- Timeskip: Next Week -
After achieving his Animagus form, Harry spent a lot of time with Minerva practicing how to transform back and forth faster. He still wasn't able to do it with a moment's thought like she could, but now it only took a few seconds for him to do it.
One curious thing that he noticed as time when by, was that Professor Lupin would practically disappear from the school after classes were over, and only show up late in the morning the next day.
Asking Minerva, Harry learned that the man was going back and forth from Hogwarts to St. Mungo's to spend time with Sirius and wait for him to wake up.
The healers said that Sirius would probably still be in a coma for another month, but Lupin's guilt at believing Sirius was the traitor had him wanting to make up for his mistake by being there when he woke up.
As a result of Lupin not being around the castle, Harry never got the chance to get to know him.
And honestly, he wasn't too upset by it. Harry didn't have a real connection with the man, and the few times he spoke with Lupin during class were awkward. Lupin seemed to avoid any topic of his parents, and had never even mentioned that he a close friend of Harry's father.
Luckily, Cho and Marietta were always there to talk to. Even more so, now that the three of them were all in the same year and attending classes together.
- Ravenclaw Common Room -
"Hey Mary, could you take a look at my essay? I don't like how my last paragraph sounds." Cho asked while they sat together at one of the tables in the Ravenclaw Common Room.
Harry was working on his latest Runes assignment, while Marietta and Cho were working together on their latest essay for Care of Magical Creatures.
Apparently, Hagrid had shown Hippogriffs to the students, and one of the Slytherins got upset at having to bow to a "filthy creature" and tried to walk up to pet it.
The hippogriff had not been pleased, and quickly clawed the student.
Unlike in the storybooks, it hadn't been Draco who antagonized the creature, so there was no one who called to have the hippogriff killed. But it was a final strike against Hagrid after trying to raise a dragon in his hut, and Dumbledore was forced to remove the half-giant from his position as Professor.
He was, however, able to keep his position as gamekeeper.
After he was removed, Dumbledore was able to get a substitute to take over the position. The new professor, a Miss Grubbly-Plank, was a favorite of the female students.
Whereas Hagrid kept bringing in dangerous creatures, Grubbly-Plank brought in safer ones like Unicorns, and her lessons actually focused on what would eventually be on their O.W.L.s. Something that all of the older students appreciated.
"Sure, Cho." Marietta replied as she took the parchment and read over. As she did, Cho turned to Harry.
"Any plans for Winter Break, Harry?" She asked.
Writing the last like on his assignment, Harry gave his full attention to her. "Not really…Minerva said I don't have to stay at Hogwarts this time, so I guess I'll be going home and enjoying the festivities at Diagon Alley."
He shrugged, not really sure what to do now that he had all of that free time.
With his Animagus training almost finished, and already working on O.W.L. level spells, he had little to work on over the summer besides exercising and improving his transfiguration skills.
"I do need to stop by Ollivander's at some point." He mentioned.
Confused, Cho asked, "Why? Is your wand broken?" Looking down, his ebony didn't look damaged to her.
"No, it's fine. It just isn't working as well as it did before. Minerva said that can happen sometimes, and that I should see if I need to get a new one." He wasn't really worried; most witches and wizards have to get a new wand at some point in their lives.
Apparently when one finally transforms into their Animagus form, it can have an effect on their connection to their wands.
His current one still worked, and he planned to keep it around just in case; but Minerva had said that an unsuited wand would hinder his growing talents and reduce the effectiveness of his spells.
"Then, what about joining Mary and me sometime for a Christmas dinner?" She asked hopefully. Marietta perked up at that before offering her own thoughts, "Yeah, we could all celebrate together and exchange gifts!"
Seeing their eager faces, Harry laughed as he replied. "I'd love too."
Thinking it over, he offered, "How about you both come over to my place and I'll cook us dinner?"
Cheering, Cho and Marietta agreed.
"Definitely, how about Christmas Eve?" Marietta suggested, getting nods in agreement.
With that happy thought, the three turned back to working on their homework; eagerly waiting for winter break to arrive.
- Timeskip: Start of Winter Break -
The train ride back to King's Cross was a new experience for Harry. The students were cheering excitedly as they raced up and down the corridors, and the cabins had been festively decorated with garland and wreathes.
Watching the scenery go by, Harry was mesmerized by the pristine white landscape of blanketed snow-covered hills as the Hogwarts Express raced by.
