I do not own the rights to any of the characters that appear in my little story. Now I do not claim I can tell a story nearly as well as J.K. Rowling (if I could I’d be a millionaire). The best I can do is all I can offer. I hope that you will be entertained.

 

 

Holly Potter and The Mists Of Avalon

by Kim West

Artwork by Daphne Teal

Editing by Travesty Underscore

Pt. 4

 

In the following days, Hermione's keen skills had been put to the test. She needed to help find a way for Becky to stay female while also finding whatever information she could pertaining to the goddess who helped Holly. Her friend had spoken of the island of Avalon and how it had been a place of worship for her deity. This had given Hermione a few clues to at least begin her research. It was still incredibly hard even for her to come up with much of anything, and it didn't help matters much seeing Becky sleeping soundly with her face buried into one of the books concerning ancient religions. Hermione shook her head, she just couldn't understand how anyone could fall asleep reading a perfectly fine book like that, and in a library no less.

"Well, I believe that I've made the most complete analysis possible. Please note that a lot of what I am about to say is pure speculation. In essence, I've had to do quite a bit of reading between the lines in order to uncover the truth. Do you understand?" Hermione asked Holly who simply nodded her head.

"In ancient times, when England was known as Celtic Britain, there existed Avalon. A sisterhood was established on the island, and many women traveled to it far and wide in order to become one with the five goddesses that the priestesses served. I believe that the deity that made contact with you was called Rhiannon. She held the title of "Great Queen;" she was also known as the "Nurturing Mother" who guided them through the lessons of life they needed to learn."

"What happened to them?" Holly asked.

"An over-simplified explanation would be that the Celts were over-run by the invading hordes of the Anglo-Saxons. A patriarchy was established that had devastated the older religions, replacing them with newer ones. History, over time, reduced the goddesses to being nothing more than subservient women. It was men in the newer stories which were favored, the goddesses then became not much more than footnotes of little (or no) importance."

"But they did exist...I mean, they must have if what happened to me is to be explained."

"Witches, wizards, unicorns, and dragons exist, so why not Avalon and its deities? I believe that you were in contact with Rhiannon and that she blessed you. I believe that your new powers allow you to do many things such as communicate with animals telepathically, draw energy from "Mother Earth" to replenish your own, and heal the sick and the dying. You also have the ability to travel to and from the island that was reserved for priestesses and for those who have been blessed; all others had to be escorted to and from the island if they wish to visit it. The island was protected in such a way that a person could not simply enter or leave if they were not a believer. I think that this was to protect the island as well as maintain the religious purity. These are just a few examples of what I've read about. I must warn you, though, to not abuse these powers because they will vanish if you were to try something like taking over the world."

"I don't fancy the idea of bossing everyone about. The thought of treating people the same way that Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia treat me just churns my stomach."

"That's probably one of the reasons Rhiannon decided to imbue you with the powers that you now possess."

"What's the point of having all those powers if you can't have a little bit of fun with them," Becky said yawning.

"You were listening?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, hearing your voice usually means you've finished pawing at your books and are ready to explain what you've found. It's basically a cue for me to wake up." Becky said casually.

"You've been dozing off on purpose just so you can get out of doing research!" Hermione huffed.

"Well, yeah that was the idea I guess," Becky said rather sheepishly.

Hermione was just about to tear into Becky when Holly interrupted.

"Hang on you two; I think I may have a way to get rid of Voldemort once and for all."

Both girls turned to face Holly.

"The next time I face him I'll just concentrate on taking him with me to Avalon. Once there, I'll just leave him trapped on the island forever."

"That's assuming, of course, that you can avoid being killed in the process. I'm sure that Voldemort won't just stand by passively while you do this to him." Hermione snorted.

"You said I had all these powers and..."

"Might have powers; remember what I said about guessing? Everything I told you was interpretation. You shouldn't risk your life like that, it simply isn't worth it."

"She did alright against those dementors." Becky added.

"Yes, but can she control her new powers on a consistent basis?"

"I have to try Hermione. I'll work on trying to develop more control and to learn how to use them. I know that this is risky but I'm really tired of Voldemort showing up every year to try and destroy me and everything I care about. I can't just keep looking over my shoulder, wondering if I'm about to be attacked at any moment. That's just no way to live one's life."

"Hey maybe you could practice taking Malfoy to Avalon or perhaps Snape. I wouldn't mind missing either one of them around here one bit." Becky suggested.

Holly grinned. "That does sound tempting. Let me think about it."

Hermione waited for the two girls to stop giggling to hand Holly a huge stack of notes.

"What all this?"

"It's various types of exercises that the priestesses used to help focus their energies; it might help you in trying to control your powers."

"Thank you; I hope I can make sense of all of this."

"You have a good heart and have always fought for what you believed in. Trust in yourself, and your new abilities will seem like second nature to you."

"Is that the key to learning this stuff?"

"I suppose; it is those qualities that make you special, isn't it? I don't believe that Rhiannon visits with just anyone and arbitrarily makes them a part of her sisterhood, and a high priestess no less."

It was something to consider as Hermione turned her attention to Becky.

"I have not forgotten about you and your problems. I have done extensive research on the spell your currently under."

"Yes?" Becky asked, fidgeting.

"I tried to find a spell that would cause it to become permanent or at the very least compliment it. I found absolutely nothing."

"What? No! I can't..."

"Becky."

"There has to be something!"

"Becky, calm down."

"I've already picked out the dress that I'm going to wear at the dance this Friday." Becky said, hyperventilating.

"Becky, please calm down!"

"Ron Weasley in a fancy dress with Neville Longbottom as his date; happiness has truly forsaken me."

"BECKY, STOP WHINING SO I CAN SPEAK!"

"Miss Granger, you do know that your in a library, don't you?" asked Professor McGonagall, who happened to be strolling by.

Hermione's face grew pale while she simply nodded.

"And you do know that it is against the rules to shout, I trust?"

"Yes, Professor McGonagall."

"Good, then I do not have to tell you that you have lost five points for Gryffindor. I expect not to have this conversation again; do I make myself perfectly clear?"

"Yes, Professor McGonagall."

"And Weasley, stop that giggling or you will lose an additional five points."

"Yes, Professor McGonagall."

Hermione looked at Becky with a certain foul mood. Here she was trying to help Becky, and all she could do was giggle when Hermione's perfect record for being a model student within the great library was forever smashed.

"McGonagall is gone now," said Holly.

Becky looked at Hermione now with an anxious look of dread. Hermione stared back thinking, 'it is simply impossible to stay mad at you, Becky Weasley.'

"You can still be Becky Weasley if you want to, all you have to do is use a spell to try and turn you back into a boy."

Becky looked a bit confused and said, "Huh? Perhaps you haven't grasped the notion that I don't want to become a boy again."

"You don't understand; your spell has a secret trap to prevent anyone from tampering with it. If you try, you will set off the trigger which causes your current gender to become permanent," Hermione said smiling, "Apparently, the wizard who gave you that necklace has a reputation for setting such traps on poor unsuspecting males in order to turn them into females. I think it might be something of an obsession with him."

"You actually think that what you're proposing will work?" Holly asked.

"I think so, but I'm not the one who has to make the final decision here," Hermione said turning to face Becky, "So what do you want to do Becky?"

"I enjoy being a girl; I don't want to go back."

Hermione raised her wand and pointed at Becky.

"Wait...uhg... what kind of spell are you going to use on me?"

"Oh I thought I'd use a variation of the spell used on Holly. The gender change part of course." Hermione quickly added.

Becky gulped. "This isn't going to hurt is it?"

"I don't think so, but we'll find out shortly won't we," Hermione said grinning.

"Masculattem!"

For a moment Becky became dizzy then her body began to change. It stopped changing quickly though as it resumed its feminine curves. A warm sensation ran throughout her body. She knew at that moment she had been altered and would happily remain a girl for the rest of her wonderful life.

"Well, I guess it worked," said Holly.

"Yeah, it felt really weird...I'm still a bit dizzy...It was sort of like being a rubber band that was stretched and then released all of a sudden," Becky replied as she turned to face Hermione, "Thanks Hermione, you don't know how much this means to me."

