Disclaimers…
The Harry Potter world is not mine. J.K.R. planted this garden, I am just adding a few weeds of my own. Any similarities to any real people alive or dead, is either a total accident, or was with their consent.
Chapter 25
Harry and his friends left the great hall and headed for the first class of the day. So caught up in the conflicting emotions and worries running through his head, Harry didn't even care that he was headed for Herbology. Terrie Shire had not given up on getting a rise out of Harry, and because he had been getting better at maintaining his composure she was threatening to become more foreword and aggressive. If he hadn't been distracted that threat would have been enough to bring Harry's Monday down.
Terrie was running true to form that morning. She had caught up with Harry just outside of the greenhouse.
"Good morning Captain," Terrie said as she latched on to Harry's arm. She had obviously read or heard about 'Dumbledore's Army' in the Daily Prophet. "Would you like to inspect my privates?" Harry just gave a noncommittal grunt. "Why so glum?" Terrie was still trying to get an answer out of him as they took their seats. After Professor Sprout took the roll she gave the class a reminder of what was expected of them and turned them loose to their work. "What do you want to do with me today Harry?" Terrie breathed in his ear while pulling his hand towards her lap.
"Let's get the rest of our sprouts transplanted and make sure the plot is in good order," Harry said without rising to her bait. Terrie was never sure if he was ignoring her suggestions, or if he was really just missing her meanings.
"Whatever you say Harry," She sighed.
Harry had only half of his mind on the work he was doing. It was much like what he had been doing in his aunt's gardens for nearly ten years. He was pleased to see how his healing herbs were growing and hoped to have enough to make a large batch of basic restoration potions. His Potions O.W.L. test included a practical exercise of writing and mixing a basic potion that was not specifically taught in class. By planning ahead he would have fresh ingredients, always a good thing, and he would have the potion to take home over the summer break. Harry also liked the idea of using the time in Herbology to lessen some of the stress of Potions.
Transplanting, weeding, and turning the soil was simple enough work to do, but it is physical work. Terrie was willing to let Harry work without being in the way and was even willing to do her share. She was not, however, interested leaving him alone. She was next Harry as he tending his rows of herbs and she hers.
"We're getting hot and dirty again, Harry." Terrie smiled slyly as she watched her partner for a sign that she was getting to him. "Isn't it rewarding," She chided. "Working in the spring? Bringing new life into the world?"
"I guess," Harry responded absently.
"I like making things grow," She purred. "What do think, Harry? Am I good at making something grow tall and strong?"
Harry, not entirely sure what Terry meant, but having a sneaking suspicion, wasn't going to say a word to that last question. Unfortunately for him, Terry did get the small satisfaction of seeing him blush. That was something she found encouraging.
"Do you have enough space Harry?" Terry asked sweetly. "If you want to, I'll let you plant your seedlings in my furrows."
Harry's mood had not improved by the time he reached Hagrid's for Care of Magical Creatures. The girls in the class had lost some of their fascination with the different horses. They still liked looking at them and even grooming them wasn't so bad. Cleaning wheelbarrows full of manure was never something they considered when fantasizing about the beasts. Because of the magical nature of the Demon Steeds and Fairy Steeds using magic to clean the corrals was an uncertain method. The students had to do the work the old fashion way. Harry really didn't mind. He had spread fertilizer on the lawn and flowerbeds for years. He did enjoy watching Draco Malfoy collecting blisters as the spoiled Slytherin learned how to use a shovel. The younger Malfoy had tried to pass his work onto his pet thugs, but Hagrid had put an end to that. The gentle giant had Crabbe and Goyle holding reins and keeping the animals to one side of the corral as Malfoy scooped up the droppings. When Draco complained Hagrid simply said he was too small to control the horses. The one time he had insisted on holding reins the Stallion, because Draco insisted he should only work with the best in the corral, had pulled Draco off his feet and dragged him through the mud. Later he tried to get people to believe that Hagrid had set him up. Nobody listened.