After reaching the station, Harry gave Cho and Marietta a hug and a promise to see them on Christmas Eve before taking the Floo back to the Leaky Cauldron.
Waving a hello to Tom on the way to Diagon Alley, he headed to his apartment.
- Next Morning -
Waking up, Harry gave a small shiver as he got out of bed. Looking out the window of his bedroom, he saw that the entire street and neighboring houses in Diagon Alley were covered in a thin coating of snow.
Padding across the floors barefoot into the bathroom, he spared a moment to look at himself in the mirror.
He was starting to grow taller now, Minerva reckoned that he would reach just over 6 feet by the time he finished growing.
Apparently, he got that from his mother. His father was fairly short at just under 5'10, and his mother was just a bit taller at 5'11. Something Lily liked to tease about in her journals.
His hair was still the same style, kept short on the sides and a clean cut on top with enough length to run his fingers through. His chest was growing larger and more defined, as were his arms and legs. And he already had a defined 2-pack on his abs from the increased workouts he was doing in the Room of Requirement.
After taking a long, hot shower, he headed over to the closet to get dressed.
He quickly donned a long pair of black trousers, a white button-up shirt and warm, wool grey waistcoat, and a thick grey winter jacket.
Wrapping the blue-and-bronze scarf that Marietta gave him in First-year around his neck, he set off to Ollivander's.
- Ollivander's -
The ring of a bell echoed from somewhere in the back of the store as Harry stepped into the shop.
Hearing near-silent footsteps from the back, Harry spotted Ollivander's shaggy silver hair from behind a stack of wandboxes he was carrying as he made his way over to the counter.
Placing them down, Ollivander looked up before blinking. "Ah! Harr Potter, eleven inches long, nice and supple. Made of ebony and phoenix feather, a suitable wand for all forms of combative magic, with a particular flair for Transfiguration."
His wide, pale eyes seemed to look him over for a moment. "Is there something the matter with your wand? You haven't broken it have you?" He asked before muttering, "Hogwarts students, always so reckless…"
Shaking his head, Harry replied. "No sir, I haven't broken it." Pulling out the ebony wand in question, he placed it on the counter. "It seems to not be working as well for me anymore."
"Indeed?" Ollivander asked, his eyes scanning the wand before nodding. "Yes…I dare say you are correct."
Looking back at the shelves lined with wandboxes, he seemed disappointed. Turning back to Harry's curious gaze, he replied. "I'm sorry to say, Mr. Potter, that I may not have a wand that is better fit for you in my stocks."
That surprised Harry, with the thousands of wands he had, how was it the man already knew that none of them would be a match?
Motioning to the ebony wand on the counter, Ollivander continued. "Your current one is very unique, and only an equally unique wand would be a suitable replacement. And as I said when you first arrived here three years ago, the phoenix whose feather is in your wand, only gave the two feathers…"
Disappointed, Harry's shoulders slumped before a thought occurred to him. "What if I had another unique feather, just not from a phoenix? Would that one work as well?" He asked hopefully.
Ollivander pondered the thought as he gazed back and forth between the wand and Harry.
"It may, but there must be a connection between you and the feather. Otherwise, you are likely to get an even worse match than the one you already have." He cautioned.
Quickly telling Ollivander he'll be back, Harry raced back to his apartment before looking in the first compartment of his trunk.
After becoming a Thunderbird, Harry had gathered a few of the feathers from his form to keep with him. He had thought about making them into quills as gifts for Minerva and the girls, but he had more than enough to spare one.
Rushing back to Ollivander's, he handed over the single feather.
"A thunderbird feather? Hmm…" Ollivander questioned as he turned the feather over in his hand, the shimmering feather glinting in the candlelight. "Yes…you do seem to have a connection to it. Far greater than you do with the phoenix feather. How strange…"
Nodding, Ollivander replied. "This will do splendidly. It will take me a few hours to have your new wand made, feel free to return before closing and I'll have it ready for you."
- That Evening -
After taking several of the feathers to have made into quills at another store, and picking up a few more gifts for the girls, Harry made his back to Ollivander's.
"Here you are, Mr. Potter."
Ollivander handed over a similar looking jet-black colored wand, only with an eagle's face carved into the bottom of the handle. "Ebony and Thunderbird feather, twelve-inches, a supple and elegant wand. Greatly suited towards Transfiguration."
Holding up the wand, Harry felt the familiar warmth flow through his fingers as sparks flew from the wand's tip.
