Mwahaha! Bet you didn't think I'd be back did ya! I am soooooo sorry for the appalling length of time I left this story, but I became uninspired, but now I've re-read it (shudder!) and corrected the first chapter (which was scary bad!) and I'm feeling good, so lets go!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own imagination
Integration: 11
It was to much miserable mewing that Harry left transfiguration with Hermione, seemingly none of the kittens had wanted him to leave. But Minerva had promised he would see them at the end of his school day, so he wasn't too depressed. In fact they were heading to an equally interesting sounding class. Care of magical Creatures.
"You know, it was almost as if you could…understand those cats..." Hermione trailed off curiously.
"Well one mangy cat probably would be able to understand another. Its about the only thing he probably can understand." Ron commented maliciously as Dean and Seamus cackled.
"Well at least he managed to vanish most of his cat, I notice you couldn't even do the whiskers!" Hermione retorted shrilly. The golden trio looked at her as if they'd never seen her before. Harry felt the air hot with anger and unspoken feelings. Humans were so weird.
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In a couple of minutes the class was crowded around a sort of hut, the huge care of magical creatures' teacher smiling at them nervously. Harry was immediately disposed to liking this, as he perceived, gentle giant. He had a nervous enthusiasm, and he couldn't sense a single malicious thought.
"Got a great lesson planned for you today-"
"As long as it isn't skrewts or flobberworms again." Ron muttered to the furtive nodding of most of the class, Hermione turned pink and glared at the floor, a tirade of emotions rushing over her.
"For once Weasley, I think I actually agree with you." Came a snide voice. The assorted class whipped around to see a blonde boy heading another group of students.
"Slytherins." Dean announced darkly, Ron scowled whilst the leading blonde smirked.
"Now everyone," Begun the teacher apprehensively. "Let's head off, quickly now." With that he turned and strolled off, the class following him with varying degrees of nerves as they were led to the edge of the forest.
Harry managed to get as close to the trees as he could, the forest waved its branches welcomingly, and he uttered a soft warning 'shush' to stop the grass trying to grow around his feet in its excitement. Hermione looked at him in a puzzled way.
By this time their teacher had placed a large raw slab of meat on the ground and then proceeded to let out an unnerving sort of scream. Harry felt his hair stand slightly on end as he registered the scream as a summoning greeting.
After several tense minutes, a twig near Harry snapped, causing Neville to jump about two feet in the air.
A skeletal horse stepped out of the shadow. Revealing its white, staring eyes and folded up leathery wings.
Harry gaped as gradually more of these strangely majestic creatures gathered around the meat. However, he seemed to be one of the select few that were actually looking the right way.
Many of the class were still staring into the depths of the forest, and there were only a couple of people looking directly at the horses.
"Thestrals!" Hagrid announced proudly. Hermione let out a breath of understanding, whilst the Draco boy and some of the others backed away slightly, looking uncertain.
"Now hands up if you can see 'em!" Hagrid ordered pleasantly. Harry along with a couple of other students raised tentative arms.
The giant man looked around slightly sadly.
"That many of you eh?" Hagrid's eyes swept over Harry, and he seemed to nearly do a double take. Nervously he flattened his bangs over the scar that so far remained hidden, the large teacher looked like he had seen a ghost and the rest of the class were beginning to stare at the two of them suspiciously.
Several leaves took that moment to fly into Hagrid's face and he blinked, giving Harry one last glance before turning back to the thestrals and beginning the lesson.
Harry sighed in relief, and sent a miniscule wave of thanks to the forest for the distraction, once again the grass tried to grow around his feet in happiness.
He turned slightly to see Hermione looking at him curiously before turning her rapt attention to the teacher. Others in the class however, were still glancing at him and whispering. The golden trio evidently couldn't see the thestrals, and therefore thought Harry a much more amusing discussion topic, the blonde slytherin also seemed to be casting him suspicious glances.
The lesson eventually ground to an end, Harry and Hermione having been two of the few that remained attentive to the end, and Hagrid seemed to finally realize this with a saddened look.
Harry glared around at the class that left the second the bell rang to go to lunch.
"I'm sorry Hagrid, I thought the thestrals were fascinating really!" Hermione insisted, patting the large figure on the arm. Hagrid nodded glumly and turned to the two remaining thestrals.
"Come on Felix, we'd better get to lunch." Hermione added. Harry cast a last glance at Hagrid before turning, only to find a grip on his sleeve preventing him from leaving.
Both he and Hagrid spun around to see one of the thestrals gently holding onto his arm.
"What's going on?" Came Hermione's concerned voice, all she could see was Harry's sleeve being held by an invisible force.
"Now don't you worry, like I said I've got these thestrals highly trained, wouldn't hurt a fly." Hagrid assured in a slightly worried tone.
Harry personally doubted the giant creatures would blink about hurting a fly, but they at least didn't seem to want to harm him.
The air around them turned from a slight breeze to a howling sort of sound. Dark, ominous clouds beginning to grace the sky.
