And thanks for helping out, Harry."

Harry smiled happily. "It was a lot of fun, Mrs. Higgindobbins."

The woman sighed once more, her shoulders dropping. "Guess I better head out, now. I hope this is an easy group."

Sherry waved her off. "You'll do fine, Mom. And we've got dinner ready for you when you're done."

With a few waves goodbye, Mrs. Higgindobbins left the house. Harry turned towards Chase. "What was all that about?" he asked.

Chase studied his fingernails intently, scratching off some hardened flour. "Mom is an importer. Officially, she introduces no-majes into the magical world."

Harry stared at his fidgeting friend. "Sounds like a fun job. Why is she doing it, though, if she already owns the Wild Side?"

Sherry huffed a laugh, "It's either that or jury duty." Harry decided not to ask. The short girl twirled a strand of dark hair around her finger. "Mom doesn't really like it, can be a real downer, you know?" Harry sometimes forgot that Sherry, while not looking like it, was an actual California girl.

He shook his head confusedly. "No, I don't know," his answer sounded snarky, even to him.

Chase snorted. It sounded painful. "In America, we tell the family about having a magical child before the kid's even a year old. Theoretically, it helps prepare the family to raise a child that can perform unexplainable things. Makes the transition into the magical world easier, as well."

"Theoretically?"

Sherry picked up the conversation again. "Plenty of families are perfectly fine about learning about the magical world. They're also often watched to make sure they don't do anything… unseemly to their children. You know, like manipulate them into repressing their magic or anything? We have to keep any Obscurials to a minimum – they almost exposed magic back in the sixties."

Chase cut in at that point. "Mom's just never lucky enough to get the nicer families. They almost always reject their kids."

Harry stilled. "What happens then?" His question rang in the quiet living room.

Sherry finally mumbled out an answer. "Just depends. Most of the time, with the guardians' signatures, the baby is taken from the family to be either adopted or put in foster care in the magical world." She smiled as if to try to lessen the lead weight in Harry's chest. "It's for the best. If we left them in those houses they'd probably be treated horribly." Her shrugging shoulders distracted from the drooping smile, "Still, it sucks all of Mom's energy out to take them."

A dark energy filled the room that the laughing telly only made more mournsome. They weren't shaken from their musings for the next hour, only being broken by the arrival of Mr. Higgindobbins.

He walked into the room, looking at the three teenagers. Quietly, he hugged each of them, even Harry, rubbing their backs as if they were ten years younger. Muttering reassurances, he comforted Harry better than any other adult figure in his life.

With a soft smile, the man quietly reminded them that this was the best option out of all those practiced and tried in the magical world. Sometimes, the best option available was also the worst to execute.

They nodded tiredly, drained from their previously morbid thoughts.

All four went to the kitchen to start setting the table and prepping the food, reheating the enchiladas in the oven so they were ready when the rest of the family trickled in from their various jobs. Harry noticed the man messing with a magic mirror in the corner.

When the other Higgindobbins siblings filed into the house, they were slightly more subdued than the usual fanfare. They got their various drinks and plates quietly to wait for the rest of the brood. Finally, they were all there besides Mrs. Higgindobbins.

Twenty minutes after Mandy got settled (the last of the lot), Mrs. Higgindobbins finally shuffled in. She held in her arms a pudgy baby with wispy hair and bright eyes. Mr. Higgindobbins was quick to grab the baby from the mother's sagging arms. He grabbed a prepped baby bottle – which Harry assumed was the reason he had been using the magic mirror – and started feeding the kid.

Mrs. Higgindobbins huffed tiredly, obviously worn down. "I finished too late. The office is closed. She'll be staying here the night. Okay?"

Agreeing mutters made their way down the table. With a small pause, the Higgindobbins and guest started eating their dinner, Mr. Higgindobbins eating bites between feeding, burping, and putting the little girl to bed, which he must've gotten out when the rest were busy getting dinner set up.

When the forks were scraping at the little sauce left on their plates, Mrs. Higgindobbins finally broke the silence that'd taken hold of them.