All three girls hugged each other. It was a tender, mushy, girly-girl moment that lasted for several minutes. After a bit, they each made plans for Friday's festivities. Yes it was still a couple of days away but one can never plan too early. I might add that the girls weren't the only ones planning for Friday. Yes a certain someone with a sore shoulder would see to it that he would have his way no matter what. Malfoy would concoct his very own love spell and place it on the unsuspecting Holly. He thought back to what Snape said about that meddlesome Granger. He'd have to take care of her as well; perhaps lowering her intelligence to match the pathetic little tramp she is would do. Yes, a plan was beginning to take shape in Malfoy's sick and twisted mind. He was even beginning to look forward to Friday. It would be a night of games, fun, and revenge all rolled into one.

**********************************************

Holly began to go over Hermione's vast notes. She would try her best to master her new powers. Concentration, patience, and fine tuning one's skills proved more difficult than it seemed. Holly tried to reach out with her mind to make contact with her owl, Hedwig. She tried to tell her to fly around the room three times and then land in front of her on the bed. The owl just looked at her when she opened the cage. She finally took flight but instead of circling the room, she headed out the window and into the sky to have the kind of flying she wanted to do. Holly sat there a moment watching her owl make lazy circles around the clouds.

"Maybe I should practice on Fluffy! He might have thought I was nothing but a chew toy, but at least he paid attention to me!" Holly called out to Hedwig.

"You know that she can't hear you." Hermione replied.

"Yes, but somehow it makes me feel better all the same," Holly sighed. "I don't think that I'm going to get the hang of this. I've been trying for hours and still nothing."

Hermione laughed out loud. "Holly, you have to realize something. It took the average woman nine years of intense training before they were even considered to become a first level priestess. Most priestesses trained their entire lives but never reached the level of High Priestess of Avalon. You, on the other hand, have bypassed all of that and have gone straight to the head of the line. I think that you need to give it a little bit more time than just a couple of hours, my dear."

Holly blushed. "I guess you're right. When you put it that way, I suppose I should be grateful for what I do have."

Time slowly crept by: Wednesday, Thursday, and then finally Friday. All of the students filled the classrooms, but their minds were someplace else entirely. Most of the faculty realized this and planned rather light lessons for the day. Some classes even let out earlier than usual because the Professors were also looking forward to the night's special event. At least, most of them were.

Professor Snape was not one of those who believed in letting his class out early or being kind enough to have a simple lesson plan. No, especially since these days he was pulling double duty as both Potions and Dark Arts Teacher. He had his students gather near to Hagrid's hutch to view a dangerous and rather pissed-off harpy. She was chained down to a post and was trying in vain to escape into the air. Hands were razor sharp talons as were her feet, which scratched and clawed the hard ground until it looked like it had been plowed. Her wings spread out when she saw the students gather around her, and she shrieked her displeasure at them. Many took a couple of steps back when this happened.

Snape, along with Hagrid, stood in front of the students.

"Today's lesson will be about harpies and what you can do to survive an encounter with one. This particular harpy was captured by Hagrid during one of his patrols in The Dark Forest. He has been gracious enough to allow us to view this creature so that you may learn, if nothing else, what one looks like. I will now let Hagrid talk to you about what he knows of harpies. I suggest taking careful notes because I will be giving a test on Monday and I might just be inclined to include questions based on what he might have to say today."

Hagrid lumbered forward to face the students.

"Aye, harpies are extremely dangerous; they are capable of shredding a grown man into tiny bits in seconds. They are territorial, and if you should enter that territory they will fiercely attack you until you are dead. They are most dangerous in the air, so if you do happen to encounter one, try and find an area where a harpy has no choice but to take to the ground. A thick part of the forest with many low branches will do. Harpies don't like to jump from branch to branch while chasing you. Once they are on the ground, they might be awkward, but I would not suggest hand-to-claw combat. Use whatever magic..."

Snape interrupted Hagrid at this point, "Yes, thank you Hagrid for that informative lecture. I would like to continue the lecture by saying to my students that most spells will not work on a harpy. You won't be able to make one fall asleep, you can't immobilize the creature, and you can't confuse a harpy with illusions. So my question to you my dear class is what sort of spells can you use on a harpy should you encounter one?"

Hermione's hand shot into the air. Snape ignored her like he always did. It was only when he saw Hagrid about to let her answer the question that he stepped in to prevent it.

"No! Not her!" Snape hissed.

"But why?" Hagrid asked scratching his enormous, furry head.

"She always knows the answer. ALWAYS! No, I want to give others a chance to think on their feet," Snape said to Hagrid while watching Malfoy gawk at Holly, "Mr. Malfoy, why don't you provide us with the answer or am I interrupting your quality time WITH YOUR GIRLFRIEND!"

Malfoy was startled out of his dream-like state. He looked at Professor Snape, who returned his stare. He knew that he was in trouble, mainly because he hadn't paid attention to a single word that had been said, and also the fact that he could actually see the veins in Snape's neck bulging a bit.

Malfoy gulped. "Uh...could you repeat the question?"

Snape was furious. "MR. MALFOY, you will pay attention in my class. The creature before you is not to be taken lightly. She has vicious claws to rip you open if she had the chance. There are only a few spells that will work on her. What spell would you choose if you encountered her all by yourself?"

Malfoy tried to think of something.

"I don't know, I guess that I would run away from her."

"Tell me, Mr. Malfoy, where would you run to, into the forest where it lives or say out in the open?"

"Why, out in the open of course," Malfoy said proudly.

"Congratulations, Mr. Malfoy, you managed to get yourself killed with that bold and, might I say, stupid strategy of yours. If you were listening to the lecture, perhaps you might have remembered that harpies are most dangerous when they are in the air," Snape snapped his head toward Holly, "You! Potter, please give us the answer, and do not say YOU DON'T KNOW THE QUESTION! I'm simply not in the mood for that kind of thing right now."

"I could temporarily blind her by creating a bright ball of energy." Holly answered nervously.

"Yes!" Hagrid shouted.

Snape gave Hagrid a dirty look. "That might work if you were prepared to kill her or, in Hagrid's case, capture the creature. Your choice may keep you alive, but for how long? I would suggest using your ball of energy to try and kill her or severely wound her. A simple but powerful fireball would be another excellent way to inflict massive damage to the harpy."

Holly was about to ask a question when suddenly the bonds that were holding the harpy vanished. She quickly rose into the air screeching a bloodcurdling scream.

"Remain calm and stay where you are. Running away will draw its attention to you. I will handle this situation," said Snape while keeping his eyes on the harpy.

Holly watched the creature with great intensity, not realizing she was making contact with her mentally. The harpy was in the process of an attack dive when she suddenly broke it off. This caused Snape's energy bolt to miss its target entirely. Snape was furious, and the harpy looked confused. Holly gasped, realizing at that very moment that she had control of the creature. She didn't want the poor thing to die, so she persuaded her to land gently so as to not seem threatening, and to not make a fuss when being handled by Hagrid.

"Don't kill her! I think she can be captured!" Hagrid shouted.

"Sorry, Hagrid, I'm not taking any chances."

Snape fired his wand at the harpy. She stood perfectly still as the energy bolt blasted against a sphere that surrounded her. The sphere protected the creature quite nicely from any harm that Spape's wand might have inflicted her with.

Snape looked stunned. "That isn't possible. She should be dead."

"Umm...Professor?" Holly asked.

"What do you want Potter!?" Snape snapped.

"I know this might sound crazy, but I made contact with the harpy and told her to stop its attack and to allow Hagrid to take care of her."

"Oh, you speak harpy do you? I don't recall that being part of the curriculum here at Hogwarts." Snape told Holly somewhat sarcastically.

"No sir, I communicated with her mentally. Oh, and I think I somehow did that protective sphere just now as well."

Snape wanted to rant and rave but soon noticed something rather strange. He saw Hagrid petting the feathery head of the harpy. This wasn't necessarily the strange part. Hagrid loved playing with dangerous creatures. The more dangerous they are, the more adorable they seem to him. What was odd, thought Snape, was the harpy seemed completely passive and looked like it rather enjoyed being patted on the head

"Ah...class dismissed," said Snape still looking at the bizarre sight.

As the class began to leave; Snape pointed to Holly. "Not you, Potter."

Holly stood patiently in front of Snape, wondering what he had in mind for her.

"Tell me truthfully, did you remove the bonds from that harpy?

"No sir, I did not."

Snape looked uneasy while he searched the horizon. What, or to be more precise, who he was looking for I could not say.

"Very well, Potter, go join your classmates."

Holly looked confused. "You're not going to punish me?"

"Don't tempt me, Miss Potter. Leave me now or I swear I'll make you wish you were never born."

