Marge had been breeding dogs for many years now- this is the first time a little rat had snuck in and ruined a litter.
Her poor prize-winning Bull Dog disgraced by that Pug filth.
She had to get rid of them and hardly made any profit on them- but it'd been months and she wasn't even able to give this one away! It must be too ugly she had decided, not only was it the runt but the underbite was too large for its bulbous head, body too Pug like for the regal English Bull face.
As she was contemplating just throwing it in a bag and off a bridge, she recalled it was Dudley's birthday coming up. It was a perfect idea! She could get rid of the creature and wouldn't have to buy anything for the tyke.
Yes- that's what she'd do.
“Come now Dudley! Your Aunt Marge has gotten you the greatest present this year!” Marge bellowed as she led the Dursley’s and Harry out of number 4- attracting the attention of multiple neighbors as she did so. Number’s 3 and 7 across the street rubbernecking from their windows as number’s 2 and 6 turned to them from their front lawns.
The zoo procession in disguise as his relatives wobbled after Marge to the back of her hatchback- the older woman popping the back open with a flourish as she waved Dudley over closer. The mini-whale stomped over excitedly, jiggling with every step as sausage grease shined on his fingers and chin.
Harry lingered unobtrusively in the background watching as Dudley’s face fell comically before pasting a fake grin on his greasy mouth. Aunt Petunia’s lips were pursed so hard they were white as Dudley picked up the tiny puppy from the back of the car- Harry saw the little thing and felt so sorry for it.
It was oddly adorable- mostly tan with a few white splotches of color on the face; underbite showing some of the bottom teeth peeking up from under the top lip cutely. Its curled tail wiggled excitedly as it was released into the grass- Dudley holding the purple leash in a loose grip.
But anything that had to be around Dudley would most likely die- Harry’s cousin wouldn’t know how to be gentle or remember to feed or water it.
The puppy sniffed around the grass, tumbling over its paws and rolling around with huffing breaths. Harry’s fingers longed to pet the animal- he twisted them into the back of his shirt to resist the temptation.
“This here’s the best of the lot! Nothing else for my darling nephew!” Marge called out loudly with a smirk as she closed the back of the car. Vernon nudged Dudley when he didn’t say anything for a moment.
“Thanks Auntie!” Another fake smile as his cousin waved Marge off as she drove away.
As soon as the woman was around the corner, he dragged the dog by the leash to his mother before heading into the house; complaining loudly to his father that he was promised new video games.
Allowing his relatives to pass him by Harry was almost surprised when his aunt’s claw like grip stopped him at the door.
Whispering harshly in his ear Aunt Petunia dug her nails harder into his skin- “Listen boy- you will take care of that mutt! We’re going to be stuck with it now that the neighbors all know about it and my precious Baby doesn’t have the time to take care of it. I don’t want to see it, I don’t want to hear it, just take. Care. Of. It.”
She forced the wiggling puppy into his hands before locking him out of the house- door slamming in his face sharply.
Stupefied Harry felt the puppy wiggle some more- baby nails raking over his arms like hooks as the dog turned around to start licking all over his chin and face; knocking his glasses askew on his face and pulling him out of his shock.
Giggling Harry kissed the puppy back all over its head as he pets it. Running to the backyard he let it off the leash- letting it stumble around after him as he gardened and cleaned out a space in the shed for it.
Running the hose; he filled up the bottom of a planter pot for the puppy to have a drink, sipping straight from the hose himself as he wiped sweat from his forehead.
Taking a break in the shade of the house Harry ran his fingers through the puppy’s soft fur; the tiny thing wiggling its whole butt in excitement instead of just the curly tail making him laugh quietly. The puppy rolled over for belly scratches letting him know it was a girl and he remembered he had to name her!
He wasn’t sure he would be good at picking out names- he’d named the spiders in his cupboard but when he told the librarian about it, she’d said that leggy, eyes, and spy weren’t real names.
~Hey Jude… don’t make it bad…
Take a sad song…. And make it better…
Remember…
To let her into your heart…~
Hearing the beetles crooning from number two Harry had a great idea! He could call her Beetle! She was cute like a bug and everything!
Picking her up from under the arms he brought her closer to his face to share his idea; “What about Beetle? Do you like that name?” she pawed at his nose and tried to kiss his face making him smile
“Yer a wizard ‘arry.” Staring at the giant man Harry thought back to when he had saved…. when Bee’s eyes had changed from a normal brown to a copy of his own green.