"Her name's Suzy," the woman began. "Roughly six months old. She seems to be a rather calm baby, although she keeps making hissing noises when she's excited. I'm hoping the doctors may be able to know what's going on. Doesn't seem to be anything negative when I checked. Her magic's healthy. She'll be a precision witch, from what I can tell. Not that babies' magic can't change as they grow." She continued, Harry realizing she was rambling to distract herself and her children.

The sky darkened as Mrs. Higgindobbins talked about the little girl, then about patients, then about whatever caught her attention. While the sun fell on a somber note, the family had laughs, and as darkness covered the horizon, the Higgindobbins family's emotions turned light.

Before Harry left the house, his magic surrounded the sleeping babe. A little smile lit up the girl's face.

His magic reengaged with him, softly muttering I like the little pup. And think, she won't have to go through what we had to with the Dursleys. That counts for something, right?

Harry Shadowed back to his hotel room, contemplating what his magic told him, before smiling softly. Yeah, I guess so.

…

(Day 5)

Harry's birthday started on a more somber note than anyone had been anticipating for the past week. He quietly entered the Higgindobbins' house, long past knocking. Chase was in the entrance room, obviously waiting for him as he played games on his magic mirror.

"Hey," Harry greeted.

Chase's head jumped up, startled. "Hey, Harry. Happy birthday."

"Thank you."

Chase smiled in understanding. "She's still here. The office doesn't open until ten. Wanna meet her?"

With a nod of Harry's head, they entered the kitchen. Mandy, Alex, and Sherry were cooing over the baby while the males and mom of the family prepared breakfast. He stepped over to Mandy, who held the baby with her back resting on the girl's front. The baby cooed, interested, at the new person. Her bright eyes looked over Harry before settling on his bright green eyes.

Excited, she threw her arms up. Suzy then started hissing. The girls jumped, obviously not having seen the trait their mother warned them about until that moment. Harry jumped for a different reason.

"Goo," the baby babble he heard was unexpected. Several other baby sounds followed, although the enthusiastic 'goo' was without-a-doubt an attention grabber, as if she demanded he listen to her.

"Aren't you a sweet thing?" he asked her. She babbled even more enthusiastically, her movements matching and almost flinging her from Mandy's arms.

Mandy handed the baby girl over to Harry, who had to learn quickly how to hold an excitedly squirming baby girl. Harry continued to speak to her while she babbled back, both children's attention completely caught by the other.

Harry felt his magic surrounding the girl, imparting an impression on her developing magic a sense of security, which was reciprocated by her own of innocence that completely won his magic over. Harry found himself sniffing at the top of her head, his spirit animals imprinting her scent into his psyche.

When he finally looked up from the girl, he noticed that everyone was sitting at the table, watching them. Mrs. Higgindobbins held a camera, recording the two of them. Harry flushed, embarrassed. He'd never had that reaction to a baby, before. In Surrey, even if new mothers let him around their babies, Harry'd always just seen them as squishy things. Sure, one day he wanted a family, but he'd always thought of older children if he'd ever thought that far, never while they were babies.

After soft chuckles of mirth, Mr. Higgindobbins took the girl to be fed another bottle of milk, the excited girl calming down for the food.

Harry ducked his head, trying to ignore the looks the family continued shooting him, only to pause. A full English breakfast sat before him. He looked up to the family, questioning. Normally, they made pancakes or eggs, burritos if they wanted to put more effort into it. None of the Higgindobbins were big breakfast eaters. The only difference was that instead of English bacon, they'd used the American version (and good thing, too, after watching Dudley and Uncle Vernon shovel it into their gobs for years, he'd even avoided it at Hogwarts). Everything smelled mouthwatering, and Harry even felt the different magics in the room brushing against the food in appreciation.

He looked up at the family in shock. They all smiled and wished Harry a happy birthday before diving in, some still smirking from the morning entertainment he'd inadvertently given them. After breakfast, the parents wrangled their kids away from the mess, saying they'd do all the dishes for the day (not that any of the kids were complaining). With Alex now holding onto Suzy, they all shuffled into the indoor greenhouse where Harry was first introduced to the family's animal forms to play for the day. There was a little play area set up for the little girl with a soft mat and several old toys obviously from the Higgindobbins teenagers' childhoods. She rolled around happily on the mat, happily playing with a stuffed unicorn that snuggled up to the little girl.