Holly joined Becky and Hermione; who had waited off in the distance for her.

"So what did prune face want?" Becky asked.

"I wouldn't say that out loud if you know what's good for you." Hermione chided.

Holly simply shook her head. "Snape wanted to know if I was responsible for letting the harpy loose. When I told him I wasn't, he dismissed me before I could tell him who was responsible."

"You know who?" Hermione asked.

Holly nodded. "It was Malfoy. I could sense his rage when Snape made fun of him. I don't think that he did it on purpose though. I think that it was sort of an accident."

"I think you should go back right now and tell Professor Snape what you just told us." Hermione urged.

"Are you crazy!? You saw Snape, he's not in the mood to talk with anyone. Holly's lucky she didn't get detention, or worse lose points for Gryffindor."

Hermione gave Becky a dirty look. "You really need to sort out your priorities."

"Hey, we really don't have time for this right now. We need to get ready for tonight. I think that Draco Malfoy is the hardly worth worrying about, don't you agree, girls?" Holly said with a smile.

The girls quickly turned their attention to what tonight might have in store for them. They hurried back to their dormitory to get ready. They each had a lovely pink and lavender bubble bath to soak all of the day's troubles away. The creamy, silky feel of the bath made it seem as if they were floating on air. After bathing came vast amounts of cosmetics and styling one's hair. This was actually quite fun for Holly and Becky because most of the school year prevented them from experiencing this side of being female; this was due to the strict dress code that Hogwarts held. It was fun for Hermione as well because she was never asked to do complete makeovers for anyone before.

Hermione shampooed, rinsed, and styled Holly's and Becky's hair like a true expert. She taught them how to apply cosmetics to enhance their already good looks, so they, in turn, were able to perform this on her as well. I tell you, they had the most fun experimenting with this shade color and that sparkling lip gloss. They hardly even realized that it was soon time to go to the dance. The three of them stood there in their pretty gowns like fairy tale princesses come to life.

Holly wore a purple satin gown with silver lace, translucent gloves, and glass slippers. She had puffy sleeves and a nice neckline to show off her wonderful cleavage. Her gown also had fairy wings, which fluttered every so often. They were, of course, an illusory spell that came with the outfit. They simply faded away if she needed to sit down or dance close with someone. Oh, almost forgot to mention her hair, which was done up in curls with sparkling highlights. To say that she personified both beauty and grace would be an understatement. When she at last saw herself in the mirror, she gasped at what she saw. She felt overwhelmed, shy, anxious, and yes even a bit of pride seemed to well up inside her. She had a sudden urge to have Viktor see her right now, and she had a desire to have him look at her THAT WAY. The same way boys tended to look at pretty girls. She smiled inwardly thinking she was definitely glad she was a girl, it was just so much fun.

All right, on to dear, sweet Becky who wore a crimson gown with black lace. It was a strapless number that barely covered her abundant bosom. In truth it was held in place by means of magic. No Muggle dress could possibly defy gravity the way her dress seemed to do. Her dress was sizzling sex appeal at its best, or worst depending on your point of view of course. Holly and Hermione both tried rather unsuccessfully to persuade Becky in to picking something less flamboyant, but she simply would not listen. So she stood there like a fiery vixen in her six-inch-high heels. When she walked, one could not possibly help but notice the exaggerated swish and sway of her hips and the bounce and jiggle of…ah...em...other parts of her body. To complete her look she had a tiara to crown her head and her necklace that she had won from that kind, old wizard. She felt herself indeed lucky that her mother would have nothing to do with the necklace; after all, it had made her into the beautiful girl she was today. She smiled at her reflection and gave a sexy pout and she began to fantasize about Neville.

Finally, we have Hermione who wore a blue gown that was simple but elegant. She had lightly dusted herself with sparkling glamour dust. It shimmered every time she walked or moved. Her two-inch high heels gave her the ability to glide rather than walk. It was like watching an ice skater perform graceful movements about the room. She was, in fact, floating on very small magical pockets of air. When she moved you could see ice blue light trails left behind her for a few moments before they faded away. Hermione had been practicing with her shoes in secret because she wanted to surprise everyone at the dance. Both Holly and Becky were amazed at how well she managed to move about in them.

The dates for our three lovely young maidens waited just outside the Gryffindor common room. Each had on a tuxedo, which made them look quite handsome indeed. Viktor stood silently watching for any sign of his date. Neville on the other hand was fumbling about trying to look calm and collected. Just between you and me I have to say he looked anything but calm or collected. Seamus watched him with great amusement.

"So Longbottom, what do you have to be nervous about? You and Becky have been seeing each other for a while now."

Neville's eyes widened. "I'm...no...not nervous...wha...what makes you think...I'm nervous?"

Seamus grinned. "Oh nothing I suppose, just a wild guess."

At that moment, the girls stepped into the hallway to meet their dates. All three boys stood up straight and proper. They were stunned, to say the least, at the ravishing beauties that faced them. Viktor's eyes were intense as he approached Holly. She could feel his hungry eyes devour every inch of her, and she had to admit that she loved it.

"You are..." Viktor paused, trying to find the right words only to give up and simply take Holly's hand and kiss it ever so gently. She blushed and she began to feel all warm and tingly inside.

"Ummm...That was wonderful," Holly sighed.

Becky whispered to Hermione. "That's nothing, wait until you see me in action."

Becky swayed seductively toward Neville and said in a sultry voice, "So what do you think, my little cuddly bear?"

Neville gulped, and then blushed for a moment. His head felt light and he became rather dizzy and then he promptly fainted right on the spot. Everyone gathered around the unconscious body.

Becky stomped her foot. "No! That's not supposed to happen. He was supposed to kiss me and tell me how much he liked my new dress and stuff."

Hermione giggled. "Judging by the smile on Neville's face, I'd say that he liked what you're wearing."

Becky stood there pouting while the rest had a laugh. After a bit, Neville did finally come around and they were soon off to The Great Hall, its enchanted ceiling had always been made to look just like the night sky, but tonight, it had a beautiful full moon and bright twinkling stars to give the right touch of festive romance in the air. Music played while students danced about the floor. The band, I should mention was de-composed of five skeletons. They called themselves "The Crypt Kicker Five" and seem to know everything from the oldies up to the latest. Even Nearly Headless Nick seemed to enjoy the beat of the music while he stood watch over the punch to insure that nobody spiked it.

When the three couples arrived at the hall, they immediately set off to the task at hand, all except Hermione and Seamus that is. The two just sort of stared at each other.

Hermione put her hands on her hips. "Well, are we going to dance or not?"

Seamus looked nervous for the first time that night. "Do you mind if we danced normal like everyone else?"

Hermione huffed, "These shoes were very expensive and I practiced in them too much to simply go out on that floor and DANCE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!"

Seamus took a step back from Hermione for some reason. This made her eye him suspiciously.

"You did buy shoes that could glide like mine, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"And you did practice with them, didn't you?"

Seamus was silent, too silent.

"YOU DID PRACTICE, DIDN'T YOU?!"

"Ummm....maybe...not as much as I would like...but yeah I guess I did." Seamus said with a squeaky voice.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "If you make us a laughingstock I'm going to kill you."

That last comment didn't help Seamus in the confidence department. Hermione, however, didn't care; she grabbed his hand and they went out on to the floor. Seamus concentrated on his shoes and they soon produced magical pockets of air under them. He then gulped with the sudden realization that they were soon gliding around the room.

They were like two figure skaters: first, doing simple turns and twists. After a bit, Seamus felt that he was getting the hang of it and began doing fancier moves with Hermione. Spinning, twirling, and flips in the air. All other dancers stopped to see the display before them. When the song finally ended and they could at last grab a breath of air, they were surprised by all of the applause. They held each other's hands tightly, and then Seamus bowed and Hermione curtsied.

Hermione smiled. "And you wanted to dance like everyone else."

Seamus smiled back. "I always said you were a bright girl. I never should have doubted it for a moment."

One might think that was pretty much the highlight of the dance. Well, I hate to tell you this, but you would be far from wrong on that account. You see, my friends, the fireworks had not even begun. Lurking, hiding, sneaking, and, yes, even stalking, was a certain someone. His eyes narrowed on his unsuspecting targets.

"Soon, I'll be enjoying this dance as well." Malfoy hissed to himself.

