Chapter 5: The House of Arcanine

Author's Notes: I do not own Harry Potter or Pokemon. Author's notes at the bottom, as always

"Come along, come along!" Percy Weasley called out, leading the students up a flight of stairs. Harry groaned, rubbing his sore tummy; he simply wasn't use to eating so much and it had left him wondering how Dudley did it.

His fingers curled around his pokeball, reassuring himself that Eevee was still with him. It had made him nervous releasing her at dinner but after seeing that nearly everyone else was doing so he had complied. Eevee had earned almost as many stares as Harry had, though the little brown Pokemon had loved the attention and seemed to prance along the table, purposely 'cuting it up' as Hermione had dubbed it in order to sneak a few more treats.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Harry," Hermione had said as she fed her Pokemon, a white little creature with a green bowl-like head that she said was a Ralts. "If your Eevee keeps this up it will be as heavy as Ron."

"Hey!" Ron had shouted, his cheeks puffed out much like his Raticate. It had been a surprise for everyone when Ron had brought out his Pokémon and all the Gryffindors had murmured in surprise that Ron had an evolved Pokémon as his first partner. The red-heads cocky smile had dropped when Fred had casually let it slip that Ron had only been allowed to take the critter because it refused to breed with any of the female Raticates. Scabbers, as he'd been named, tended to be a lazy Pokémon who didn't like to fight or mate or play… he'd rather just lay around and eat and sleep. Ron didn't like it when his brothers commented that it was a case of a trainer resembling their Pokémon.

"Alright," Percy said, standing before a doorway with an etching of a roaring Arcanine upon it. "This is the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. To get in, you will be required to key in a password." He pointed to a keypad next to an image of a rather heavy woman standing next to several Slugmas. "This semester the password is 'ExtremeSpeed'." Keying the password in, the door slid open revealing the Gryffindor common room.

Harry turned this way this way and that as they entered the base of the tower. The common room was quite spacious, with plenty of chairs for the students to lounge in, a roaring fireplace, and a wall of computer terminals on the opposite side. The entire room was done up in shades of red with white-gold trim. On the walls hung photos of famous Gryffindor alum and their Pokémon and above the mantle was a painting depicting the famous moment when Goric Gryffindor commanded his Arcanine to attack an Articuno, thus ending the Two Year Winter.

The other students made their way to a group of fourteen hollow spaces near the back of the common room. Lining up, they stepped inside and, to Harry's shock, were shot upwards, spinning about as they rocketed upwards and out of sight.

"Children, please come here," Prof. McGonagall called out, motioning for the students to take a seat near the fire. Ron had hurried over and claimed a couch, spreading himself out until Hermione walked up, tapping her foot. He had the decency to blush before moving so that Neville, Hermione and Harry could join him. "Now then, I want to cover a few things with you before you head to bed." McGonagall grabbed a thick stack of folders that had been lying on the mantle and began to pass them out. "Here you will find your class schedule, your dorm number, and some pamphlets explaining the rules and expectations while you stay at Hogwarts." McGonagall gave them all a cool look. "We are the House of Godric the Great, who drove away the mighty Articuno and whose Arcanine was so powerful that even today all Arcanines are known as the Legendary Pokemon. You WILL hold yourself to a high standard and honor this House."

The first years all nodded, feeling their guts churn at the sternness their head of house was directing at them. Ron Weasley in particular was looking at the woman as if she were a Dusclops that was coming to swallow her soul.

Then the professor allowed the barest hint of a smile to grace her lips. "That said… know that I will do all in MY power to ensure that you are given every tool and lesson needed so you are able to do exactly that. I will be meeting with each of you over the next few days to discuss your time here." The firsties shared a smile at that and McGonagall took a moment to look over each and every one of them. "Now then, off to bed, all of you. Prefect Weasley will show you how to use the lifts. Mr. Potter, a moment."