Chase looked over to Harry. "Why the Parseltongue, though?" he finally asked. "Suzy obviously liked it, but I thought you avoided it after your whole second-year debacle."

Harry tilted his head to the side. "Parseltongue? I was just…talking…to her…" he trailed off. Did he do it again? Why? He hadn't been looking at a snake this time. Harry looked over at the little cherub.

Chase sounded unconvinced. "No. Pretty sure I heard hissing. At first, I thought you were just mimicking her, at first."

Harry's head snapped back to the piercing blue eyes of his friend. "She was hissing, too?"

Chase's mouth downturned in confusion. "Yeah. Why? What did you hear?"

Both boys' eyes widened in understanding at the same time, whipping their heads back to look at the little girl. She babbled up at Alex, who played beside the little girl, on her own stomach.

"I thought it was an inherited trait," Chase breathed out. "She-she's, she was born to no-majes. How?"

Brandon stepped up to them, having heard their conversation. "To be fair," he said, in no less awe, "there's so few recorded in the world, it was only assumed it was an inherited trait." His manner turned back to the cool older brother. "Neat."

"No duh, Sherlock," Chase rolled his eyes.

They all transformed into their magical forms. Alex, Harry learned, was something called a 'serpopard.' Most of its body was a large leopard with – literally – golden fur and silver markings. Its neck then stretched, almost like a giraffe's, before ending in a leopard head. Harry couldn't tell if it was bizarre or magnificent.

Make sure you keep that thought to yourself, his magic reprimanded.

Harry doubted the girl would actually care, but he would heed his magic's warning all the same.

Harry enjoyed romping around in his hellhound form with the various kitsunes around him. They were nimbler than he was, but his bulk stopped their roughhousing from really affecting him, his spikey-furred armor also helping in this regard. Every few minutes, someone would duck out of the game to watch over Suzy, switching with whoever was watching her previously. She seemed as enamored with the animals as she was with Harry.

While Harry watched over her, he allowed the girl to climb over him and even tug at his ears. He was careful to stop her from putting one of his claws in her mouth, however.

Finally, Mrs. Higgindobbins came in to take Suzy to the office. They all whimpered and whined at her, but she argued that they couldn't take care of a baby, and it was against federal law to keep the girl longer than necessary.

Harry made sure to swipe his tongue over Suzy before she left, his magic donating to hers to better protect the girl, although the innocent magic understood this about as much as Suzy herself did. Either way, he could Shadow to her if necessary, which was the only reason he let her go.

Lunch was a gloomier affair than breakfast, and the younger generation ate quickly to go back to wrestling in the greenhouse.

After dinner, they all settled in the living room. The coffee table supported several cupcakes of various flavors. (Sherry explained no one ever agreed on cake flavor, so this was the usual dessert for birthdays for the family. Harry thought he might tear up to be thought of in the same regard.) There was a single candle waiting beside the cupcakes for Harry to choose which one he wanted. They were all topped with deep red frosting and golden sprinkles, and Harry thought that they were too pretty to eat.

He chose a simple chocolate cake for himself, and Mrs. Higgindobbins grabbed it and placed the candle on top before handing it to him. Harry felt a surge of magic as Mrs. Higgindobbins's own magic lit the candle in his hand.

With a cheerful rendition of the 'Happy Birthday' song, Harry blew out the candle. He honestly forgot to make a wish while doing so, not that it mattered. Even with the disappointment of Suzy leaving, this had probably been the best birthday he could remember.

After eating the cupcakes – Alex got some frosting on her nose, dying the tip red, to the siblings' delight – it was time for presents. Each was wrapped in the same silvery paper, but they all looked different.

Chase handed his over first. The lumpy wrapping seemed to be struggling to hold the moving weight of the innards in and not tear. When Harry ripped it open, a large quilt spilled from the paper. Harry'd forgotten about it in the excitement of the past week or so, but it was truly magnificent.

He saw the back first; his chosen dark red was overlaid with ultra-thin golden vines. They were so thin, Harry could only see the design when the light caught the threads, giving the quilt an ethereal effect. In the corner in small script was 'Moirai Textiles, LLC.'

"Mor- Mor-rye?" he asked, struggling with the pronunciation.