Malfoy grinned an evil grin as he went over his fiendishly evil, and might I say, diabolical plan. He had stolen a book of magical spells from the forbidden section of the library. He had searched and searched for just the right spells to cast upon his victims. Finally he settled on two, which he had set to memory. The first spell would make Holly become his devoted servant for the rest of her life. Every whim, every need, she would be there to take care of it, and when Malfoy would grow tired of her presence, he would throw her out on the street like a common beggar. He smiled at the thought of Holly Potter groveling at his feet; he was beginning to feel a bit like his old, nasty self again. And the second spell, you ask? Well, it would permanently reduce the intelligence of Hermione Granger into that of a half-wit. No longer would she be the first to raise her hand in class to answer questions with such ease. Instead, Hermione would have great difficulty remembering how to spell her own name, and possibly, with any luck, she would be kicked out of Hogwarts all together.

Malfoy waited until the music played once more. He could see Holly dancing with that ROTTEN, NO GOOD RAT! He wanted revenge for what KRUM did to him. Krum took his precious Holly away from him. Krum will pay. First, Holly will drop Krum like a sack of potatoes and come rushing to him. Malfoy would have a great laugh pointing at Krum; yes, it would be a moment to remember. He continued to watch Holly and Viktor dance, holding each other tightly. Malfoy's eyes flared with jealousy so much that he nearly snapped his wand in two.

"Enslavium!" Malfoy said pointing his wand at Holly.

Malfoy stood there watching for any sign that his spell had worked. He could not see any immediate change in Holly's behavior.

"Maybe the spell needs time for it to work." Malfoy told himself.

He turned his attention to his other victim without noticing certain changes were indeed taking place. Holly, of course, remained unchanged, but for Malfoy, it was entirely a different matter. His blond hair began to flow down to his shoulders, which in turn became narrower. His waist shrank and his hips grew wide making the seat of his...uh, I mean, her pants become tight. Her chest filled out rather nicely as she began to cast her next spell.

"Bimbeticus!" Malfoy said in a soft, high-pitched voice.

Malfoy's eyes went wide as her soft delicate hands felt her throat. It was long, elegant, and, well, had no sign of an Adam's apple to put it bluntly. She could not ponder this problem for very long because more changes started taking place. Her ears began to grow and lengthen in size. A light gray fur also began to sprout all over her new, curvaceous body. Malfoy started to panic as she simultaneously felt a bit of a muzzle form on her face and a tail rip out of her pants. The changes did stop at that point, which made Malfoy rather exotic looking to say the least. She was, in fact, half donkey and half human girl. I would say that she was still somewhat attractive if you were into furry girls, but this did not comfort Malfoy in the least. She tried desperately to pull her tail off and yank at her ears.

"HEEE HAAAAHHHH! Wha...NO! HEEE HAAAAH! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING TO MEEEEHHH HAAAAHHH" Malfoy brayed.

She grew furious at what had happened. "It must be Potter's doing. She must have done this to me."

Malfoy marched straight to where Holly and Viktor stood. The band stopped playing. Everyone watched the bizarre sight take place before their eyes.

"YOU WITCH!" Malfoy shouted, only she didn't exactly say the word witch. Let's just say she said something that rhymed very closely with that word.

Holly looked at the strange girl donkey wearing a tuxedo and scratched hear head. "Is that you, Malfoy?"

"HEEE HAAAHHH! You will pay this, and to think I was in love with YOU!"

"Hey Malfoy! Who's your date for tonight, Lampwick or Pinocchio?" Becky said laughing out loud.

Well let me tell you, that was simply too much for Malfoy to take. She had a murderous look in her eyes as she lunged for Becky. They both struggled with each other. Pulling hair, scratching, and biting were the order for this fight. Students began cheering.

"Cat fight!...Donkey fight!...Cat and Donkey fight!"

The fight came to an abrupt halt when Malfoy's hand grabbed Becky's top and pulled it down and ripped it off. Malfoy stopped and stared at Becky's chest. It was a safe bet that everyone in the room had taken the moment to stop and stare at Becky's chest, well at least all of the boys anyway.

"AAAAAAHHH!" Becky screamed and she quickly tried to cover herself with her hands. She felt every eye upon her, and her face became red with embarrassment. She ran out of the room with tears flowing down her cheeks. Neville chased after her.

Malfoy turned to face Holly once more. There was a crazed look in her eyes.

"You're next, my little pretty!" Malfoy sneered.

"Enough!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing to turn and see Dumbledore making his way to where Malfoy and Holly stood. He seemed just a bit annoyed with the situation that lay before his eyes. Malfoy faced Dumbledore while pointing a finger at Holly.

"I want Holly Potter expelled immediately. Just look at what SHHEEEE HAHHHHH....HAS DONE TO ME!"

Holly stepped forward to face Dumbledore as well. "Sir, honestly I have nothing to do with this. I would never..."

Dumbledore raised his hand to stop Holly from speaking. "There is no need to explain. The only person that Miss Malfoy needs to blame is herself. You see, I placed a special protective spell on The Great Hall. Anyone performing magic of any type against the will of another would become ensnared in my own little trap."

"HEEEEEEE HAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" Malfoy brayed so loudly this time she had to bend over. This of course caused her already tight pants to completely rip apart at the seams. Her bottom was exposed ever so briefly before someone handed her a cape to cover her backside.

"Miss Malfoy, please calm yourself; your condition is not permanent. Let me assure you that you will be back to normal by the end of the school year."

Panic returned to Malfoy's eyes. "Please, Professor Dumbledore, turn me back now. I admit that I was up to no good, but now I've seen the error of my ways."

"I don't believe that you realize just how close you were to becoming expelled with that stunt you just tried with Holly, and yes, I know about what you tried to do with Hermione as well. Ever since Professor Snape told me of your obsession, I made it a point to keep track of you. I knew well in advance what you were planning and made plans of my own."

Malfoy turned to face Snape who returned his gaze with a bitter look of his own.

"Oh, don't think too harshly of Professor Snape, my dear girl. If you had succeeded you would have at the very least been expelled and your family name disgraced. You might have also been brought up on criminal charges, which I believe your father Lucious would not want to see happen to his only child."

The very mention of her father sent chills down her spine. "Please sir, I don't want to look like this. I realize I need to be punished...can't you come up with something else? I... can't let my father see me like this."

Dumbledore was silent for a moment or two. "Perhaps if you received a months worth of detention?"

Malfoy's eyes lit up. "Yes, please give me detention; that sounds more than fair. I love patrolling The Black Forest; just ask anyone."

"Yes, I'm sure that you do, but I'm afraid that I would also have to take away two hundred points from Slytherin."

Malfoy was about to agree to that when she noticed all of the Sytherin students gathering around. They looked like they would rip her to shreds if she lost that many points.

She faced Dumbledore, and while doing do her ears drooped down to the side of her head. "I guess I will remain like this for the rest of the year if you don't mind, sir."

"Good girl, and now that that's settled you may dress in something that is more appropriate and come back to the dance if you wish. I'm sure that some of the girls present can help you find a nice dress to wear."

Many of the girls gathered giggled while shooting their hands up in the air to volunteer. Malfoy shook her head not wanting to further embarrass herself. As she left the room, the crowd broke up and soon the dance was more or less back to normal. Holly and Hermione faced their dates.

"Uh you don't mind if..."

"We really want to stay and..."

"Go to find your friend." Viktor told Holly.

"Yeah, Becky needs you guys, although with such a magnificent pair that she's got I don't see what she's so upset about..." Seamus suddenly stopped what he was saying as he noticed both girls looking extremely pissed at him. "UH...what I meant to say is she has two magnificent friends with you...two that is."

Hermione just rolled her eyes, and Holly tried very hard not to laugh. The two of them went off to search for their friend. While they sped off; Viktor made his way over to Seamus.

"Just between us guys, let me just say that I agree completely, Becky does indeed have a magnificent pair."

The two boys smiled at one another and hit each other, and then the two made their way to the table for some drinks. What can I say, it's a boy thing.

******************************************************

While The Great Hall continued with merriment and good cheer the rest Of Hogwarts lay still and empty. Not quite empty, really, for stumbling down a corridor was Becky Weasley. She kicked off her high heels because they simply were not meant to be run in. She ran barefoot up stairs and down hallways to finally end up in the girl's bathroom. She then stopped to look at herself in one of the mirrors. Hair, makeup, and dress were in complete ruin she noted to herself, and then she began to cry.

"Who's there?"

Becky looked around to see who spoke and saw Moaning Myrtle floating near to her. The ghost studied Becky with great interest the way one might do when driving past an accident.