Hermione squeaked as there was a thunderclap above them.
Harry turned from the sky overhead to the deep milky eyes of the thestral that was holding him, by now the other one had moved very close to him as well, and he could see several pairs of blank white eyes staring at him from the forest's depths. The grass begun to weave around his ankles slightly.
The familiar deep green hum of the forest was telling him hat this was important, to listen.
The air that whipped around him and through him was saying the same thing; nudging his mind towards the meaning those pure white eyes were trying to give.
Hermione and Hagrid were looking on in confusion, aware somehow to not intervene.
Staring back into the fathomless eyes, Harry gently reached out with his own magic washing it over and around the two thestrals, extending waves of it to wash through the ones hidden in the gloom.
Gradually, the subtle movements of the thestrals began to form a pattern, the pattern begun to hold a meaning.
"Be careful little one, the snake is coming. The snake is coming, be careful." The thoughts and movements of the thestrals repeated this mantra, and Harry felt shivers run down his spine.
After the message repeated a couple more times and then fell silent, Harry realized they were waiting for some sort of reply.
With an almost imperceptible twitch of his head to the left, whilst maintaining eye contact, Harry seemed to manage to convey 'be careful' back to the waiting creatures.
With a flick of an ear and tail his sleeve was released and the thestrals trotted away. Harry withdrew his own magic and the grass shrunk from his feet, the skeletal creatures disappearing back into the mysteries of the forest.
"Wh-what?" Hermione questioned weakly, words failing her. Hagrid seemed equally unsure as he stared at Harry, who shifted uncomfortably.
"Y-you'd best be getting back to the castle, the weathers turning foul." Hagrid stated, but he remained staring at them until they reached the castle doors.
"Why do I get the feeling you're keeping secrets?" Hermione questioned suspiciously.
"Well, you're keeping some too I'll bet." Harry replied as casually as he could. Luckily this seemed to abate Hermione for the moment, as she smiled and led the way to the hall.
Harry made a mental note to ask the forest and air to be more discreet in future, and preferably wait till they were alone to give him creepy and ominous warnings.
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The remainder of the school day passed fairly seamlessly, double charms followed by double history of magic.
Harry had enjoyed charms, although he hadn't been nearly as accomplished at it as he had been transfiguration. The 'golden trio' had made snide comments about how he could only perform magic when he had cats to tell him the answer. Hermione had scowled at them, but Harry tried to ignore it. He couldn't understand why these humans were so keen to start fights and hate certain people; it gave him a headache where his cat ears used to be.
History of magic had been nice and peaceful, if only because half the class was asleep, Harry found he nearly was too after half an hour, Hermione seemed to be the only person immune to Professor Binns' sleeping spell.
As the class left, yawning widely, McGonagall stepped in front of Harry and Hermione.
"This way please Mr. Smith, and you too Miss Granger if you want." They glanced apprehensively at each other, but Harry could sense no real anger from Minerva's brief manner.
Up through hidden staircases and along dark corridors they went until they ended up in a corridor that must have been at the top of the school.
A blood red sunset colored the passage a deep crimson through the large, clear glass windows that framed it on both sides.
Other then the stairs, the long corridor led only to a single door at the end.
"Oh wow, I never knew you could get this high up in the castle, I didn't think students were allowed up here!" Hermione announced excitedly.
"They usually aren't, but we've made an exception for you Mr. Smith, and miss Granger too apparently." Given the stiffness of her tone Harry realized that she was not too keen with the idea. Hermione seemed humbled, but curious as well.
"Here we are then," Minerva sighed as she reached the door and pulled it open. Harry and Hermione entered, and were at once assaulted by nine mewing balls of fluff.
"I didn't think you would really be able to keep them!" Hermione exclaimed in delight as several kittens played with her laces.
"Yes well Professor Dumbledore seemed to believe that as these kittens seemed to take a special interest in you, it must have been for some higher purpose. And they couldn't all live in the dormitory with you as there are simply too many of them."
McGonagall sighed as she saw the kittens and two students in harmony; surely this amount of leniency was going to raise suspicions, especially with the new defense against the dark arts teacher.
Dumbledore had been insistent however, that any particular connection Harry showed at this stage could be crucial for them later on, and should be preserved, although she didn't quite see what he had meant by it.
But looking at the brilliant but usually lonely girl that she taught, sitting happily with a friend and kittens, and seeing the abandoned child that they were trying to help smiling and behaving almost like an average student, she couldn't help but wonder if Dumbledore might also have a more sentimental reason for allowing this.
"The kittens are still going to be used in transfiguration and other classes, but they will be yours to take care of, you can get food for them from the kitchen."
Seeing her words barely registering she sighed and left, but couldn't help the slight smile that escaped her.
"Its really very kind of them to let you keep all of them." Hermione stated, a smile on her face.
Harry glanced at her, sensing an almost overwhelming happiness coming from her, if he concentrated he could see the purple outline of her magic pulsing around her with the emotion, it seemed to shine brighter in the setting sun.