Chase shrugged, "To be fair, I don't think anyone knows how to pronounce it. It's their company."

With Chase's help, Harry unfolded the quilt to see what laid beneath. The outer edges of the quilt were the dark red. Rectangular white boxes were bordered thinly with black, the edges of the outer borders had gold filigree that created a stained-glass window-effect in the center of the quilt. It was a rather simple, but it was elegant in design. Harry doubted he'd like a more complex design, if her were honest. The material felt expensive beneath his fingers.

Sherry handed Harry a card that had tumbled out while they were unfolding the quilt. It said simply, "To activate: Add user's magic to quilt."

Harry's magic followed instructions before Harry'd even comprehended what he'd read. Instantly, several random white boxes filled in. One had his Hogwarts' letter in one of Hedwig's claws and his holly and phoenix feather wand in the other. Another across the quilt held a simple blood-red stone that might've been mistaken for a ruby surrounded by the silvery cloth of what was Harry's invisibility cloak. In one corner was the basilisk, rearing its head to strike, while the box beside it had a phoenix mid-burn, as if the two were facing against each other. They were the only boxes that touched another imaged box. Towards the left side was a glowing blue-silver stag – Harry's Patronus. The right side had a picture of a werewolf howling at the moon, a grim-like dog growling towards the left of the picture, and a stag looking towards the right, a rat mostly hidden in the shadows of the other animals. The final image, in the very center of the quilt, was Harry's spirit forms. His Dogo form panted happily while his hellhound, its fur spiked threateningly, stood protectively above it. They were surrounded by an ethereal mist that Harry assumed was his magic.

The brilliant images, while not even covering the entirety of the quilt, stood out from the rest. They had the softer look of being stitched into the quilt rather than true images of the events, which made the quilt look like an illustration of an epic hero rather than Harry's life.

The Higgindobbins gasped at the images. Sherry ran her finger over the basilisk. She looked at it, Harry, then the image again. She finally muttered, "I don't think I want to know." Harry shrugged to avoid the situation entirely.

"Pretty," Mandy muttered.

"Impressive," Brandon countered.

Mrs. Higgindobbins hugged Harry tightly. "We won't ask, but if you ever need to get any of this off your chest, we're always here."

Her hug turned into a group hug, all the Higgindobbins clamoring to comfort Harry, who didn't need to be comforted. However, he would admit it felt nice.

They carefully folded the quilt back up. It may have had various impervious spell, but it was still an important and impressive gift for any magical, so they would treat it with respect.

Next was Mandy's gift. Simply wrapped, it still looked like it used more tape than paper. It was a book about simple broomstick gymnastics and how the tricks could be transferred to the quidditch field. Harry flipped through it and found several 'tricks' that he'd already done in past matches, along with tips on how to do such tricks easier for maximum effect. They shared another laugh over Harry's failure at broom gymnastics previously in the summer, Mandy jokingly saying he'd better get at least these moves right if he was worth his broom.

Sherry's gift was smaller than anyone else's, about the size of a matchbox. Neatly wrapped, it didn't look like much compared to anyone else's. Harry tore into it with the same enthusiasm as the previous ones.

It was a clear, plastic box with what looked like a colorful cloth packed into it. Harry opened it to reveal two fingerless gloves that would cover both his hands and his forearms. The palms were plain, but the rest was covered in swirling designs that shifted with the movement of the cloth. Harry looked questioningly at Sherry.

Sherry blushed. "They're sleeve tattoos. When you put them on, they help you direct your magic more precisely. You have to take them off when you go to bed or else they're as dangerous as permanent magical tattoos. They're designed for adaptive wild magics like yours."

Harry smiled in surprised excitement and promptly pulled them off. The smooth material hung loosely, but after it was completely on, it formed to Harry's arms snuggly. Harry didn't need to know they were modelled after women's pantyhose. The designs flashed, then the entirety of the sleeves disappeared. Harry still could feel the material, but his eyes insisted they couldn't see anything different from his usual sleeveless arms.

"Oh, and they disappear while on," Sherry smirked.

Harry's magic rippled and in excitement rushed through the sleeves. Arcs of magical electricity crackled from Harry's fingertips.