"Oh my, did some boy try to have his way with you?" Myrtle asked with a tinge of excitement.

"No... I was in a fight."

Just then, there was a knocking on the door.

"Becky, it's me Neville."

Becky's eyes grew wide. "Go away Neville! Leave me alone!"

Moaning Myrtle shook her fist at the door. "So, it was him that did this to you wasn't it, dearie?"

"No, it wasn't..."

"Oh don't go and protect him now; he's not worth the trouble."

"You don't understand. I had a fight with Draco Malfoy." Becky then started to blush. "Neville...he's my boyfriend."

Myrtle began to nod her head and smile. "I see now, you were two timing your poor deluded boyfriend."

"But..."

"QUIET! I'm trying to be judgmental here." Myrtle said swirling around. "All you pretty girls are the same, aren't you?! One boyfriend simply isn't enough for YOU!!! NO!!! YOU'VE GOT TO BE GREEDY ABOUT IT!!!!"

"Wait, you don't understand."

Moaning Myrtle flew right up to Becky's face. "I never had any boyfriends. I wasn't pretty enough. No boys ever wanted to be seen with plain, ugly, STUPID MYRTLE...AAARRHHH"

Suddenly Moaning Myrtle zoomed up in the air then dived toward her favorite toilet and, well, plunged into its very depths.

"Becky! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Neville, now go away."

Neville did not leave, but he continued to stand by the door looking somewhat downhearted. Time passed slowly as he looked at the high heels he had in his hands. He had picked them up off the floor when he was chasing Becky. He did not know what to do or say to make things better. He never had a girlfriend before and it was safe to say he never expected to have anyone quite like Becky. He sighed to himself thinking tonight was supposed to be special, but instead he had to faint in front of his girl. Not only that but now she wanted him to go...no... 'I have to think about something else,' Neville thought to himself while he continued his silent vigil.

Elsewhere, Holly and Hermione searched for any sign of Becky. Corridors, stairs, and well you get the idea. Eventually, they found Neville standing in front of the girl's bathroom holding Becky's shoes. It didn't take much to figure out that their search had indeed ended. They approached Neville, who had a sad look in his eyes.

"Hi Neville."

"Please help...Becky, she's in there and won't come out. She told me...to go away." Neville said looking down at the floor.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Neville," said Hermione.

"Yeah, she's just a bit upset about what happened," Holly added.

The two girls went into the bathroom to face Becky and straighten things out. Becky looked up and quickly turned to hide in a corner.

"What do you want?" Becky asked, sobbing softly.

"Well you can stop crying, that would be a nice start," said Holly.

Becky turned to face her friends. "I ran away, and now I'm crying my eyes out just like a little girl."

"Well I don't know about little but...and I do believe I mentioned this before. You do know you're a girl now don't you?" Hermione said with a bit of a smile.

"Yes but everyone...what will they think?" Becky shook her head. "I'm nothing but a joke now."

Holly's eyes flashed as she faced Becky. "Don't ever say that again. You're not a joke. Do you remember when we first met on the train?"

"Yeah," Becky said sniffling.

"You became my first real friend I ever had. We shared good times as well as bad. I honestly don't know how I would've managed my first year without you."

"You would've done just fine without me, besides you had Hermione to help you."

"I don't think I could have worked up the courage to approach Harry after that first encounter on the train. The only reason I felt comfortable going up to "The Boy Who Lived" was the fact that he wasn't making you grovel at his feet. I saw him treat you as an equal and as a friend."

Becky considered what Hermione had just said. Clearly it made her stop and wonder about her self-worth.

Becky looked at her friends and said almost pleading, "I just wanted tonight to be special."

"Look, you can still go back out there and have a good time. I have the rest of your dress and can fix it by casting a spell." Hermione suggested.

"And we can help fix that makeup pretty quickly as well." Holly added.

Becky shook her head. "I...I can't go back...Not without Neville...I told him to go away and he did."

"No I didn't! I'm still here!" Neville said loudly through the door.

Hermione giggled. "You have to give the boy credit, he definitely has good ears."

Holly giggled as well. "Come on, Becky. What's it gonna be?"

Becky smiled weakly. "Alright, I suppose I could go back to the dance."

"YES!"

The girls giggled some more and set off to repairing Becky's outfit and make her more presentable; after that was done, everyone headed back to the dance. They managed to get in a couple of dances in before the band played the last song. Despite the rocky start, the night was still full of romantic first love.

Seamus kissed Hermione's hand like a gentleman, which was certainly a surprise to say the least. "I had fun, Hermione. I wouldn't mind if we tried to...uhm...you know...go on a date...maybe sometime, if you don't mind that is?"

Hermione smiled. "I think I would like that, Seamus." She then moved forward and actually kissed Seamus on the lips. This was definitely a surprise to him because he felt rather lightheaded and somewhat dizzy.

Viktor held Holly in his gaze for what seemed an eternity. Each wanting to act but fearing what would happen if they did; finally, though, Holly experienced love's first kiss. It was tender and oh so sweet. 'The only problem was that it did not last forever,' Holly thought to herself.

Finally, I should mention Neville and Becky, who were constantly hugging and kissing each other ever since she left the bathroom. They were about as happy as happy can be,

"Becky?"

"Yeah."

"I thought that I had lost you tonight. First, I fainted like some idiot and then you told me to go away and..."

"Shush, you are very special to me, Neville Longbottom. I am sorry I put you through that. I was being a silly little girl," Becky said as she kissed Neville. "You are a kind, gentle boy who could never be an idiot in my eyes."

So ends the night for our young couples. Each will dream sweet dreams of endless possibilities. Ah romance is something that should be cherished for it has a magic of all its own.

******************************************************

That weekend Malfoy remained hidden in the Slytherin Girls' Dormitory; Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode were hovering around her like two hungry vultures in dire need of a tasty snack.

Malfoy sneered at them. "Go away! Hee haw!"

The two girls began to giggle when they heard Malfoy bray before them.

"Ah, come on Draco, we know you aren't exactly yourself right now," said Pansy.

This was an attempt by Pansy to try to calm Malfoy down but all it managed to do was make Millicent burst out laughing. This made Malfoy so extremely furious that she began to bray uncontrollably, bending over while she did so. Pansy gave Millicent a dirty look; this wasn't how she wanted this to turn out at all.

"What I meant to say was you need to borrow some clothes now that you have...umm...changed."

Malfoy's face twitched a bit when she thought about the prospect of wearing skirts, blouses, and even lacy UNDERTHINGS.

"I refuse to wear skirts and stuff like some...FRUITCAKE! Potter and Weasley might like that sort of thing but not me!" Malfoy huffed.

"Potter and Weasley are girls, just as you are now, my dear GIRL! And for you information fruitcakes do not wear skirts and stuff. GIRLS DO! IS THAT PERFECTLY CLEAR, MISSY?" shouted Pansy.

"Yeah, and not to mention that it's against school rules for girls to wear a boy's uniform," Millicent added.

"But I'm a boy! I'm a Heeee HAAAAAW!" Malfoy pleaded.

"You're a girl, who's made a you-know-what out of yourself. Get used to that fact or Dumbledore may just send you home packing." Pansy continued her argument.

"Not to mention you may end up taking away even more Slytherin points away from us," Millicent said smiling.

Pansy gave Millicent another dirty look. "Will you stop mentioning things or I swear you will regret it."

Millicent kept quiet while Pansy handed Malfoy some of her clothes.

"Do you need help putting on your new clothes?" Pansy asked.

Malfoy's eyes widened. "No! I'm not letting a couple of girls see me NAKED!"

Pansy's eyes rolled. "Why? You don't have anything that we haven't got ourselves."

"Well, how about those long ears, light fur, and..." Millicent burst out laughing. "DONKEY TAIL!"

"Millicent! You're not helping one bit!" Pansy said scolding her friend.

Needless to say this went on for quite a while with the three arguing this detail and that. Finally however Malfoy did consent to allow Pansy to help her get dressed but insisted that Millicent leave because of her constant laughter and finger pointing. This was particularly embarrassing when it was discovered that all of the skirts and panties Malfoy would have to wear needed to have holes for her tail to be put through.