Harry swallowed, forcing down his nerves. From the glances he was getting from his friends, it was clear that they were as surprised as he was. Watching Ron and Neville head towards one lift (Hermione had already been dragged away by a dark-skinned girl who apparently only stopped talking to breathe), Harry took several deep breaths before following McGonagall to a set of chairs near the far wall.

The professor removed her labcoat and set it down on an empty table, folding it and running her fingers lovingly along the fabric before settling herself down before Harry. The boy watched her, wondering if he was in trouble for something; he didn't know what he had done but he was use to being blamed for things he hadn't been involved with. If he were honest with himself, he was actually a bit relieved that he was getting into trouble; it had been too strange being treated fairly and a scolding would make sure his world went back on track… even if he wished it wouldn't.

"Mr. Potter… Harry…" The boy was surprised to find that the professor seemed rather choked up. While there had been flashes of humor and good will in the old woman, she for the most part seemed to be quite a firm and steady teacher. She pulled out a hankie and dabbed her eyes. "My apologizes… it's just I have thought about this conversation for nearly 10 years and I still don't know quite where to begin." She reached down, picking up her Purrloin who'd wandered over, and began to stroke the cat's fur. "I am not going to insult your intelligence by asking if you heard the whispers in the Great Hall."

Harry had and then some. Not just whispers but bold proclamations and strange questions. In his short 11 years he had heard his mother's name 25 times and his father's 19. Most of the time said names had been snarled and followed by curse words. In the span of three hours Harry had now heard his father's name mentioned 43 times and his mother's a whooping 82 times; at least that is when he'd lost count. It could have well been over a hundred times each of their names were uttered, but to Harry the fact that his parents were so well known was not the most shocking detail. No, the fact that all the students at the Gryffindor table had spoke with such utter reverence of his father and especially his mother had left him unable to really follow exactly what they were saying, other than Lily and James Potter were heroes to them all.

A great change to constantly hearing about 'James the ass' and 'Stupid, Selfish Lily'.

Even Ron and Neville had looked at him with awe in their eyes. "Why didn't you tell us who you were?" Ron had demanded as he tossed Scabbers a meatball.

"I did," Harry had said, grabbing another roll.

"You never told us you were Harry Bloody Potter!" Ron had exclaimed.

Harry had become confused by this and said as much. He didn't get what the big deal was… he was Harry Potter. Until a few days ago he hadn't ever considered himself special and before the sorting he had only saw himself as a boy who had gotten lucky and been removed from a horrible situation. Even his trip to Diagon Alley hadn't really changed this opinion, though some of the hush comments the saleswomen had made suddenly took on a new meaning. The titles and the whispers really didn't mean anything to the boy and he couldn't wrap his mind around the idea that he was someone important to his fellow classmates.

Ron and to a lesser extent Neville had tried to explain just why the name 'Potter' had caused such a stir, but with the chaos of the meal and everyone trying to say something or ask him a question, Harry had been unable to really follow anything they were talking about.

Prof. McGonagall pulled him from his thoughts. "Harry, I know your aunt and uncle told you many things about your parents… and I would not be surprised if all those things were quite negative." Harry nodded and McGonagall fought back a snarl that threatened to rip through her throat. "And I hope that after tonight you will see all those comments for what they really are: lies.

"Your father and mother were trainers who met here at this very school. Your father…" McGonagall paused, considering her words carefully. "How much has Mr. Weasley and Mr. Longbottom told you about gyms?"

"A little," Harry said. "Trainers who can't go to this school have to challenge gym leaders and get badges. Ron's dad is a gym leader and Neville said he was going to be one when he turned 18."

McGonagall nodded. "Yes, that is correct. Harry… your father was a gym leader as well. In fact, he was considered one of the best gym leaders in Avalon. His father, your grandfather, was also a famous gym leader, and his father and his father's father…" The woman smiled and waved her hand slightly in a dismissive way. "The Potters of Griflet's Hollow have been gym leaders for hundreds of years."