"My magic approves," he told her happily, pulling the girl into a hug in thanks.

Alex was next. Hers had more of the white underside of the wrapping paper showing than the silvery design. When opened, he found a simple white shirt and trousers combo. She smirked proudly.

"Any shirt or pants you can think of, they transform to look similar, although they'll always be cotton. They don't like to change more than once a week, but I thought this would be easier than getting you a whole wardrobe."

Harry's eyes became saucers. This would be perfect for Hogsmeade weekends!

Alex hugged the boy to her before he could look back up from the clothes, knocking the breath out of him. She didn't let go until his face had turned into a plum shade of violet, then cheekily patted his cheek before skipping back to her seat.

Brandon was next. Unlike the others, his present was wrapped almost professionally. When Harry opened it, in a simple wood frame was an elaborate magic portrait of a massive white stag. Its silver rack was loosely strung in vines and lily flowers messily, yet artfully. Over its back was a dense mat of the same vines and flowers. It stood regally in a dense forest, shadows from the trees dappling the white pelt. Its dark eyes gleamed intelligently at Harry. Overall, the artwork was a masterpiece. Harry ran his fingers over the design, petting the magnificent beast.

Brandon interrupted his musings. "He's what's known a 'protector of the forest.' They're independent creatures, rarely seen, but highly protective of their homes and their families. Based on what you told me, I guessed that this would've been your father's spirit form. The flowers are how I included your mother." He shifted uncertainly. "I hope I wasn't presuming anything."

Harry sniffed, promising himself he wouldn't cry. He could see his father being this beautiful animal, easily. He hugged it to his chest, nodding in thanks.

"Also," Brandon hedged, "nonmagical temporary tattoos don't need guardian permission." He ducked away from the smack his mother and sister aimed at his head. "If you'd like," he continued, as if he wasn't stepping away from the irate family members, "it wouldn't be too hard to put something similar on, say, your back, tomorrow before you leave. Just can't move like the picture."

Harry nodded enthusiastically. If he'd ever wanted a tattoo, he couldn't think of a better design than what he held in his hands.

With an exchanged smile, he looked over to the parent Higgindobbins. They handed him a simple box with simple wrappings, not as impressive as Brandon's, but not the mess of Mandy's. Unwrapped, Harry met a simple silver watch. When he opened it, the watch face was a solid black with silver roman numerals and hands. It wasn't impressive at all, but Harry had to admit he liked the simplicity of the design. He put it around his wrist, marveling at how it fit.

Mrs. Higgindobbins snickered. "We wouldn't just get you a simple watch," she explained. She held out her hand for him to place his own in it. She opened the silver covering, then pressed on the bottom of it. When she took her hand away, the silver flashed, and a hologram of a magic mirror appeared in front of him, roughly head sized. She then proceeded to show him how he could turn a dial that appeared on the edge of the covering, on the opposite of the hinge that opened it. With a turn, it grew and shrunk. She then brought Harry's other hand up and showed him how he could move it directly to wherever he wanted, like a hovering mirror rather than a hologram. All their numbers and the Akhlut's had already been programed in. Chase explained that while it wasn't on a wall, the call phrase for all magic mirrors was, 'Magic mirror on the wall, I would like to make a call.' If he wanted to answer a call, he'd only have to say, 'Answer.' He hugged her and Mr. Higgindobbins harder than Alex had hugged him.

Chase then handed him a present from Akhlut, saying it came in the mail the day before. He pretended he wasn't the obvious one to tell Akhlut when Harry's birthday was. It was wrapped in simple brown paper. Inside was a large sharp tooth – almost the size of his palm – with a leather cord wrapped around it to make a necklace. It came with a card that said, "Hey, Harry! This is a shed tooth from a megalodon. No-majes think they're extinct, but they're just magical creatures who can conceal themselves. It's charmed to only be seen by those you want it to. Happy Birthday!"

Harry pulled the tooth over his head. It rested lightly over his collarbone, the enamel shining in the light.

They spent the rest of his birthday eating the rest of the cupcakes and playing games. Overall, Harry had enjoyed his birthday greatly.

When he Shadowed back home, he made sure to securely pack his presents in his luggage so he wouldn't forget them.