The weekend soon passed, and Monday became a reality. For Malfoy it was sheer misery, as she had to endure all of the staring, pointing, and laughing. Every class, the students would whisper behind her back thinking that she could not hear what they said, but she did hear every word spoken. Her ears were like fine-tuned radar dishes swiveling this way and that and were able to pick up the slightest noise whether she wanted them to or not. Then, there was the little matter of what to name her; Draco refused to be called by a girl's name so the students began referring to her simply as "Donkey." She also had to have all her new skirts be specially fitted so her tail could be free to swish about. She even quit her Quidditch team because of the constant jeering she was getting.

I don't believe I mentioned the game Quidditch all that much. All four houses compete with each other playing this rather unique game. The house that wins the most games wins The House Cup and bragging rights until next year. The standings currently are as follows: Gryffindor and Ravenclaw have both beaten Slytherin and Hufflepuff. They have yet to play each other and both currently remain undefeated. Slytherin has only managed to beat Hufflepuff and is completely out of the running for The House Cup. Hufflepuff has lost to everyone and is also out of the running.

The game itself is fairly simple, catch the golden snitch and two things happen: you score one hundred and fifty points and the game ends. It is possible to win the game without catching the snitch, but that is very rare. There are three types of balls in this game. They are the quaffle, the bludger, and of course the golden snitch. The quaffle can be used to score ten points through the opponent's metal rings but that is somewhat a waste of time, in my opinion. The bludger flies around trying to bash into anything in its path; seekers have to be careful not to be hit by it because they will end up in the hospital right quick. Holly and Viktor are the seekers for today's match. Only seekers are allowed to chase the snitch and catch it. I could go on at great length about rules, regulations, and various positions but I believe that won't be necessary, as you will soon see.

Holly swung on her broomstick while she mentally prepared herself for the game. She had plenty of success with her Firebolt, it was the best and fastest broom you could buy for playing Quidditch. It was her pride and joy as she soared into the sky knowing that nothing could beat it except, of course, another Firebolt. Viktor had one as well, and not only that, but he had played in The Quidditch World Cup as well. No one expected her to win against Viktor today, not even her own teammates. In a strange way, this took away a certain amount of pressure from her. Still, Holly thought to herself that if she managed to win, it would really be something. She smiled to herself, knowing that doing the impossible is what she was best at.

Both teams swarmed around the stadium while Madam Hooch opened the box holding the various balls. The snitch sprang into the air, zipping this way and that, before disappearing altogether.

"Now, I want a clean game from all of you."

Holly smirked, thinking how many times she had heard Madam Hooch say those words. The only ones who needed to hear them weren't even playing today. She giggled to herself as the quaffle was released thus starting the game officially. Holly flew high into the air hoping to get lucky and spot the snitch before Viktor.

Luck was not with her however when Viktor suddenly screamed into a power dive. Holly noticed this and gave hot pursuit. Soon they were flying straight to the ground at speeds so fast that...well let's just say it was fast enough to kill them if they impacted onto the surface. Each pulled out of their dive at the very last second. It was then Holly realized there was no snitch to be seen. Viktor pulled his famous Wronski Feint on her, and she fell for it! She swung around to face Viktor who was grinning back at her like a wild man.

"Vonderful, Holly Potter, you fly almost as vell as me."

Holly smiled. "What do you mean almost? I'm going to..."

Holly didn't finish her remark because she noticed the real snitch fly past. She took off at high speed followed closely by Viktor. The snitch made all sorts of impossible maneuvers, which the seekers matched perfectly. They looped, flipped, and dove until many people watching felt rather dizzy. The aerial acrobatics were simply amazing to behold. Many of the players from both sides actually stopped playing in order to watch these two fly. Just when it looked like Viktor would catch the snitch, an alarm rang out, signaling the cancellation of the match.

"Everyone, please do not panic. Hogwarts is under attack by forces unknown. Students please return to your dormitories at once. Teachers will join me in ridding ourselves of these invaders," Dumbledore addressed the stadium with the announcer's microphone.

"Albus, those are Death Eaters," whispered Professor McGonagall into Dumbledore's ear.

"You and I know this, but I do not wish for the whole student body to know, it would cause even more panic than we have now, Minerva."

Entering the stadium were mountain trolls, dementors, and in the air were dragons with Death Eaters riding on top of them.

"Mountain trolls, dementors, and dragons, oh my!" Becky said out loud.

Hermione just shook her head. "Say something useful, or don't say anything at all."

"How about this, 'join me now or die'?" Voldemort hissed.

Becky and Hermione were surrounded, and they were helpless. Now I must say that this is one sneaky villain, he rationalized that no one would notice a simple abduction while the entire school was under attack.

"What do you want with us?" Hermione struggled, held by two Death Eaters.

"You and your witless friend here mean nothing to me. You are merely bait," Voldemort said, laughing an evil laugh.

 

While this was happening, Holly raced toward the dragons with Viktor following behind her.

"Vat are you doing?"

"I'm going to try to reason with the dragons," Holly said calmly.

"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS! DRAGONS ARE NOT REASONABLE!"

"I have to try, Viktor."

Holly flew faster toward four dragons; they noticed her and one of them charged. She made mental contact with the creature and with the other three as well. Soon, all four began to slowly drift to the ground despite the efforts of their riders to keep them up in the air. They landed on the ground and each dragon promptly decided to take a nap. The four angry Death Eaters dismounted their dragons and made their way through the chaos that was all about them.

Viktor flew beside Holly with a look of wonder upon his face. "How did you do that?"

Holly smiled. "I'll explain later."

Suddenly, a blast of hot, streaming fire blew directly toward Viktor. He managed to almost avoid most of it. He swerved, but not enough; his shoulder and arm were hit by the blast. He cried out in pain and he fell off his broom. Holly cried out as well, sending out a wave of energy that made everything seem to stop in time. She held out her hand and guided Viktor's body safely to the ground. Soon, time seemed to return to normal while she turned and faced ten dragons. She commanded them to fly to the ground to take a nap, which they did quite nicely.

"Potter! Come down and play with me won't you? Your friends seem to think that their lives are in danger!" Voldemort shouted.

Holly looked down at the field and saw both Becky and Hermione being held by Voldemort's thugs. He moved toward Becky and held out his wand.

"CRUCIO!"

Holly instantly zoomed at full speed toward Voldemort. She could see Becky writhing on the ground in horrible pain. This made Holly angry. This made her very angry indeed. Voldemort smiled while pointing his wand at the ballistic Holly.

"OBLITERATE!"

A fiery, red streak shot out of Voldemort's wand striking Holly dead on. There was a massive explosion, which caused many to cry out knowing no one could possibly survive that. Oh come on, you don't actually believe that this would be the end of Holly Potter, do you? I mean, it would be a rather crummy way to end the story. Well not to worry, when the smoke began to clear, it revealed a very much alive Holly Potter. Her clothes were badly torn and burned, while she, herself, remained untouched by the explosion. Her broomstick was vaporized but she remained in the air, hovering with a bright, white light surrounding her. She descended to the ground to face her mortal enemy.

"Impressive, but then again I already knew you've become more powerful since the last time we met."

"Leave my friends alone, you filthy maggot!"

Voldemort's eyes flashed. "They have served my purpose. I could care less whether they live or die. You are the one I want dead, and I will see that done this very day!"

Voldemort took out what looked like a lamp and he rubbed it. Within moments, a billowing cloud issued forth from the mouth of the lamp. The cloud soon took the shape of a genie; he towered over Holly while folding his massive arms.

"Whatever powers you may have, Miss Potter, they are no match for my genie. You see I killed many and risked much to get him, for he is probably the most powerful genie the world has ever seen. Even more powerful than Aladdin's fabled genie, I would imagine."

"You're not going to keep up with this talking are you? Either wish for something, or let me go back to bed," the genie grumbled.

Holly was concentrating with all her might to wish she and Voldemort would end up on Avalon.

"Be quite! I am the master!" Voldemort snapped.

At that moment, everything started to twist and swirl about. Then there was a loud pop. Holly, Voldemort, Becky, Hermione, and the genie all disappeared into thin air. The Death Eaters noticed that their master had vanished, and they sensed that the tide had somehow turned against them. They began to make a hasty retreat while the dementors and trolls continued to attack.

"Expecto Patronum!" shouted Dumbledore.

A gigantic white lion issued forth from his wand. It rushed toward the dementors, who backed away from it and eventually were driven completely away.

"Imobulus!" shouted Professor McGonagall pointing her wand at a group of mountain trolls that were chasing some students. The trolls, of course, froze right in their tracks.

"Reducio!" shouted Professor Snape pointing his wand at about ten trolls who shrunk to the size of tiny pixies.

