Chapter 1: The inevitable
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, creatures, or settings within these chapters. They all belong to the incomparable JK Rowling. The plot however is entirely my own and if anybody would like to use it please let me know and I will patent it so you are welcome
to use it then but you will owe me a lot of money.
"I can't believe it!" Hermione complained as the trio ate their breakfast on the first day of term "All those years I've been fighting for elf rights, and to believe that I'd freed so many elves. Only to find out that all of it was for nothing!"
It was the first day of term, and Hermione was complaining already, and she had already shouted at Ron once this term. Harry was beginning to dread what she'd be like in the coming months with the NEWT exams. Little did he know that Ron and Hermione were dreading what he'd be like now that they were back at school with the pressures of exams and homework as well as fighting the dark side.
Hermione and Ron were newly elected Head Boy and Girl, this meant that they received a copy each of the school rules, much to the discretion of Hermione.
"They could have told us!" she continued "I mean - I knew about all the other rules, but why didn't they tell us about rule number 152? No Hogwarts student or non-senior member of staff, has the right or ability to dismiss any Hogwarts servant, house-elf or…" she would have recited the entire rulebook if it wasn't for Professor McGonagall handing out timetables.
"Here you are Potter, Weasley, Granger," she said handing them their respective timetables. Harry looked down at his, his heart sank, double Potions, History of Magic and Divination, in comparison Harry found himself looking forward to Charms that afternoon.
Thankfully, for Harry and Ron, it was one of those rare days when the lessons fly by and the breaktimes seem to come quickly and last forever. When Harry and Ron sat down for lunch, it only seemed that a few minutes ago they had sat in the same spots for breakfast.
"Shall we go down to Hagrid's after Charms today?" Ron asked thickly with his mouth full of mashed potato, Hermione looked disgusted.
"I don't see any reason why not" Hermione replied "and don't speak with your mouth full Ronald!" Ron gave her a reproachful look as the bell went. Sighing Harry and Hermione got up, Ron joined them, giving his leftovers a look of longing.
The sky was a murky grey, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione went to visit Hagrid. This didn't effect their mood though, they had been revising Cheering Charms, and all three were grinning broadly. When they approached Hagrid's hut, he looked up from the cabbages he was watering, and grinned at them.
"I was hoping yer'd visit, I wanna show you summat, follow me."
"Ok Hagrid, what are you gonna show us?" Hermione looked rather apprehensive at the idea, she was obviously thinking along the same lines as Harry. He was certain that he had seen birds fly away from the trees behind Hagrid's hut, and he was beginning to wonder what Hagrid had won in a pub this time. The Cheering Charms couldn't have worn off yet, Ron was still grinning broadly. Hagrid began to lead them into the Forbidden Forest.
"I found it, all alone, soaking wet, poor fella, I reckon 'e's lost his mummy, so I've been trying to raise him as my own."
"Why was he wet?" Ron asked
"Reckon he'd been swimming, don't think 'e's that good at it though."
"Hagrid who's 'he'?" Hermione asked warily, she had caught a glimpse of a furry creature scuttling between the trees, its reddish fur visible in the shafts of sunlight.
"'Ere he is" Hagrid beamed proudly, gesturing towards the monstrous five-legged creature, rather like a spider, but it had two eyes and a mouth with rather large teeth.
"Erm Hagrid," Ron asked "What is it?"
"This 'ere is an 'airy MacBoon." Hagrid beamed at his new 'pet' "Do you like 'ol Sniffles?" he glanced nervously at Harry, Ron, and Hermione
"Hagrid, the hairy MacBoon is better known as the Quintaped, Sniffles has got to go back to the Isle of Drear, that is where the original colony is, and the island has been made unplottable for a reason." Hermione wouldn't take her eyes off this creature, which was now sniffing Hagrid's ankles "Hagrid, how did you find it?"
"'e was wonderin' round the fores' when I was lookin fer a unicorn fer a fourth year lesson. 'e looked los' so I looked after 'im, 'e was rather wet when I found 'im, maybe 'e swam."
Deadly silence followed this statement. The Quintaped looked up from its hairy body to Hermione, it seemed to have understood, and didn't like what she had said. Suddenly it started scuttling towards her, in a similar way to a spider. Ron backed away from the Quintaped, and hid behind Harry, he hated the way that spiders move. From behind Harry Ron looked at the Quintaped scuttling into the forest after Hermione, who was now running for her life.
"Hermione!" Ron yelled, almost deafening Harry in the process and before Hagrid could stop him he had ran into the trees after her, closely followed by Harry.
They found Hermione on the ground in a clearing, her wand lying useless on the forest floor behind the creature.
"STUPEFY!" Ron shouted, the Quintaped's legs buckled and collapsed. Ron ran forwards and scooped up Hermione, who was just about to fall over, her foot had been bitten off by the monster. She was shaking and holding onto Ron for all that she was worth. Their eyes met and they seemed in some kind of trance, Hermione was getting paler and paler as their faces moved closer and closer Ron's eyes were beginning to close when Hermione fainted, her head resting on Ron's shoulder.
"C'mon Harry" he said gruffly, his ears reddening "We'd better take her to the hospital wing."
Madame Pomfrey was in a bad mood.
"Not you three again! Basilisks, Dementors, Dragons and now a Quintaped! What on earth will you be in here for next."
She reattached Hermione's foot in an instant, she gave Ron a calming-down potion, and retreated to her office to get a crutch for Hermione. Hermione had been given a sleeping potion, because "she needs rest from the dangerous adventures you three get mixed up in". So Harry sat on Ron's bed (he was a lot calmer now that Hermione was safe), Ron was watching Hermione sleep peacefully. Harry looked at Ron, then Hermione, then the realisation crept in, they clearly loved each other, but they also appeared not to have realised, for Ron this was understandable, but Hermionie? She was the cleverest witch in the year and she didn't even know her own feelings. Harry toyed with the idea of mentioning it to Ron, but rejected the idea, just the mention of the word "love" and Hermione's name in the same sentence would probably make Ron start yelling at Harry - and that was the last thing Harry wanted. Suddenly Harry had an idea and stood up.
"Hey where are you going Harry?" Ron looked up at him, questioning
"Common room - I need to make a start on that essay for Potions before it catches up with me" Harry replied
Ron looked a bit peeved, but his face showed understanding "Ok then Harry, if you're sure that you can do it without Hermione"
"Sure"
"K, see you mate."
A/n: Constructive criticism please, this is my first fan fic and it all started in the middle of a very boring german lesson having read "Harry's Potion" by Dementress (Ace fic - highly recommended!) with absolutely no plot ideas - just plain writing!
The "Hairy McBoon" or "Quintaped" can be found on page 34 in the British version of fantastic beasts and where to find them, so JK Rowling gets the credit for that too.