He and his magic wished each other a happy birthday, both happy with the day's results. Harry fell to sleep with a huge smile that night. He couldn't have asked for a better birthday.

…

(Day 6)

It turned out to be a rather simple procedure to get a temporary tattoo. Brandon had him lay front-forward on a chair in his office – also in the magical mall. He then ran a special tool (which looked like a paintbrush) over the edges of the chosen picture, then traced the outline over the chosen area to get a tattoo. Harry decided he'd do his back so the picture could be as big as possible.

The magic tingled lightly, less noticeable than the ticklish sensation of the paintbrush along his back. Finished, he looked at the image in a mirror nearby.

Harry's breath caught. Even if the image wasn't magical, it looked so realistic. He swore if he touched the image, he'd feel the fur of the stag.

Brandon explained that a permanent tattoo would hurt much worse, having to be done similarly to a no-maj tattoo. The temp would last for six months, and it could be reapplied two more times before the magic wouldn't work, becoming too faded to make out.

Chase and Harry spent the rest of the day at the local Magical History Museum. Chase enjoyed explaining to Harry the history behind each exhibit. Harry's favorite was the magic tools used by the various magical Medicine Men in different Native American tribes and the fossils of extinct magical creatures.

…

(Day 7)

Today was the day Harry left to return to England. He had a large breakfast with the Higgindobbins before they gave each other a tearful goodbye, no matter how much Harry tried to prevent it. They agreed to mirror call each other before he forced himself to Shadow back to his hotel room.

He packed up the final parts of his luggage. Once done, he had on both his watch-slash-mirror and his shark tooth necklace. His clothes – a simple blue shirt and dark-washed jeans – hung off his body more comfortably than any of Dudley's castoffs. His now lightly tanned skin gleamed healthily, the slight sunburn he'd gotten on his shoulders and the back of his neck at the beginning of the summer now having faded into a darker tan than the rest. Overall, Harry looked healthier and happier than he had at any point in his life. The only thing that ruined the image was his red-rimmed eyes and salty tear tracks he hadn't bothered to wipe off his cheeks.

He left America with the Dursleys, shoved once more into economy class as he had at the beginning of the trip, but with a much sunnier disposition than he had at the start of the trip. It wasn't long before he fell asleep on the plane; his tearful goodbye had drained him.

…

"Harry," Death greeted. "We need to talk."

Well, shite, both Harry and his magic mused.

Finally freaking finished! Never been to Hollywood. Can't you tell?

If you couldn't tell, I changed 'shadow travel' to 'Shadow.' Makes me feel like I'm not using Rick Riordan's material.

*Error! Error! Author has stopped functioning!* "Over one thousand follows!" *Author rebooting! Author rebooting!* Wow, thanks. I'm glad so many of you enjoy this experiment – I mean story! Yeah, because I so know what I'm doing with this story! (Author sweats nervously.)

Seriously, that's such a cool accomplishment. I hope to still write well enough everyone can enjoy this story. Thank you for the support! And now, time for the lengthy reply to all the reviews from the past update! (Seriously, this one is long.)

MytheDefender: I'm glad you like it! And I'm fine, just trying to get over chronic procrastination, but thank you for the concern!

JadeSpeedster17: Glad I could explain it properly! And it's Harry; if he caught a break, there wouldn't be nearly so many fanfictions about him.

Guest #1: Glad you like it so much. The maned wolf is such a bizarre but interesting animal, and it matched what I wanted to do so well. Thanks!

fireflii: I'm happy you can get so into it! And we'll see what happens in England in next chapter, won't we? (Author raps nails rhythmically against desk like a cool, savvy businessman even though author has only a little more clue than readers currently.)

Spirit of Sunset: I like the name. I just also want to use a pun like the Marauders' names, but you've given me some ideas. Mwuahaha…ha?

.fan.p: (Weak spoiler ahead!) Next chapter, you'll see just how important it is for Harry to go back to the UK.

Guest #2: I love stories with Harry being protective, personally.

Guest #3 (or maybe you're #2… beats me): Glad you can enjoy it! (Author scans chapter 11 to remember what you're talking about because author is forgetful and puts more details than necessary in stories.) Okay, so I have no idea what the Moldyshorts comment is about… the comment about Voldemort crazy? I guess? Thanks anyway. I'll also assume you're the same commenter talking about Squibs, so I'm glad you could enjoy!