On and on it went as the invasion force was eventually taken care of. There were still four dragons loose in the air however. They were circling about the castle, causing destruction of walls and turrets. That is, of course, until Hagrid came near enough to them and did his best imitation of a baby dragon in distress. His call had apparently had immediate results because all four dragons were female, and they had all been recent mothers as well. They each roared and became too wild for their riders to control. Some of The Death Eaters fell to the ground to what might be their own deaths; others however, did have brooms which they used to make their getaway.

Hagrid smiled and he made another call to the dragons, which made them calm down. Each one soon landed near the giant and he gently patted each one on the snout.

"It's gonna be alright now," Hagrid told the dragons in a soothing tone.

Out of all of the magical creatures Hagrid has cared for over the years, dragons were by far his favorite. He knew more about dragons, and how to best treat them, than even the finest trainers in Romania.

********************************************************

Crash, bang, and the world fades into darkness; then, the light of day is known once again. The green, bountiful earth is all about. Nature in its most pure splendor, the way it was in the days before mankind. This is what Holly, Becky and Hermione saw before them. Not that Becky could really appreciate anything except for the excruciating pain. Voldemort's curse had not let up on the poor girl in the least. Holly moved to her friend and put her hand on Becky's forehead.

"Be healed now, and feel pain no more." Holly said quietly.

With these words spoken, Becky suddenly glowed for a moment; then, her crying and shaking began to fade away. She sat up and looked at Holly.

"Looks like you're getting the hang of your new powers."

"I suppose, but I wouldn't want to test them against that genie. I think that we should get back to Hogwarts before Voldemort realizes what happened."

"You won't get any arguments from me," Becky said.

"POTTER!"

Holly turned to see in the distance a giant sized Voldemort, who was apparently still in the process of growing. He was tossing trees about while occasionally throwing extremely powerful bolts of energy that exploded upon the fertile earth leaving huge, lifeless craters behind. It was horrifying to watch. Holly felt dizzy because the life forces were being drained away from the life-giving-earth. She could also feel Voldemort's life force growing incredibly strong with each passing moment.

"We have to leave now." Hermione told Holly.

Holly nodded in agreement as she concentrated on returning to Hogwarts or what was left of it. Nothing seemed to happen, so she tried again. Nothing still, except that this time she ended up with a headache. Hermione was about to ask what was taking so long when Voldemort came crashing through into the clearing and spotted them. His genie was hovering close behind him.

"Ah, there you are, you naughty little girl. I was going to wish my genie would kill you but then I thought about wishing to kill you myself." Voldemort grinned. "That wish made me more powerful than I could have possibly imagined. Die, knowing that you were responsible for the evil that is me."

Voldemort threw an enormous energy bolt at the three girls. Holly managed to barely deflect it with a protective sphere that partially collapsed. Part of that bolt did however, make it through and struck Holly. She screamed and she nearly fell to her knees.

"I...can't take...another one like that." Holly said trying to catch her breath.

"Can we panic now?" Becky said to no one in particular.

"Holly, try calling The Goddess. Maybe she'll hear you and help us." Hermione suggested.

"I'll try," Holly said weakly.

Another huge blast came hurtling toward them while Holly prayed. The blast almost made contact, but then it suddenly crackled and fizzled away into thin air. Then a shimmering glow appeared before Holly and Voldemort, and after a bit it took the shape of a woman. Not just a woman, but The Goddess herself stood, looking somewhat upset.

"Tom Riddle, you will do no further harm."

"No one calls me that!" Voldemort shouted trying to hurl another bolt at The Goddess. Nothing happened except that he shrank down to his normal height. Voldemort began showing a hint of fear while turning to face his genie.

"I wish to destroy her!"

"Genies must serve their masters, this much is true. I give you now the free will to choose a new path. You can remain a genie and face defeat if you try to do battle with a GODDESS." The Goddess paused. "Or another choice might be to give up being a genie and give up having to constantly serve masters like him for all eternity."

"I SAID DESTROY HER!"

The genie pondered for a moment.

"No."

"NO? WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO?!"

"I said no, you are no longer my master. What use is all my power if all I can do with it is grant petty wishes to the likes of YOU." The genie turned to face The Goddess. "But for me to live my life as a mortal. To do what I wish, whatever that may be. That would be truly magical."

"You understand that, if I make you mortal, it will be as a female."

"Gender matters little to me, it is freedom and freedom alone I cherish above all else." The genie said bowing to The Goddess.

A swirling mass of energy flowed around the genie. Within moments, a transformed woman stood in front of The Goddess. She had black shiny hair that went down to her narrow waist. Her skin was silky smooth in texture and had a dark, creamy tan complexion. Oh, and her big, dark, olive eyes were indeed ravishing to behold. The dark-haired woman smiled as she felt her body with her hands, she moved them along its contours for the first time.

"I correct myself, oh wondrous Goddess. I find my new gender matters greatly to me. I find it most pleasing to me indeed."

"I am glad that you are pleased. Go now with my blessings to the new life that awaits you."

The dark-haired woman sparkled away into thin air.

"Now, where was I?"

"AVRA KADAVRA!" Voldemort yelled waving his wand at The Goddess.

"Ah yes, now I remember." The Goddess said she turning her attention to the evil wizard. "I am very disappointed in you, Tom. All you seem to care about is death and destruction."

"OH SHUT UP, AND KILL ME NOW! It is better for me to die than to hear your endless prattle about how I could've been another goodie-two-shoes like Dumbledore! Just thinking about him makes me want to puke!" Voldemort hissed defiantly.

"You act just like a spoiled little child in need of a lesson. You have brought this upon yourself, young lady."

Before Voldemort could say a word, a pink mist surrounded him. He immediately shrank in height. He, no she wore a frilly little dress that came down to her knees. Her wand was soon covered with all sorts of sparkly jewelry and at the end of it was changed into kind of a heart-shaped jewel. Her hair changed into a brightly colored pink, and her eyes were extremely big and sparkly. She tried to look angry but could not pull it off because she just looked too cute and adorable.

"I am Lord Voldymalt, and in the name of the moon I shall punish you!

Voldymalt...er...I mean Voldemort's eyes went wide, and then she gasped; her hands quickly covered her mouth not wanting to believe what she had just said. Then, tears began to form and she started to cry.

"I WANT MY MOMMY!"

"I return you to your mother, Serena...hush now and think only happy thoughts."

Soon the rather strange, pink-haired girl disappeared, presumably to be with its..uh..I mean her mother.

"She did not look quite human to me," Holly said calmly.

"Perhaps she's some sort of mutant fairy with big, sparkly eyes." Becky suggested.

"I transferred Voldemort's living essence and placed it into a fictional character by the name of Chibi Moon. She is a part of an animated television series called Sailor Moon." The Goddess smiled. "Do you not remember what took place in The Chamber of Secrets, Holly Potter?"

Holly thought a moment. "Yes, I defeated Voldemort."

"You defeated Voldemort as he was when he attended Hogwarts. Voldemort preserved himself in the pages of a diary. What I did to him just now was not that different of a fate. All that was Voldemort has now been preserved within a fictional character of my choosing." The Goddess sighed, "And I see that you three still look confused. Is there something else that you wish to ask me?"

The three girls looked at each other for a moment and then faced The Goddess once more, speaking almost at the same time.

Hermione asked, "You watch television?"

Then Holly asked, "You watch cartoons?"

Finally Becky asked, "What's television?"

"Yes I watch television; just because I ‘m a deity doesn't mean I must exist like a hermit. As far as cartoons are concerned, Japanese Animation is watched by young and old alike. In fact I've changed quite a few middle-aged men into women who have told me they simply can't get enough of 'Sailor Moon' and 'Ranma 1/2'," The Goddess told the three girls.

"Yeah, but what's television?" Becky asked again.

"I'll explain later," Holly told Becky.

"Holly Potter, you have managed to turn my lovely Avalon into a war zone." The Goddess shook her head but never really frowned upon Holly. "I must tell you that the reason you could not leave earlier was that I would not permit it. Avalon is not a prison. It is a place of worship. Always remember that, little one."

"I apologize to you, Rhiannon." Holly said as she curtsied.

"Rhiannon...yes that is what they used to call me." The Goddess said softly. " I was also Blodeuwedd, Arianrhod, Cerridwen, Branwen, and so many others as well. Simply call me "The Goddess," young one, and I shall hear your prayers. Names, in the long run, mean little for I am a part of all women whether they know it or not."