"Bravo!" Ollivander clapped at the small display. "Yes, that wand is a perfect fit for you."
Smiling down at the wand as he rolled it over in his hand, admiring the craftsmanship for a moment before looking back at Ollivander. "Thank you, sir."
"Ah! Before I forget…" he replied. "As that wand is newly crafted, it does not have the Trace on it. I must advise you not to use it out in public until you are of age, Mr. Potter." He warned.
Completely lying through his teeth, Harry replied. "Of course not, sir. I'll only be using it at Hogwarts."
With a farewell, Harry made his way back to his apartment.
He still had to figure out what he was going to cook for dinner.
- Timeskip: Christmas Eve -
It took a while for Harry to get the presents all set up. He had sent off the gifts to Hermione and Minerva while Cho and Marietta's were wrapped and underneath a Christmas tree in the living room.
For Hermione, he got her the thunderbird feather quills and a familiar orange part-kneazle from the Magical Menagerie. For Minerva, he got her the quills and a small photo album containing pictures of his memories with her from the day she knocked on the door of 4 Privet Drive.
After waking up to several cold morning, he decided to make an alteration to the apartment. After speaking with the owner of the apartment complex, he got permission to add a fireplace on the left side of the windows.
Now, a red-brick fireplace warmed the whole apartment with its welcoming orange glow and the sounds of crackling logs.
He had gone all out in decorating for Christmas too. There were garlands and lights all over the apartment, and a large Christmas tree sat by the right side of the windows, overlooking the street with several gifts underneath it.
*Knock Knock*
He had just finished preparing dinner when he heard someone knock on the front door. Opening it, Harry saw Cho and Marietta smiling at him from the other side.
Apparently, the girls had decided to festively match each other.
Cho was dressed in thick grey pants and a green sweater with a Christmas tree to help with the winter chill. Her shiny black hair was kept in a ponytail, and she wore fuzzy green Christmas tree-themed ear warmers.
Marietta wore similarly thick black pants and a red sweater with a reindeer on it, though her sweater was slightly straining against her growing chest. Her reddish-blonde hair was let down from its usual braid in slight curls, and she had fuzzy red, Reindeer themed ear warmers.
"Wow!" Harry laughed, "You both look great!" Stepping forward, he drew them into warm hugs that they eagerly returned before letting them into the apartment.
"Come on in, I just finished making dinner." The girls eagerly cheered at that.
Sitting down, they dug into a meal of turkey and mashed potatoes with stuffing and several sides.
Moaning around a mouthful of potatoes, Cho replied. "This is great, Harry!"
Nodding in agreement, Marietta added, "You're a good cook, Harry. Have you ever thought about becoming a chef after Hogwarts?"
Wow…he really hadn't thought about what he wanted to do after Hogwarts. So far, it's been about getting rid of the Horcruxes, defeating Voldemort, and learning more about magic. "I haven't really given it any thought…I'm not sure…maybe? What about you two?"
"I'm planning on going into the Ministry like my mom." Marietta replied before taking a bite of turkey.
"I'm hoping to play Seeker for the Tutshill Tornadoes," Cho added, "A scout comes to see the last game of the year at Hogwarts to check for new talent. Flitwick said if I keep up with my training, I'll be a shoe-in for the position."
"That's great, Cho!" Harry congratulated, continuing to ask her and Marietta what their plans were as they dug into the meal.
- After Dinner -
After they finished eating, the three made their way over to the couch in the living room. Sitting snuggled together by the fire as they watched the snow fall outside the window, the girls had Harry sit in the middle of them while they leaned against him.
"Here," Cho said softly as she handed a small present over to Harry.
Opening it, he saw that it was a pair of blue-and-bronze winter gloves "They're a matching set to the scarf that Marietta got you." Smiling he reached an arm around her waist to hug her, "Thanks Cho, I love them."
Marietta handed over her present to him after he pulled back from the hug. "I thought you might like these." She muttered as she continued leaning into him. Inside was a box of specially chocolates from Switzerland with his name molded into some of the chocolate bars.
Turning his head because she wouldn't let go of his arm, he kissed the top of her head as he thanked her. "These are great, thank you Mary."
Reluctantly pulling himself away for a moment, he grabbed their presents before handing them over. "These are for both of you…"
The girls opened the larger ones to find small photo albums of their times together, wanting to make sure they had their own photos to look at when they got older. The girls loved them, and hugged him in thanks before opening the smaller gifts to find several beautifully crafted quills inside.
