Harry Potter and the Godric's Curse
Harry Potter has a problem. Neville's screwed up, and this time Harry was dragged into it. No one knows how to fix him. Another problem: There's a monster inside Hogwarts turning students to stone. Worse? Harry's being blamed. It's going to be a long year.
Chapter Four
The Owlrey
Harry, flanked by Ron and Hermione, was heading to Transfiguration. The hallways were filled to the brim with students from every year, every house. It was packed. Harry was struggling not to get stepped on, and with Ron and Hermione on either side of him it was slightly easier. Still, he sprinted to the Transfiguration classroom as fast as he could.
It was annoying to get to class before the accident, but now it's unbearable, Harry complained inwardly, shaking his head angrily.
Finally they reached the wing with Professor McGonagall's classroom. All heaving sighs of relief, the trio walked towards the half-opened door. Harry had been confused when she heard voices already inside. They were early as it was. But as they drew near he was surprised to hear that the voices inside were in cat language.
Harry waved his tail to signal to Ron and Hermione not to go in when he heard his own name. He pricked his ears and began to listen. "It's McGonagall and Swi – Mrs. Norris," he hissed to his two friends. They exchanged confused glances.
"…haven't discussed it with Professor Dumbledore yet! I told you already!"
"Well, it's not really his decision, is it? It's –"
"I know very well whose decision it is, but shouldn't he have a say?"
"Why? Rose wants him there. You haven't heard him, Stripes. Fantastic connection. Better than you."
"Swifty, get out of my classroom!" Harry's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She called her Swifty.
"I'm telling you, Stripes, there's not a chance in the world that Dumbledore can refuse. Rose wants him. He's coming. Case closed."
Harry heard pawsteps coming their way. He tensed, dipping his head as Mrs. Norris appeared in the doorway. She fixed him with a firm glare, and Harry had a feeling she knew he'd been eavesdropping.
"Nosey tom," she growled, cuffing him over the ear with a sheathed paw. Then she bounded down the hallway stealthily, rounding the corner and out of sight.
Ron and Hermione stared at where she'd gone. "What was that about?" he questioned almost angrily. "That's cat's madder than Filch."
"Er…I'll explain later," Harry promised, and then slipped inside of the classroom. Ron and Hermione exchanged glances, shrugged, and followed him in.
"Gryffindor owls start! Ravenclaw owls hold your wings! Slytherin, swoop and drop…now! Go on, Fervrin, this isn't your first year! Hufflepuff owls, very nice work!" screeched a loud voice above the students in the Great Hall. Harry looked up, eyes wide, to see a bluish-black owl pointing with her talons and barking orders in sharp chirps.
"Can I get a bit of help?" called a brown-and-white barn owl as he flapped his wings furiously. "This package is heavy!" Two owls swooped in to help, grabbing hold of the strings wrapped around the brown papered package.
"What'd she send him, a troll?" grunted one owl. "This is heavy!"
"Told you!" hissed the first owl.
"Oi, you two! Quit the chirping and get to working!" the bluish black owl snapped.
"Yes, Rowena!" they called in unison.
Harry's green eyes sparkled with interest. He'd never known the owls were so busy!
"Hey, mate," Ron said. "What's with you?"
"The owls," Harry said, to both Hermione and Ron. "They're talking to each other. They're timed on when they move. Just wait…" Harry perked his ears to hear a bluish-black she-owl, Rowena, the one in charge, give commands.
"Okay, Ravenclaw owls! Get ready!"
Harry nodded. "Watch!" he said, pointing with a paw. "In just a moment, that blue one's going to send those owls to the Ravenclaw table to deliver mail."
"Go, go, go!" Rowena shouted. "Swoop and drop! Swoop and drop! Swoop and- hey, don't go so close to the table!"
Ron laughed, and Hermione smiled, interested. Ron nudged Neville and pointed to the Ravenclaw owl that had fallen into someone's mashed potatoes.
"Looks like their owls aren't as smart as they are, eh?" Ron snorted. Harry stifled laughter.
The owls slowly retreated, after successfully retrieving the lone owlet from the mashed potatoes. Although gravy slid off of his wings, he managed to flap his way out of the Great Hall.
Harry turned back to his own meal, shaking his head with amusement. That's right, he thought. I haven't seen Hedwig since the accident. I could understand the owls…so maybe I can go and talk to Hedwig.
He nodded firmly to himself. He'd ask Swifty for a free period and go to see Hedwig before lunch. It was settled. He was going to see Hedwig.
Harry climbed up the stairs, paws aching and fur too heavy. His flanks heaved, and he panted heavily. He was nearly up to the top of the Owlrey now, but it had taken a lot of energy from him.