"No offense, but we left Hogwarts just when it was being attacked. I think we need to think about returning." Hermione suggested.

"The invaders have been dealt with, but yes I agree that it is time you returned to your school."

Soon Holly, Hermione, and Becky were whisked back, while The Goddess tended to her beloved Avalon.

***************************************************

There in Dumbledore's office were Dumbledore himself and a lady with shocking pink hair with purple stripes. She looked out of breath and sat down in a chair in front of The Headmaster. She was skinny but was definitely in shape to do whatever was necessary. What that would be I can not say at this time, but let me assure you, she is someone who can take care of herself.

"I received your message and came to you without anybody noticing."

"Ah, Tonks, I have never doubted your abilities. I trust you've seen the damage to the school and have heard the latest."

"Yeah, a couple of those Death Eaters that died falling off those dragons had escaped from Azkaban. The inside word was that the dragons were stolen from Romania about two months ago. Nobody is talking about that publicly by the way. Fudge still seems to think covering things up is the only way to go, and with Voldemort gone he may be right."

"Oh, I would not be too sure of that, Tonks. There are ways for Voldemort to return, but that is not what concerns me at the moment."

"Just what is this all about, Albus? I thought everything was turning out to be a happy ending."

"If only that were so, but alas we are not in some story to be read to children for their amusement. We are living in dangerous times. I wish for you to keep an eye on Holly Potter for a while."

"Holly Potter? You don't think she…I mean she can't still be in trouble, can she?" Tonks asked, looking somewhat horrified.

"I believe you know the answer to that question even before you asked it. Whether Voldemort is truly gone does not matter. He had many followers who may try to do away with the child, and I fear they will strike knowing she may have let her guard down, so to speak."

"And how long am I supposed to play babysitter?"

"Oh, I have a feeling it will not be for long. I would suggest you keep on your highest alert. I am rather found of Miss Potter and I should like to see her grow into a fine witch."

"Not to worry, Albus, I am a professional; besides I hear she wants to become an Auror like yours truly. You have to look out for your own, and she's one I wouldn't mind seeing on my team someday."

Tonks stood up and smiled at Dumbledore as she suddenly changed into a small, first year, male student who apparently looked like he was from Gryffindor. The clothes that Tonks was wearing had very special magical properties that allowed them to morph into whatever the person wished them to be. He waved goodbye and skipped out of the office. Dumbledore did not smile back because he was too focused on the cloudy future that lay ahead. He stood up and moved toward the window overlooking the school grounds below. He could see what remained of the stadium and he sighed deeply thinking of it, the students, and the simple business of living in this magical mess of a world.

Hogwarts itself sustained some external damage, but certainly not enough to prevent it from operating. There were several students requiring medical attention. Most of these were simple cuts and abrasions. Surprisingly, there were no deaths, which were indeed a cause for celebration. And as for Viktor Krum, he made a complete recovery and was soon hugging a rather relieved Holly. They, in fact, spent quite a bit of time in the last few days of the school year with each other.

Alas, the last day of the school year had finally made its appearance. Holly, Hermione, and Becky were sitting in their usual spots at the dinner table in the Great Hall. They were busy talking about the recent events that had taken place.

"They actually lost Mrs. Dursley?" Becky asked giggling.

"Yeah, her evaluations weren't going too well, so they were forced to punish her. Apparently they transfigured her into a rat and she promptly escaped. They've been looking for her for a week now but haven't found a trace of her," Holly replied.

"What about Mr. Dursley?" Hermione asked.

"When he found out about his wife, he snapped to the point where he actually believes he's a little boy. All of his memories of his life are simply gone now. They've been trying to bring him back to normal, but so they haven't had much success."

"I just have to ask." Becky grinned. "What happened to Dudley?"

Holly tried not to smile. "Well, she seems to be perfectly happy being Darla. When she was told about her parents, she did cry and sulk. They consoled her for a bit and she seems to have come through all right."

"So are they going to turn her back to normal?"

"That's just it, they wanted to do just that but she refused. She told them that she wanted to make a fresh new start with her life. I personally never thought changing Dudley into a girl would be any sort of improvement, but that's what seems to have happened. Darla is a model student whose grades are top notch, and she is extremely popular with her classmates and her faculty as well."

"That doesn't surprise me in the least. Why, just look at Becky for example; when she was Ron, there was no end to the trouble and mischief that was done." Hermione paused for a moment, "But as soon as Ron became Becky...she's...well..."

Becky started to give Hermione a dirty look. "Well?"

Hermione smiled weakly. "I guess that was a bad comparison."

Becky was fuming. "You did that on purpose you did!"

Holly spoke up before her two friends ended up in a catfight.

"The important thing to remember is that I won't have to put up with the Dursleys anymore." Holly faced Becky. "I can't thank your mum and dad enough for letting me stay over at your place for the entire summer."

"Well with Voldymalt gone and Dumbledore giving the go ahead, we all agreed...well...we've always felt that you were part of the family." Becky said smiling ear to ear.

"What about Ginny?' Holly asked.

"Just give her some time to accept the fact that Harry is now Holly. Who knows, she may come to think of you as the sister she never had. I know that she's starting to think of me that way."

Suddenly, the ringing of crystal glass was heard throughout the hall. Everyone grew quiet as Dumbledore cleared his throat to make his speech to the assembly.

"Another year, and Hogwarts still stands the test of time. We are battered, but we are not beaten. Hogwarts remains for you students of the present as well as for those of the future."

There was a round of applause from all of the tables. Dumbledore waited patiently until it died down before continuing.

"Normally about this time, I would be announcing the winner of The House Cup. As you know, the last Quidditch match between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor had to be cancelled due to the invasion force. Our stadium is still a complete and total wreck, and it will take most of the summer to repair."

The room began to buzz with talk about what this might mean.

"I can't see why it can't be repaired completely by magic. I mean just wave a bunch of wands and shout "Repairo!" How hard can that be?" asked Becky.

"Not everything can be repaired by magic alone Becky. For example, Snape sneers at the idea of using wands in his "Potions" class. You must mix, stir, and add ingredients in a precise manor to make a proper potion." Hermione lectured to Becky.

Becky was about to argue some more When Professor Dumbledoe began clearing his throat, which immediately made the room become silent.

"Please calm down: I have consulted with both houses at some great length over this. Everyone has come to the following agreement. The House Cup will be awarded to both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. I believe that this is a first in Hogwarts history, if I'm not mistaken. Regardless, this is the judgment and so it will be done."

Dumbledore clapped his hands, and the banners for both houses appeared from the ceiling. The whole room erupted in applause, and hats flew into the air. The celebration continued for several hours after that. The party in both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw later that night allowed both houses to share both of their common rooms. This was something that was rarely done, but it did give a chance for both Holly and Viktor to celebrate together.

"So vat vould you say if I visited you during the summer break?" Asked Viktor.

"I would say that you better if you know what's good for you, Mr. Krum," Holly said, giggling, and then she gave Viktor a huge kiss. They kissed and hugged, laughed, and had a good time.

Eventually all good things must come to an end. Students slowly melted back into their dormitories.

***********************************************

With bags packed and students getting on board The Hogwarts Express, the time for goodbyes draws near. While Holly, Becky, and Hermione stood near the train they noticed Malfoy walk by. He, yes he has been turned back to his normal, nasty, little self.

A student, I think it might have been Seamus, called out. "Hey Donkey! What happened to your ears?"

Malfoy's face became red with anger but he did not stop to seek out the caller. He quickly retreated into the depths of the train where he hoped he would find a nice quiet place to hide from everyone during the trip home.

Becky wanted to call out to Donkey...uh... Malfoy, but both Holly and Hermione stopped her from doing so. Neither one wanted to see another fight take place between the two.

"All aboard!"

The three girls turned to see Hagrid lumbering toward them.

"Well, I see you girls have waited to say goodbye to me."

The three ran up to the gentle giant and hugged him. This lasted for several minutes and only separated when they heard the train whistle signaling the preparation of the train for departure.

"You three take care now," Hagrid told them.

"We will."

"See ya next year."

"You can count on it."

The three went aboard the train. Hagrid stood there waving to them as they disappeared from his sight. He continued to wave until the train churned and bellowed its way down the tracks. Soon, it disappeared from his sight. Hagrid then turned and made his way to his home where he went to relax and have his dinner.

THE END.

  

  

  

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