"My dad was a gym leader?" Harry repeated. He failed to miss the way McGonagall clenched her fist, fighting her rage at the Dursleys for hiding the truth from Harry.

"Yes," the professor said, reaching up and selecting a picture from the wall. Harry stared at the image as it was passed to him, his fingers lightly tracing the edges of the frame. The man shown looked much like the Older Gryffindor Harry Slowking had showed him: tall, with dark framed glasses and messy hair, wearing a long red jacket. The man, with a cocky grin on his face, was standing next to a strange Pokémon with fire ringing its neck. "A Typlosion," McGonagall said, reading Harry's thoughts. "The Potter family bred their pre-evolved form, Cyndaquil."

Harry gazed upon the image of his father, his heart clenching as he looked at the Typlosion and remembering Hagrid's words of how he should have had a different Pokémon. He loved Eevee and would never trade him for the world… but the knowledge that he had missed out on another piece of his heritage upset him greatly. The veiled hints, along with Mr. Ollivander's comment about how it was now near impossible to find Torchics, made him realize that the same fate had probably met the Cyndaquils and his hopes of obtaining one were little more than that: hopes.

Prof. McGonagall waited before finally reaching up and selecting a photo that hung next to James'. "And this… is your mother."

"Mum?" Harry murmured, taking the photo and staring at it. The Lily depicted was one when she was still Lily Evans. 17 years old and full of fire and determination, Lily, dressed in her school uniform, had one hand on her lip and the other holding out a pokeball. Beside her was what Harry wagered to be her fully evolved Torchic, only with a strange black Pokémon that looked like a chandelier floating behind them both.

"Blazekin and Chandelure… her two most powerful Pokémon. Blazekin was her first Pokémon while Chandelure was a rare find; her and a… friend… found a pair of Litwicks on the Forbidden Island in their 4th year and raised them together. They would have probably begun breeding them… had Lily…" McGonagall shook herself from her sadness and forced herself to speak. "Your mother was one of the best pokeball makers I've ever seen. She caught her Litwick with one of her custom ShadowFlame balls… didn't even have to battle it. Professor Flitwick was her mentor and she would have been teaching his classes had…" Again, McGonagall froze up, her own despair threatening to overtake her.

Harry looked at the images of his mother and father, wondering if pictures could truly capture who they were and what they were like. Was his father the cocky, brazen man in the photo, or did he suffer from doubt and fear, same as his son? Did he ever sit alone at night and wish for there to be someone he could run to, who'd chase the monsters away? Was Lily the smart, confident trainer at all times, or did she suffer from panic attacks and shy away from large crowds? How would she have handled Petunia, her own sister… and would she hate Harry for how he had dealt with the situation?

Would his parents even want to be near him if they knew what he was like? Was he someone they would want to know? Want to care for? Want to love?

"They loved you very much," McGonagall said, once more reading Harry's emotions. "You were the brightest point in their world. Your father bragged for hours about you and I never saw your mother smile more than when she held you in her arms."

Harry sniffed, just then realizing he was crying. The head of Gryffindor handed him a tissue, which he accepted with thanks. "Professor… what… what happened to them?"

McGonagall sighed, her eyes drifting down to the photos. "Harry, there are some things you need to understand… Avalon was not as peaceful as it is now." The professor took a deep breath, bracing herself as if preparing to confront a painful attack. "Before you were born, a group appeared in Avalon; they were called Team Nocturne."

"Team Nocturne?"

"Yes. They believed that Pokémon should not be caught by just anyone. They believed that only children from old families should be trainers. They claimed that people who came to this region from other lands or whose family didn't have a history of educated trainers were unfit to use Pokémon." Harry's brow screwed up and McGonagall scowled. "It is rubbish, Harry, pure and simple. They said that because they wanted to be the only people to have Pokémon. They saw them as gateways to power and wanted to be the only ones that could claim it.