Hermione was right, he admitted ruefully. After admitting his plan to go and see Hedwig, Hermione suggested against it, reminding him that he wasn't as big as he was before. This is tiring! He closed his eyes, pausing to catch his breath on a stair. Sitting, hunched over and gasping for breath, Harry felt cold. He fluffed out his fur, thick in the brisk air.
It was getting colder now, mid-October. It'd been two weeks since Harry's accident, and he was coping well if he said so himself. He was managing to train with Swifty and attend classes, and the rest of the school was slowly but surely getting used to it as well. He didn't hear whispers as often, and students stopped pointing at him in the halls.
One thing was nagging at him, though. What would he do during the holidays? He couldn't go back to the Dursley household as a cat. Dudley would step on him purposely, or do something to torture his feline cousin. Aunt Petunia would probably have him sent to a Muggle shelter, refusing to house a "stray." Harry shuddered at the thought, cast away as a street cat. But maybe, he thought hopefully, there would be a cure for him by the time the summer holidays came.
Something told him he wasn't going to be that lucky, though.
Harry cleared his head, giving it a quick shake, before getting to his paws and continuing his ascension of the tower. His paws churned one after another, smoothly bounding up the stairwell with more vigor than before. He was nearly there – and the trip down wouldn't be nearly as exhausting! The thought made his heart rest easier.
Harry emerged to the top of the Owlrey. He let out a sigh of relief and collapsed on the ground, panting to regain his breath again. Finally! Harry thought triumphantly, lifting his head. He peered into the Owlrey, inspecting it to see what was happening inside. Loud shouts echoed through the tower. He picked his ears up, curious.
"Hey, Sterling, you've got a delivery!" called a magnificent gray owl, holding out a rumpled package. A silvery-gray she-owl swooped down from her perch, hooting contentedly as she took the package from him in her talons.
A tiny Screech owl soared through an open window, beating his wings swiftly and landing on a perch. "I'm back, everyone!"
Another Screech owl flew up to meet him, pressing her beak against his for a brief moment before chirping, "Arjuna! Welcome back! I'm just headed out myself…"
"I have to take this to where?" wailed a young barred owl, staring with incredulity at the bluish-black owl Harry had seen in the Great Hall that morning.
Wow, Harry thought with an awestruck look. The owls were so organized! They knew exactly what they were doing and where they were going… He shook his head, overwhelmed, and wondered how no one had noticed this before. The animals of Hogwarts had their own little secrets, apparently.
Harry saw a group of barn owls clustered together, sorting mail through the four houses. After them, a few Great Horned owls were sorting packages and letters, and one snowy owl was busy checking Daily Prophet subscriptions. Her talon kept her place in the order book as she passed down roll after roll of newsletters. Her face looked deep in thought, concentrating carefully on her task.
Harry's heart gave a jump as he recognized Hedwig. He wanted to call out to her, get her attention, but at the same time he didn't want to disturb her. She looked pretty swamped with work. Harry didn't want to just leave, though. He'd come all this way, and he was exhausted. He wasn't about to just turn around and go back to training!
He sighed, turning around to pace back and forth as he debated what to do. He could watch the owls for a bit…wait for one of them to notice him. Maybe cats visited often? There were plenty of pet cats in the castle, surely, so there was bound to be one or two that visited the Owlrey! Harry nodded to himself, pacing. He flicked his tail as he stared inside of the Owlrey. For some reason, the owls' sharp talons unnerved him.
No. I won't be scared of owls, Harry thought determinedly. I'm still human. They won't eat me or anything. The thought frightened him though. Do owls eat cats? Harry wondered fearfully. He shook his head. No! Stop that!
"Going somewhere, Potter?" drawled a voice behind him. Harry froze in his pacing, his fur bristling unhappily.
I should've known this was coming sooner or later, Harry thought regretfully. "Malfoy," he growled, turning his head to see three Slytherins leaning against the wall on the steps to the Owlrey Tower. "Shouldn't you be in class?" he asked.
"Shouldn't you be minding your own business?" Malfoy retorted, scowling. "I thought that Squib's cat was supposed to be with you. Get tired of you already, did she, Potter?" Squib? Harry thought. It's got to be Swifty. But what's a Squib?
"I've got a free period," Harry answered, "which is more than can be said about you. Skiving class?" He eyed Crabbe and Goyle behind Malfoy. "All of you?"
"Binns won't notice," Malfoy growled. Harry cringed inwardly. He's right, he admitted. Binns doesn't notice anything.