“That makes sense I guess.” Nodding while cuddling his only friend closer Harry wondered why this school was so adamant that he attend. They’d sent possibly thousands of letters at this point, and if it was all on old parchment paper like the copy this man Hagrid had just handed to him that was a lot of sheep.
Watching the giant intimidate his relatives soothed the bitter feelings he had about the lies he’d been fed regarding his parents. Aunt Petunia was spitting mad even as she dragged her Husband and Son into the other room leaving Harry alone with a strange man they’d never met before.
“We’ll ‘ead off tomorrow, bri’ an’ early ter get your supplies.”
Harry made his protests known when he read over the supply list to see he was only allowed ‘a cat, toad, or owl’ “Hagrid- I can’t go to Hogwarts if they won’t let me bring Beetle with me! Dudley will kill her in a week!”
The giant made assurances that the list for pets was more of a guideline and Harry allowed himself to be nudged to sleep. Cuddling Bee close under the man’s equally giant coat Harry felt a thread of anticipation for the next day.
“Well bless my soul- it’s Harry Potter!”
The patrons clamored to get close to him- Hagrid ineffectively warding them off.
He was only saved from having to shake anyone’s hands by Bee’s growly face- Harry quickly followed the grounds keeper to the back alley behind the bar- hoping he wasn’t about to be murdered or that his dog would at least get away. With a wave of his pink umbrella Hagrid tip-tapped a few bricks along the wall; stones giving way in a shifting movement revealing a bustling alley filled with magical wonders.
Bee wiggled in place with a cute snuffle as they entered Diagon Alley- curly tail swishing along her back as they followed Hagrid to ‘The Bank’. It seemed a horrid idea to only have one banking option to him, but what did he know?
“Are you going to Hogwarts too?” a slender boy with hair the same white as Beetles spots asked in a snooty voice.
Harry nodded as he looked around the shop- maybe he could get a recommendation for winter clothes for Bee? Her fur was too short for Scottish winters if she’d have to be walking around on stone all the time.
“Do you know what house you’ll be in?” shrugging Harry looked back to the other boy- his pointy face scrunched up now.
“I guess no one really knows until it happens- I’ll be a Slytherin of course, everyone in my family has been. Imagine if you got into Hufflepuff- I’d sooner just turn around and go home, wouldn’t you?” Harry didn’t know what any of those things were but he was contrary so-
“I think I’ll be a Hufflepuff. They don’t get enough credit don’t you think? Better than the alternative at least.” Not that he had any idea what it was or what they’d get credit for.
“Oh… I guess. Better than Gryffindor I agree. Mother told me those are always the greatest bullies in the entire school. Full of blood traitors and mudbl- muggleborns. Say- your parents, were they one of us?”
Translating the word vomit Harry confirmed that his parents were a witch and a wizard getting a satisfied nod from the rude boy.
“Well, there’s my mother- I suppose I’ll see you on the train.” The blonde hopped off the platform with a wave- signing something at the clerk’s desk before wandering outside to meet with a blonde woman who looked just like him but older.
“So… do you do custom orders?” the attendant blinked up at him with pins in her mouth.
Ever since Bee’s… accident… she had been very sensitive to the odd things he’d had happen around him. Now knowing that ‘odd’ feeling was magic Harry let her guide him to platform 9 and 3 quarters since Hagrid hadn’t told him how to get there, and the ticket guide had laughed at him for asking.
She pulled him to a column between platforms 9 and 10, curly tail wagging as she walked straight into the wall, leash disappearing halfway with her.
Harry was getting the feeling wizards took things a bit literally.
“Do you mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is full.” A red headed boy inquired from the doorway with a nervous shuffle of his feet. Harry shrugged and continued to try and enchant the harness he’d commissioned from Madame Malkin.
After he’d left the clothing shop she’d directed him to a second hand book store that sold him a copy of ‘Unusual Enchantments for Enchanting items’. He’d hidden the book in his trousers when Hagrid dropped him back with the Dursleys’, so while the rest of his school supplies were locked in the cupboard, he’d been able to practice the charms in the book.
He’d already changed the leather to a soft butter yellow, the embroidery with Beetle’s name a sparkling green, and added the ‘leash’ charm that made it so she wouldn’t be able to run too far away from him while it was activated.
He was currently in the process of enchanting the ‘Aria’ spell- according to the book it was most common to be found in old broomstick bristles to help people fly (flying brooms… just… wicked.)
He tapped the leather again and again, wishing and pushing with everything he had trying to get the charm to stick.