"Your mother and father fought against Team Nocturne along with many other trainers. Your father being from a powerful family and your mother being a Pokémon prodigee… it drew the attention of the leader of Team Nocturne; a man named Voldemort."

Harry could not help but notice the way Prof. McGonagall seemed to shiver in dread at the name of Team Nocturne's leader. It was as if someone had walked over her grave. More startling was the fact that Harry himself felt the exact same way.

"Voldemort become obsessed with delivering a blow to those that opposed him. Your mother and father were beautiful, young, strong, smart and in love. They had just had a beautiful baby and Voldemort saw them as idols for the people of Avalon to rally around. He wanted to turn their names into something else, something vile. He sought to destroy them in such a way that all would tremble with fear and submit to Team Nocturne. They would be an example of what happens when people dared to fight against Voldemort and his men.

"Your mother and father learned of this plot against and hid on Little Surrey. Voldemort followed them there…" McGonagall shuddered, her tears falling freely now. "Your father fought him first… but Voldemort's Pokémon were too strong." Harry let out a whimper. "With your father d… with him out of the way, Voldemort came for your mother and you. Lily stood against him… and won." Harry's eyes went wide at that and McGonagall, despite her tears, smiled for a moment. "Voldemort had built his entire campaign on the idea that people like your mother were inferior trainers. Lily Potter proved him wrong and even though Voldemort's attacks mortally wounded her, your mother ended him once and for all.

"After that Team Nocturne crumbled and its members were arrested. Voldemort was right though… he did change how people spoke of your parents. You are the Boy-Who-Lived, the only survivor of that attack and the heir of the two most heroic trainers in Avalon since Merlin walked these lands: The-Man-Who-Fought and The-Woman-Who-Won."

Minerva McGonagall was many things. She was one of the 20 youngest trainers to defeat the Elite Four and gain the honorary title of Pokémon League Champion. She was one of the most acclaimed Partnership Professors in all the regions. She was a licensed pokemagnus and had taught 10 others the secrets of that mystical art. She was the head of Gryffindor, Deputy Headmistress, and the bane of the Weasley Twins.

But despite the rumors some spread, she did not have a heart of stone, and seeing Harry Potter crying at he learned the truth of his parents' death and just how much the two had meant to Avalon, especially after all the horrible lies his aunt and uncle had told him…

Moving her chair around, the professor wrapped an arm around the sobbing boy and let him cry on his shoulder, her own tears falling as she comforted the child of the two best trainers she had ever taught.

Author's Notes: I am hoping that people will forgive making McGonagall a bit softer here. As I have stated before, it makes no sense to me to have Hagrid explain what happened to Harry's parents. I prefer this, having their teacher and a woman that cared for baby Harry explain a bit about what happened.

By all means, this isn't the whole story, of course. Team Nocturne, the Order of Moltres, and other pieces of the past still need to be revealed.

For those wondering, the way the students get to their dorms is via transporters, like they use in the games.

Now we know exactly what the Potter Family Pokemon is: a Cyndaquil. James Potter was a fire-type duelist and I wanted to give him a flame type that would be interesting. Torchic already went to Lily, Chimchar and Tepig I wasn't interested in doing for him (they didn't seem to fit) and Charmander seemed like it would be overdone. Cyndaquil though... well, he works a-ok.

Now, to comment on some reviews:

-I have the Basilisk figured out, and the Dementors. Suggests are welcomed for other creatures, though.

-Everything with Avalon is being scripted out to give it an interesting backstory. Some things are even working out better than I expected... Griflet was one of the Knights of the Roundtable, but it also works as a name for Godric's ancestral home.

-Everyone has been saying that Hermione should get an Abra, but for me Ralts makes more sense. It starts off as an awkward looking pokemon that stumbled about. It evolves into something a touch more girl-like, with some grace. Its final form is based off an elegant woman and represents Hermione's growth into a confident adult.

As always, please, please please review! Suggestions, ideas, and comments will always get a response back.

Next chapter sees Harry's first day of school