"That's nice," Harry grunted. His ears flicked as Malfoy turned to his bruisers and jerked his head in Harry's direction. He's not here to chitchat, Harry thought with an inward groan. I thought not. "Why are you here, anyway?" he asked calmly, instinctively thinking of what Swifty would do.
Cats keep their cool, Swifty's voice murmured in his head, a memory of one of her lessons. Never show fear. They can smell it.
If they can smell through their own stench, Harry pointed out in his head, wrinkling his nose. All three Slytherins were drenched in the scent of the damp dungeons, where they all lived. It was a wonder how any of them slept at night through the reek.
"We just figured we'd send you back where you belong," Malfoy said, and Crabbe and Goyle sauntered forward as if on cue. Harry froze, tensing and glaring straight at Malfoy. "Only real wizards belong in Hogwarts."
Harry hardly had time to register what was about to happen before Goyle reached out with his hands. Harry leaped out of his reach, and blundered straight into Crabbe's waiting hands. Harry felt himself lifted by the scruff of his neck. He reached out and slashed with his claws, hoping to reach Crabbe and get him to drop Harry to the ground. Unfortunately, Crabbe did drop him, but not as Harry intended.
Malfoy held out his hands, which held a large brown box. Harry struggled against Crabbe's grip, and then he felt himself falling into the box. He landed with a thud, dazed, and quickly regained himself. He went to leap up, yowling, but then the box was closed shut and Harry only hit the top of it. Soft cardboard took the hit, but the box didn't open.
Harry heard paper, and then the cracks of the box where sealed as the box was wrapped. "Malfoy, let me out!" he yowled furiously. "Stop!" He heard Crabbe and Goyle laughing thickly as Malfoy sneered into the box.
"Say hello to the Muggles for me," he drawled. Harry lashed out with his claws, shredding part of the box, but it was too thick. He continued, lashing over and over again, but the cardboard was too thick and his claws too dull.
The hooting of owls grew louder, and then Harry realized that Malfoy was really going to send him back to the Dursleys. He let out a loud caterwaul. "Hedwig!"
Crabbe and Goyle stopped laughing, and the box stopped moving. Harry could tell that Malfoy had stopped in his tracks. Even the owls grew silent. Harry summoned his strength and rammed straight into the cardboard, trying to show that he was inside. "Hedwig, get me out of here!" he pleaded.
"Harry!" cried a shocked voice. Harry heard the beating of wings, and then a loud screech. Then the Slytherins yelped, and Crabbe gave a loud cry.
"The bloody bird bit me!" he howled.
"It's not worth it!" Draco snarled. Harry squealed as the box flew into the air and then landed onto the ground with a thud. Footsteps echoed, and Harry heard Draco promise, "Next time your bloody owl won't be around to save your tail, fleabag!"
"Don't let there be a next time!" Hedwig's voice chirped furiously.
The clicking of talons sounded right next to Harry's box. There was a ripping sound, and then Harry found that he could push the box open with his paws. He poked his head out to see a familiar snowy-white owl looming over him with warm, friendly eyes. All around the tower, owls were staring incredulously.
"Thanks, Hedwig," Harry sighed breathlessly.
"Anytime," Hedwig replied, just as awestruck. They both stared at one another, too overcome to say anything. "I, er…" Hedwig looked uncomfortable. "I'd heard the rumors, but I didn't know they were actually true," his owl breathed.
"Er, yeah, they are," Harry replied awkwardly, flicking his ears. He could hear faint jeers in the background, from the other owls.
"Bloody cat…"
"…still got the scar, see?"
"…cat. I tell you, anything would be better than that."
"Bloody animals…looks like the Patrol will want their paws on this one…"
Hedwig turned her head and gave a loud screech. Her feathers looked ruffled as she snapped, "Anyone who's got a problem with Harry will answer to me! Got it?" Harry was astounded to hear such a powerful voice from his gentle pet, but the other owls all shrank back as if they knew her wrath and didn't want to be on the receiving end of it.
There were heads bobbing, and a long silence in which Hedwig glared around accusingly, daring someone to say something. Then Rowena the owl hopped forward, clearing her throat. Every owl turned to her. "Very well, you've heard it straight from Hedwig and Harry," she chirped formally, dipping her head to the pair. "The rumors are true. I don't want to hear any more talk of it. Quit your gossiping and get back to work."
"Yes Rowena," chorused the owls, including Hedwig. The snowy white owl turned her gaze on Harry. "I've got to go," she chirped with genuine regret in her voice. "I'm Head of the Newsletter Committee," she added proudly, puffing out her chest. Harry felt a surge of delight for his owl. "I've got to get back to work, but before I do that…" Her eyes glinted mischievously. "Want a ride back to the castle?"