Marietta gasped as she saw them, "These are thunderbird feathers!" Turning wide-eyed to Harry, she asked. "How did you find these? When my parents took me to the U.S., these were incredibly rare!"
Cho looked just as surprised as she gaped at him, wanting to know the same thing.
"Actually," Harry ran his hand through his hair as he responded, "They're part of something that I've been meaning to share with you both." Nervously, he revealed what he had been doing with Minerva in the mornings, not yet revealing his form.
"That's amazing, Harry! I can't believe you're an Animagus!" Cho congratulated as she hugged him.
Marietta smiled before looking back down at the quill in her hand confused, "Yeah…but, what does that have to do with the quills?"
Instead of replying, Harry handed over a magical photograph.
Looking at the photograph in his hand, the girls gasped as they wanted the moving picture of Harry transform into a majestic thunderbird.
He couldn't exactly change into such a large creature inside his small apartment, so this was the second-best option for revealing it to them.
"Y…You're Animagus form is a thunderbird?!" Marietta exclaimed, "But…it's supposed to be impossible for an Animagus to have a magical creature as it's form!"
"Yeah…" He chuckled awkwardly, "Minerva said the same thing, and that's why we're not registering me at the Ministry and keeping it a secret. She's afraid that someone might kidnap me and try to dissect or study me to find out how it happened."
Glancing down at the photo before looking up into his emerald-green eyes, Cho asked, "Then…if it's a secret. Why tell us?" She motioned to Marietta and herself, who also nodded.
Smiling warmly at them, he replied. "Because I trust you both with my life, and there's no one I'd rather share this secret with than you two."
The honesty and warmth in his tone made both of the girls blush before quickly pulling him into a three-way hug on the couch.
Pulling back, both girls kissed him on his cheeks, "Thank you for telling us, Harry." Cho muttered as she leaned her head against his shoulder.
"Yeah, it really means a lot to us. And we trust you too." Marietta added, reaching up a hand to gently run her fingers through his hair.
"Which is why we both have something else to share with you…" Cho added as she looked to Marietta for confirmation. Seeing her nod, Cho continued. "We've been nervous about telling anyone, but we trust you enough to know…Mary and I are dating."
Harry looked at her surprised before looking to his other side at Marietta, who confirmed it, "Yeah, we've been dating since the start of the year. We weren't sure how to tell you…relationships between women aren't accepted by the British magical community."
The sudden vulnerability in their tone and postures made him immediately reach out and pull the girls into his side with his arms around them. "Thank you both for telling me. I know that must have been difficult."
Leaning his head down, he kissed them both on the top of their head before continuing. "I'm so happy for you both!"
Harry could feel the relief in them as their shoulders relaxed and they quickly snuggled into his sides, silently thanking him for supporting them.
Leaning back against the couch, the three relaxed together quietly, listening to the sound of crackling logs as they watched snowflakes fall outside the windows.
- Timeskip: Hogwarts Quidditch Final -
The last Quidditch game of the year was a scene of excitement and suspense. The rain was pouring down everywhere as the wind howled, blowing the banners for the teams in every direction as the crowd tried to keep themselves warm while cheering on the two teams.
Ravenclaw was facing off against Gryffindor once again for the Cup. The three Gryffindor chasers were proving to be just as efficient as they were the last year, but the Ravenclaw team had finally wised up to some of their plays and began to strike back just as effectively.
The score was tied 170 - 170, and had been going on for the last hour in the midst of the terrible weather. Everyone was cheering for the Seekers to finally catch the Snitch and end the game so they could all go inside.
Cho was racing up against Ginny Weasley, the newest addition to the Gryffindor team; who was proving to be quite decent at the position. Unfortunately for Ginny, Cho had both the skill and experience to bypass her and catch the small glint of gold in front of them.
Raising her gloved hand in the air, two golden wings slowly flapping in her grip, Cho gave a wide smile as the entire pitch roared out in celebration at Ravenclaws win.
- Ravenclaw Common Room -
The celebration inside Ravenclaw tower was unlike anything seen before. The Ravenclaws were celebrating their first Quidditch Cup victory in over a decade with food and drinks all around.
Several of the Seventh-year students had smuggled in some Firewhiskey, and nearly everyone was drunk by now.
Their head of house, Flitwick, took one look at the alcohol in the clearly-underage students' hands, laughed, and took a shot of firewhiskey himself before yelling out, "Well done, Ravenclaw!"