Aside from that the classes had been uneventful. Hagrid would give a short lecture each class about the animals' diets, social patterns, normal behaviors, or preferred environments. Hagrid may have a simple outlook on life, but he did know about creatures.
True to Monday tradition the day just could not go right for a change. The Gryffindor trio was assigned, along with Neville Longbottom, to take care of the Demon Steeds. Hermione was not comfortable around the dark horses, while Neville was clearly afraid of them. The creatures felt this fear and agitation and responded to it. The stallion kept following Hermione around the small corral, Looking down on her, pawing at the ground, and snorting hot breath into her face. The mares crowded in around Neville and kept milling around. They were threatening to stomp the boy into the mud and kept forcing him to move around the corral so he couldn't do any of his part the work.
Harry and Ron moved to the rescue. While Ron was the bigger of the two so he wrestled to get the mares under control, the beasts had loose bridals with short reins that Hagrid put on them every morning; while Harry caught the Stallion's bridal and slowly managed to lead him away from Hermione. Draco and his stooges perched themselves on the fence and laughed at the trouble the Gryffindors were having. Harry continued to lead the stallion away from where Hermione was trying to work. With both hands holding the bridal Harry was forced to walk backwards past the Slytherins, ignoring them as he focused on his immediate task. Keeping next to the fencing as he continued to coax the stallion Harry didn't see the Mare the slipped away from Ron. The mare bent its neck down to give Harry an evil nip on his left rear. Startled by the sudden pain, Harry gave a surprised yelp and tried to jerk away from the attack. This threw his center of gravity off and he started to fall. This forced Harry to cling to the stallion's bridal. The stallion did not care for the sudden downward pull on his head, and tried to jerk away, pulling Harry from his feet. Cling to the bridal to keep him from falling on is face Harry struggled to regain his balance. The stallion responded to Harry's pulling and unsteady attempts to right himself, by twisting and sidestepping. The stallion's tail, thrashing from the creature's agitation, slapped a laughing Malfoy in the face. Without a though for the possible consequences Draco reached out to give the stallion's rump a smack.
The Demon Stallion was in a foul mood. The pulling and jerking on the bridal was giving him a stiff neck. The short humans were crowding his already limited space. To top off the insults, something was attacking him from behind. The stallion launched a blind kick towards whatever had dared strike at him. The hard hoof extended between the fence railing and the stallion felt the satisfying vibration of a good solid connection followed by a tortured scream of pain. A final sweeping motion of his head finally dislodged the hands that had been clinging to the bridal, and the stallion pranced freely to the middle of the corral.
Harry was tossed from his feet by the stallion. Before he had time to consider his new airborne status it ended as he hit the fence. The railing caught Harry in the ribs with enough force to drive the air from his lungs, and scrape some skin free as he sagged against it trying to catch his breath. Ron and Harry had distracted the demon steed long enough for Hermione and Neville to finish their work, and as they made their escape from they corral enlisted Ron's help in pulling Harry to safety.
Hagrid, not seeing the beginning of events in the corral, only became aware of the problems when Malfoy had fallen to the ground. The Slytherin was clutching his leg and yelling a string of expletives. For Harry and Draco, and their respective sidekicks, Care for Magical Creatures ended early with a trip to the hospital wing.
Madam Pomfrey received the injured students with her usual decorum. Draco's leg was easily mended, but remembering the boy's moaning and complaining in his third year decided some extra measures were needed.
"Now the cast does not take color well," Madam Pomfrey explained the reasoning for the florescent green brace in a patient voice. "This is as close as it can get to your house colors. You can take it off when you are sure your leg is completely healed." Next she produced a battered pair of crutches. The pair was made from wood and had bright yellow stripes around the base. "These are to help you get around and should be safely visible if you need to make a late night trip to the water closet." Draco Malfoy was forced to accept the cast and crutches for at least a day.
