'Ello! Ok, before I start this next chapter, let me just give a shout out to Moon Burst. I particularly enjoyed your review, and I hope I earn more like them!
CHAPTER SEVEN
TALES OF THE SEEKER
Albus, James, Rosie, Nat and Victoire filled up the stone steps to the owlry. It had been two weeks since their first day at Hogwarts, and they were finishing off their second Friday by responding to Teddy's letter and then going by Hagrid's for tea. Nat had just decided to tag along.
"How come you get to hold it?" James pouted for the fifth time.
"Because I'm the oldest, and his girlfriend," Victoire replied.
James folded his arms and frowned under his freckles.
"I wonder how he's doing at Weasly and Weasly," Rosie thought out loud. "I hope he's not causing Uncle George any trouble."
"Knowing Uncle George," laughed Albus "he's probably encouraging him to be trouble."
"Sounds like my kinda guys," Nat remarked.
They continued up the steps, spiraling towards the sound of hooting and cooing. When they finally got to the owlry, Albus peered over all the bird heads to see if he could find one in particular. The owlry was a large room, filled with rows and rows of school and personal owls. On the grey floor lay large piles of droppings, and there were several windows that showcased the mountains in the distance.
"Strix?" he called.
A tawny owl flew off of his perch and landed on the window ceil near the five. Strix hooted happily as Albus stroked his head.
"It's great to see you too," he smiled.
"I don't see why we have to use your stupid bird," James huffed.
"You said it yourself," Albus replied, "your owl's useless. And what's your problem, anyway?"
"Oh," said Rosie, "he's just in a tiff cause Professor Dooney thought he could produce a full blown Patronus Charm."
"I don't even know what a Patronus is!" he defended. "We're supposed to learn it in 5th year or something! Besides, that's not even it. I'm just a bit nervous for tomorrow is all."
"What's tomorrow?" asked Nat.
"Quidditch tryouts," Albus replied. "He's been gitty all week."
"No I haven't!" he snapped. Rosie rolled his eyes.
Victoire handed Albus the letter, and he gave it to Strix. He took it in his beak gladly and took off out the window.
"So Al," said Nat, "this Teddy person, is he really a Metamorphmagus?"
"Down to his blood," said Albus. "He's always changing his appearance. But, he usually likes pink or purple hair tied back in a pony tail."
"Cool," said Nat. "Can he turn into animals, too?"
Albus' heart skipped a beat. He looked awkwardly around to the others, who were just as uncomfortable.
"No," Victoire said quickly. "That's an Animagus. Metamorphmagi can only fool around with human appearances. But every once and awhile he can pull off a pig snout."
He exhaled, silently thanking Victoire for the save. He had not expected that question, or he would have gotten ready for it with an answer like Vicky's.
It was no secret amongst the Potters or Weaslys that Teddy was a werewolf, but it was to everyone else, and the two families had agreed to keep it that way.
Werewolves have been looked down upon by most of wizarding kind for centuries. If word got out that Teddy was one of him, his whole life was likely to go down the drain. Thankfully, a tight lid had been successfully kept on it for eighteen years, and because of the potion Aunt Hermione was able to make each month, Teddy didn't even need to go into hiding every full moon; he could just walk around like the family dog, wagging his tail at everyone.
"Well," said Rosie, trying to move on from the touchy subject, "let's head on to Hagrid's, shall we?"
"Alright," said Nat, "I've been wanting to meet this Hagrid person, too. He's the Care of Magical Creatures teacher, right? I think I saw him the night we came here."
"Right," said Albus. "Too bad we don't get that class until third year."
They walked back down the steps to the corridor, glad to get out of the smell of owl leavings.
"Well, you guys have fun for me," said Victoire. "Tell me about it later."
"Where are you going?" asked Rosie.
"Back to the house," she said. "Unlike you first and second years, I've got actual work to do." She smiled. "See you later."
So, Victoire went towards the stair case while the other four continued down the hallway. Just as they were heading towards the front door, Albus saw a platinum blonde leave the Great Hall.
"Laura!"
Laura turned around and smiled at him.
"Hi, guys!" she said. "Where are you heading?"
"Hagrid's," said Albus.
"Sounds like fun," she said happily. "I'll come with you!"
A little while later, the five of them made there way down to Hagrid's, lightly laughing and chatting. When they arrived, Hagrid greeted them with a huge grin.
"Well who do we 'ave here?" he smiled. "Come on in, the lot 'o ya! I just finished makin' the tea."
They stumbled up the large steps and into the little cabin. It was quite a tight fit, squeezing five preteens into such a cramped room already with the gigantic mass that was Hagrid. But, they managed it and seated themselves behind the creaky table. In the corner sat Fang, Hagrid's droopy eyed old blood hound, under all of the strange knickknacks that were hanging from the ceiling.
"So?" he said, pouring the tea. "'Ow was yer first two weeks at Hogwarts?"
"Great," said Albus, "until Dooney started asking if I could disarm yet every day I came to her class." Hagrid laughed roundelay.
"Ah," he said, "yeah. That's just Dooney's way o' lettin' you know that she appreciates yer dad."
"Well, maybe she appreciates him a little too much…"
He laughed again. "Oh!" he said, "I heard you were tryin out fer Quidditch there, James."
"Yeah," he said miserably, "don't remind me."
"What's this now?" said the big man. "You aint nervous, are ya?"
"Of course I am!" he said.
"Well why?" he asked. "Yer dad was great at it an' – "
"Yeah," he said heatedly, "I know, my dad's a genius and I'm expected to live up to him and follow in his footsteps."
There was a silence. James didn't seem to notice how uncomfortable he had just made the room. Ether that, or he didn't care. Hagrid put his bowl-sized tea cup down and sighed.
"No body said tha', James," he said gently. "But nobody's denyin' the fact that yer parents were quite the players, either. Sure, yer dad was great, yer mum too. And yer uncles Ron, George, an' Fred, when he was livin'. But tha' doesn't mean you have to measure yerself up to 'em! Look, yer dad did a lot of things at eleven and twelve full grown wizards couldn't."
James toyed around with his rock-hard biscuit sitting on the table. "I guess that's true…"
"O' course it is! Now," he reached over and picked up a tray of cookies. "Who here wants to help me finish these beauties off?"
Albus took one, but only out of courtesy; when no one was looking, he tossed it on the ground. Luckily, no one heard the hollow "thud!" it made as it hit the ground.
Sorry this took me so long. And yeah, I got lazy near the end; that's why it's short.
T.