As they all cheered, he made his way out of the common room as music began playing the background.
The quidditch team was celebrating the most, with everyone in Ravenclaw coming over to congratulate them and share a drink.
Harry was standing by a window with Marietta and Cho. All three were completely drenched from the rain, and none of them cared as they drank from their cups of firewhiskey while talking about the highlights of the game.
"I still can't believe you were able to dodge both bludgers at the same time!" Marietta exclaimed, the fear of seeing her girlfriend almost being hit having faded with the help of alcohol.
Harry nodded, "That was some of the best flying I've ever seen, Cho. You were fantastic!"
Laughing excitedly, Cho felt like she was on top of the world. "I wanted to win so badly, I guess I was a little reckless!" She quickly finished her drink before grabbing their hands. "Speaking of reckless, I've got an idea!"
Pulling them towards the stairs, they quickly passed by several people congratulating Cho as she led the way up to her and Marietta's dorm.
Stepping inside the room, Harry spotted the two four-poster beds pressed up against each other while the rest of the room sat empty.
Watching as Cho quickly shut the door before waving her wand over it, the sound coming from the party downstairs ceased as the door was firmly locked shut.
Glancing to Marietta, Harry noticed she seemed to understand what Cho had planned.
"You sure about this, babe?" Marietta asked, now that they were alone, she could finally act like Cho's girlfriend. "I don't want you having second thoughts about this in the morning…"
Cho made her way over to Marietta before kissing her soundly on the lips.
When she pulled back, Cho's voice was surprisingly far more sober than it was a minute ago "I'm sure, hun. I know you want this…and you know I want this just as much."
Running her fingers through Marietta's damp hair she continued, "I can't think of a better moment for it than right now…if you're uncomfortable, you can tell me. We don't have to do anything."
Shaking her head, Marietta replied. "No…I do want this. I just want to make sure we're both okay with it before it starts. Cuz when it does, I'm not sure if I'll be able to stop myself."
Smiling, the two kissed each other deeply while Harry stared at them in confusion.
'Did I miss something?' They seemed to be having a private conversation, and he wasn't entirely sure where they were going with it.
Not wanting to interrupt their intimate moment, he stayed quiet as he tried not to stare at the sight of his incredibly beautiful best-friends making out in front of him. 'What a lovely wall…'
The couple slowly pulled back from their kiss. Breathless, they looked into each other's eyes for confirmation, wanting to make sure the other was okay with going forward.
They both nodded before turning their focus to Harry, who was blushing quite heavily as he tried not to stare at them. Giggling, the two girls made their way over to him silently.
"Harry," Cho uttered softly, "Mary and I have been thinking…and we know it might be too much to ask…But." Nervous, she turned to Marietta for support.
"But we were wondering…if you'd like to join us tonight." Marietta finished, smiling at Cho before turning to him.
'…I missed something.'
"I-I…um, you…huh?" His brain shut down as he tried to keep the overwhelming sexual thoughts from misinterpreting their words.
Giggling, Cho spoke up, "We've talked about it a lot. Marietta and I both have feelings for you…not as much as we do for each other…but enough to know that if there was anyone we would be willing to bring into our bed, it would be you." Reaching out a hand, she stroked his cheek before pulling him into a kiss.
Harry's eyes went wide as he felt her full lips pressing against his gently. When she pulled back, he glanced over to see Marietta's reaction.
Surprisingly, she was smiling lovingly at them both.
Seeing his surprise and confusion, she added. "This isn't a trick, Harry. We both want this…" Leaning over, she pulled him into a kiss as well.
When she pulled back, Harry looked back and forth between them. "You…you're sure? I admit I have strong feelings for you both…but after you said that you were together, I thought that was it."
Reaching up to run her hand through his wet hair, Marietta muttered softly, "We are, Harry. This may not be a reoccurring thing, and in the morning any of us could decide that it should never happen again…but right now, we want to share our love with you."
Bringing her hand down, she grabbed his hand before intertwining their fingers. "Only if you want to…"
"Yeah," Cho spoke up as she reached out to take his other hand, intertwining her fingers with his. "You can say no…neither of us will hold it against you."
Taking a deep breath, Harry could admit to himself that he truly loved these girls. And if they were willing to offer him this chance to express their feelings to each other…
He was going to take it.
Squeezing both of their hands gently, he smiled at them. "I…If you're both okay with this, then I'd love to."