Chapter Four: Sketchy Roses
In Potions that day Harry was working silently while pretending to listen to Ron who had managed to get next to him somehow, nodding his head as if paying attention he said, "Interesting," and began to copy the notes. They were not doing a potion today just taking notes on the next potion they would be doing.
"And Hermione kicked me because I could not find the book and now I'm wondering if you know where it is?" Ron said which got a shrug from Harry, "Hey are you even listening to me?"
"Sure Ron," Harry said writing in Parseltongue without even realizing it, but he was done writing the notes and was writing up a clever scheme for murdering Ron and making it seem like an accident so the redhead not being able to read the words were a good thing.
"What language is that?" Severus asked as he paused to look at Harry's notes, he saw that Ron had written nothing.
"Wha…" looking down and blinking Harry said, "Parseltongue," when the Professor picked up his book to flip through it he realized the entire notebook was written in Parseltongue.
"Clever, no one can copy your notes or cheat off you," Severus said before setting the book down and turning to look at Rom who was pulling out his notebook, "Mr. Weasley what is the third step in the potion you will be making next class?"
"Uh the third step is," Ron, stuttered his eyes glancing towards the board, "Um to…." He began to read the steps but they were not numbered so he guessed, "To add the bezoar?"
"Mr. Potter is that the correct step?" Severus asked glancing at Harry hoping to give the teen a reason to speak up.
"No adding the bezoar powder is the sixth step, the third step is crushing the lavender petals into a fine purple mush," Harry said before wincing as Ron kicked him from under the table because he had made him look bad.
"Correct," Severus said before turning and looking at Theo's notes. The teen had scribbled something in the corner and he realized that Theo was the first approach to get Harry into the Slytherin circle of friends. Nodding at the studious teen he sat back at his desk and watched as Helios flew over and landed on Harry's shoulder and nuzzled the teen's cheek.
When Ron elbowed Harry quite hard everyone watched as Helios bit the redhead's cheek causing him to bleed and slashed open his other cheek with his talons. Clutching his face and jumping away Ron pointed his wand at the hawk and before he could level the bird with a curse Harry's wand was aimed at him.
"Do not attack him," Harry glared, wand at Ron's neck, "You harmed me he was protecting me, using magic on him would just be wrong."
"Whose bloody hawk is that!" Ron growled out screeching as if Helios had tried killing him, when in reality he had a peck mark and a feel scratches.
"None of your business," Harry snapped just as the clock chimed the class out. Grabbing up his books he left with Helios perched on his arm. The hawk looked smugly back at Ron and if hawks could do such things Helios would have been smirking.
Theo stood and followed Harry and caught him in the hallway, "Hey Potter who keeps writing you?" he asked as he fell in step with the teen on the opposite side of Harry from the hawk so as to be able to see Harry's face.
"A friend," Harry said before stopping at a window and opening the window to set Helios down on the sill he saw that the hawk held simply a pendant which had a blue rose petal in a crystal that dangled from a silver chain, "Oh."
"That's the same color as the rose you got a week ago," Theo pointed out, everyone had been talking about the rose and hawk since the letters began, "Think it's from the same bush?"
"That would be my guess," Harry said tracing the pendant and laughing slightly when Helios flew up to drop it around his head. Stroking the hawk's beak he summoned a mouse and offered it over so the bird had a treat.
"Hmm," Theo stepped back to look Harry over. The teen looked good with no glasses and in his school clothes that fit him rather well and the pendant which seemed to be a reminder of the first present. When Helios flew off again he said, "You have Charms next right?"
"Yeah," Harry said and they fell into step beside each other as they walked, the pendant catching the candle light as they entered the room. Getting odd looks he dropped the pendant down his shirt and glared at Hermione who was looking from Theo to him with a suspicious look.
"Sit with me," Theo suggested when he caught the angry looks Harry was receiving. Getting a nod they sat down and pulled out their books and notes as the other students came walking in. Peeking over he blinked at the words, "You really do write in Parseltongue."
"It's soothing knowing no one else can read what I write," Harry said before turning the page to a blank page and writing something down in the curly handwriting he handed it to Theo, "That's your name."
"Hmm," Theo set the paper down and began trying to copy the word, "This right?" he asked holding it up.
"Yeah, almost," Harry said before pointing out the last line, "This should jolt up more on the end; currently it says Thea, not Theo."
"Oh," Theo said fixing the word he glanced at Harry and saw the teen doodling in a different book, "You draw?"
"Sometimes," Harry said not showing him the picture as he continued to doodle away, "Helps clear my head."
"Can I see the picture?" Theo asked, which got Harry to glance at him carefully before he was handed the sketch pad. Gazing at the picture that was of Helios flying away and a rose falling towards the earth towards a puddle he blinked, it was done in great detail. "Whoa…" turning the page he saw a serpent wrapped around a phoenix in mid flight, a golden web surrounding the border, "These are great."
"Thanks," Harry said taking the book back as Flitwick walked in the room. Tucking it in his bag he looked straight at the Professor wondering what they would be learning that day. They were given an assignment to come up with a new helpful charm, they were told to work with the person they sat with and they had a month to complete it and would not be having Charm classes until the project was due.