He smiled softly, she was probably unaware of the color of her magic, or that it seemed to pulse gently in synchronization with her breathing. He wondered if anyone but him could see magic like this.
Eventually they had to leave the kittens, as Harry had to go to a catch up class and Hermione wanted to get an early start on her work. The sun had nearly set as they left the room; now full of sleeping kittens, and the last dying rays of crimson highlighted them as they walked back down the corridor.
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Harry stretched as he moved out of the transfiguration classroom. Three hours of various complex transformation spells had his magic nearly worn out from all the intricacies of it. But at least the wand he now had helped to focus his magic, especially as he didn't think Minerva would be pleased if he lost control and begun growing weeds all over her classroom.
Yawning widely he traipsed off towards Gryffindor tower, slightly dreading seeing the ever-aggravating golden trio.
Just as he passed a particularly tattered tapestry however, his plans of sleeping were interrupted by two redheads bowling onto him from behind the tapestry.
In a heap the three figures tumbled to the floor of the thankfully carpeted corridor. The two strangers sat up rubbing various bruises and stared curiously down at him with identical grins.
"Sorry about that, George here was simply dying to meet you!"
"Ah yes, but thanks to Fred here falling over his own eagerness we nearly did die trying!"
Harry merely blinked, he couldn't quite understand what the fast talking duo had just said, but he couldn't help but smile slightly in confused amusement.
A hand was extended to help him to his feet, and then they stood facing each other.
"We hear that our irksome younger brother has been bothering you with his ego." The first one stated. But at Harry's confused look the other stepped in.
"We're Ron's older brothers, well two of them, Fred," He indicated the first twin, "and I'm George, pleasure to meet you."
Bemusedly he shook the two hands that were offered to him.
"We apologize sincerely for our imbecilic brother's behaviour, however, I fear that we cannot do much to prevent this, gone are the days that little ronnikins listens to us after all." Fred announced in a theatrical voice whilst George nodded in grim agreement.
Harry laughed and the twins grinned in appreciation.
"Not much of a talker are you, Felix is it? But no matter, we like a captive audience don't we George?"
"Indeed we do Fred. Now lets get back to the tower before Filch decides we're breathing too loudly." The last sentence was spoke in a mutinous voice, but Harry still laughed and the twins grinned accordingly.
Harry was confused by the sudden appearance of the two jokers, but nothing felt sinister about them, in fact, they projected a manic excitement and elatedness when talking to him, which although further confused him, seemed slightly infectious.
As they walked along however, the twins keeping up a monologue that kept Harry laughing, he noted a sudden sadness in them as they shared a glance after he laughed. For the life of him though, he couldn't have worked out why.
::Whew wow, I didn't expect to be writing this again, but I'm glad I am!
Oookay, I just re-read this story…and its fairly terrible in places! Its very badly written and jumps a lot, I'm going to try to write it better from now on, cos it was scary reading it back! This chapters still quite bad too I think, but I tried, and please let me know if I managed to do the characters right, and if not be critical not cruel please! And to clarify some things about the story line now he's back at school:
Ron will become a friend eventually, I know that a lot of people don't like him, but I don't think Harry could have managed without him as a friend and I think he's a very well written character as he has lots of faults and that's hard to do to your own character, so if you're a Ron hater, then I'm sorry, but too bad hehe.
Neville is not a bad person, but he's never managed to make solid friends so he's very timid still and unsure, but he Harry and Hermione will become friends, along with the twins (who I hope I managed to write ok!).
Draco will also become a friend somehow…I think, but he too at the moment is a cowardly sort of bully, especially as, if you follow the timeline, his dad gets imprisoned at the end of this book, therefore Draco is still living safe and sound in his own screwed morals, but don't worry, he'll get a reality check :). Psst is it actually in the book that he's Snape's godson? I don't think I'll do that, but Snape will certainly be a family friend type person, so they will know each other outside school.
Voldermort (shudder!) is not reincarnated, but he shall be in the story, cos we love him really (or love to hate him). Quirrel was thwarted in his attempts to steal the stone by Dumbledore working it out or something, so they are aware of the threat of Voldemort without him actually being at large, the diary never happened (but probably exists), Sirius never escaped so Peter is still at Hogwarts, the Tri-wizard tournament…well you can decide whether it happened or not, but no one died, as Voldemort had no way/reason to interfere, but the death eater march at the world cup still took place I reckon, the real Moody taught last year as crouch either didn't escape/is still trying to find Volde…whew.
If I've forgotten stuff please ask and I shall try to answer (unless it's a mystery hehe). Also, I have gone through and corrected and slightly changed the first chapter so its now legible! Feel free to check it out!
Oh yeah, finally hehe, please send me any ideas for things to happen in the school, or bits you liked in particular from the fifth book as its been a while since I read it, and although I get the gist, I don't want to run out of ideas! Snape will appear next chapter, should be more Draco too I think, and please let me know if it's all ok, especially how Harry can see magic/read emotions.
::Thanks for reading! shadowtheo.