Hagrid had tried buying him an owl during their trip to Diagon Alley, but Harry doubted the Dursley’s would allow him to take care of another pet. The poor man had seemed so distraught about not being able to send him mail Harry had promised a work around.
So he had to make this work.
[I’ve never seen a mind so single mindedly ambitious in all of my years- though it is for an unusual reason- I know just where to put you…]
“SLYTHERIN!” Ignoring the silence Harry hopped down from the stool, handing the severe professor back the musty hat he jogged back over to the group of unsorted first years to grab Beetle, racing with her over to the green table that finally began clapping politely.
The pointy face blonde looked down his nose at him- “I thought you were going to be Hufflepuff Potter?” Harry shrugged.
“Well, you never really know, do you?” Bee barked in agreement.
Hagrid blinked in shock at Harry’s dog floating in his face. The little things mouth wide open in a happy grin as it drooled over a letter. Pearlescent white and green wings flapped from the back of the yellow harness she wore, glittering magic sparking off every wing beat.
“it’s only the third day of classes…”
“Mr. Potter… our new… celebrity…” Snape stared at him with empty eyes before moving on with rollcall- Theo, his partner for the day just pushed his face deeper in his potions book.
“There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class. As such, I don't expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making. However, for those select few... Who possess, the predisposition... I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death… What Potter?”
Harry lowered his hand from where it had been raised- “Sir, what potion puts a stopper in death?” Harry banished the memory of glazed brown eyes.
The potions master stared at him before turning with a flick of his wand- “instructions are on the board; you will be brewing the cure for boils today.” Completely ignoring Harry from that point on.
Rude.
“I know I’ve heard of Nicholas Flamel before! Where was it!” Harsh whispering rolled through the library disturbing Harry from his notes.
He sure was glad he didn’t sort into Gryffindor now- if they were all this loud all the time.
Defense against the Dark Arts was such a let down- the man only talked about vampires and stuttered his way through reprimands when no one was paying attention.
Harry blocked them all out best he could as he read up on shield charms- he needed the best to add to beetle’s harness- he’d read about enchanting jewels and stones recently; it would be fairly easy to add some stones to her harness he thought.
Christmas morning Harry showered his precious friend with gifts he’d owl ordered; a new bed, fluffy sweaters, new booties along with all manner of treats.
He gave her a pamper day as well, bathing her with her favorite shampoo and brushing her out a hundred times until her fur gleamed in the green light of the common room. Spritzing her with a deodorizing spray and massaging pet lotion into the pads of her feet.
Around noon while Bee was napping, he finally realized he had presents as well stacked up at the foot of his bed. Oh- perhaps he should have gotten presents for people also.
Around the end of the year Harry had sent Bee off with a letter to Hagrid, her rolly polly body hanging from her harness as the magic Aria wings flapped her along. He’d turned the corner to go to the great hall when everything went black.
Waking up an undetermined amount of time later- he was met with a mirror and Professor Quirrell who seemed to be having a mental breakdown.
“I see it master but I can’t reach it- how do I get it for you master?” He simpered as he stared himself in the mirror.
‘Use the boy’ the professor turned to him with manic eyes; grabbing him roughly by the shoulders and forcing him in front of the mirror.
“Look Potter! Tell me what you see!” Uh…
“My reflection? Sir? Are you feeling alright?” though now that he looks a bit closer, he could see Beetle in the mirror too, prancing around his feet with a red stone jutting out the front of her harness.
His mirror image plucked the stone from her with a wink before breaking it in half, putting the smaller piece back with Bee and dropping the larger chunk into Harry’s own pocket.
“So, my parents were killed by this Voldemort guy and everyone thought I killed him when I was a year old? But now he’s alive-ish and trying to get his body back?” Harry questioned the Headmaster as he fed Bee little bits of chicken from his dinner plate.
“Yes, that seems to be the case Harry- I do find it odd that you’ve spent a year here at Hogwarts and still hadn’t heard of your parents fate my boy.” Well- it wasn’t really his business why everyone wanted to treat him as some messiah was it? He was used to people staring and whispering about him back at privet drive, he never thought to listen to what these people were actually saying about him now.
Harry just shrugged at the man ending the conversation.
On the ride home from Hogwarts Harry sat alone with Beetle in a train compartment- the afternoon sun shining off the blood red stone set in the front of her harness.
Harry was pretty satisfied with himself in all honesty. It only took one school year to reach his life’s greatest ambition- now that Beetle was immortal- anything else in his life would just be gravy.