Harry was less fortunate. Madam Pomfrey cleaned and bandaged the scrapes on his ribs and the bite on his left buttocks, gave him a jar of a healing ointment to put on his injuries after he showered, and a lecture about knowing when to let go when a problem (or a horse) is out of his control. Limping slightly Harry left the hospital wing with his friends in tow. He had trouble sitting for the rest of the day.
Tuesday was just as sour for Harry. Professor Snape, ever on the lookout to make Harry miserable, had him helping Malfoy during potions. Divination was filled with lectures about how to see omens in animals' (specifically horses) behaviors, and predictions of Harry's humiliating doom. (The Divinations instructor had not forgotten that Harry's prediction of the fate of a Hyppogryph at the end of his third year had been correct, and her prediction proven false.) Sitting his broom for Quidditch practice was a new kind of unpleasantness. To make maters worse Cho was giving him a bit of a cold shoulder.
During his prefect duties Wednesday evening Harry's week finally started to pick-up. Harry had made a quick patrol of his area before finding a padded chair to use while he studied. With one eye on the Marauders' Map Harry dove into a chapter in his DADA book entitled 'Pre-Defense; Proactive measures to ensure better protection.' Anything Harry could find on protecting himself was worth studding.
The chapter was mostly a review of general strategies. If somebody tried to follow most of the suggestions given about how to avoid being attacked by Dark Arts they would quickly be labeled as paranoid. Trying to follow all of the suggestions and a person would be would be acting almost exactly like Mad-Eye Moody. Unfortunately most of the strategies given were not an option for Harry. Things like never sleeping in the same bed twice in a row would be difficult at Hogwarts and impossible at number 4 Private Drive. Likewise always growing or hunting his food was out of the question.
Harry did find a promising section on pre-charged enchantments. Remembering Professor Flitwick's lecture on layering enchantments and Gary Stone's demonstration of setting an 'idea' into an object, Harry started considering ways he could have some spells ready in case of an emergency. While rolling ideas around in his mind Harry noticed a pair of dots moving in his area on the Marauders' Map. Crabbe and Goyle were moving along a corridor that was close to the DADA classroom.
Harry wished he could humiliate Slytherin house by catching the two snogging, or better yet shagging, but didn't think that was what he pair were up to. Gathering his things together, Harry used the Marauders' Map to sneak up on Draco's goons. Moving with all the stealth of troll, which is hardly any at all, they didn't see Harry until it was too late. Goyle was in the lead, carrying a bulls-eye lantern. Crabbe followed carrying a small bundle. The pair were alternately chuckling and shushing each other. Harry watched them from the shadows in a recessed doorway. The pair was not thinking to look sideways, only directly forward. They were almost even with Harry's place on concealment when he decided to interrupt their plans.
"Ten points from Slytherin," Harry said in a clear voice. Crabbe gave a startled shout and dropped his bundle. Goyle made a choking noise and started to turn in Harry's direction, then jumped when he heard Crabbe and spun to face him and shining the lantern light in his eyes. Crabbe shouted again and tried to swat the lantern light away, knocking the bulls-eye lantern from Goyle's hand. The light went out as it crashed to the floor. "Lumos," Harry said and a cone of light from the tip of his wand (holding a wand being more intimidating then just pointing a finger) illuminated the startled pair.
The pair from Slytherin decided they had had enough and bolted. Harry watched them round the corner and heard them running back towards their dungeon. When it was clear that they were not coming back Harry investigated the dropped bundle. He found a pair of butter beers, the bottles miraculously unbroken and an assortment of small pastries and candies. The small picnic was wrapped in an old dressing gown with a faded Ravenclaw house crest. It was clear to Harry what their plan had been, and he sighed at the simplemindedness of it. He pocketed the butter beers and snack items then used a severing charm to turn the dressing gown into so many rags. Once the mess was all cleaned up, Harry went about his business with a feeling a little better about his week.