Guest… I have no clue if you're #1, #2, #3, #4, or you all are the same person, so just go with it!: I would figure if it's entrained it would be considered a special ability like a metamorphmagus. Maybe something like aura sight?

Jathagarth: Ooo, a fun one (serious, not sarcastic). Okay, to your 1): I have no actual clue what I'll be doing with Dumbledore. I don't want to make him manipulative, if only because I think it's cliché at this point. I've seen the head cannon you're talking about, but I don't know if that will match the flow of the story or not. (I seriously have no clue, though. This thing writes itself. I have no clue where some of this is coming from.) I will say he cannot know what's going on in America because how much the Americans avoid interaction with their European counterparts. To your 2): Really depends on what you mean. He will be more mindful, but in the case of his adventures, I think many of them are less his impulsiveness and more the unexpectedness of what he faces. Let's face it, any plans he makes must be trashed when he engages in the situations. I'm happy you could find some entertainment from this story!

: …long wait…? You're welcome.

ObsessedWithHPFanFic: You're welcome. And thanks for your support!

rosalbina12: Correct! And thank you!

Joey394: Here's your more. Unfortunately, I'm controlled by the procrastination monster. I beg him myself.

The Crimson Killer: Thank you. Can long chapter make it up this time?

theawsomest5: I'm glad you could enjoy it so much! I hope I didn't get you in any trouble! Ha!

VizeerLord: Thank you. Can't tell you what happens (partially because I have no clue myself). Hm… Didn't think about adding Ripper because the fourth book didn't bring him in. (Author muses to self: Maybe an outtake…?) If I don't write it, just know I appreciate the idea. I haven't decided how he interacts with Remus and Sirius. Hm… Ideas, ideas. And here's your more!

KrisB-71854: I might go into it more, or I may just ignore that plot-hole. (I'm such a bad author, thinking about ignoring a plot-hole!) I will say that while alive Sirius cannot visit the Realm Between, but I don't know if I'll go all the way to the fifth book, yet. I do like the idea, though. I'll happily sell various plot points for readers, although I do need to work on my confidence… hm… I would hope the cops want to avoid memory wiping people whenever possible. Correct in many of your assessments of Harry so far… Like the attention to his age… Harry does have a spell on him, however. Magic is just more fluid in the Americas than Europe. I don't think I'll have him testing the limits of mother magic (I think I called it that…), I just gave myself an out if I decide to later. No mental tricks. Eh, more secure when not talking about stubborn teenagers. I'm trying not to make Harry too powerful. Trying so hard… A hellhound, not just an animal. With a whole bunch of cool powers. Don't forget the cool powers! Both mentioned plot lines will probably be used, I just want to avoid directly copying the book as much as I can, we'll see how that goes. Yep, Harry cries. But he still cares for those in the UK; he won't take them for granted, either. Trying to decide AD's role in this book, so not so sure how I'll play blood wards into the story. Glad you enjoyed it so much and got so into it!

Leanna0013: Thank you! I strive to be different whenever I can.

bob19h: Ooo. I haven't thought that far ahead. That does sound like a fun idea, though! Maybe I'll steal some of your idea… (Author's eyebrows jump up and down creepily trying to imply that it's a great idea. Author apologizes for not being able to explain that well enough, so readers probably have a very different idea of what Author tried to imply… I'll stop typing now.)

mizzrazz72: But… Plot… My little plot that I barely know for sure… Nope, not caving, not caving. Nope nope nope. Maybe in the future, but Harry really needs to go back for the little bit of plan I actually have.

Davianna, ORKCHILD, cain221, lordfuzzyegg (nice name, by the way), Anna, kirsty21, MattKennedy, Creature of Grimm, geekymom, and WhiteEagle1985 (I hope I got everyone): I'm glad you all are enjoying this story! I hope I can continue to deliver (however late those deliveries might be)!

I think that's the last of them… I hope I didn't miss anyone… And I think that's all I "needed" to cover in this author's note…

Published: 7/14/19

Review, follow (so many follows… Author still hasn't recovered…), favorite, whatever suits your fancy.