Draco stared blankly at Harry's hair before looking Harry in the eye.

"Are you being serious right now?" he asked.

Harry scowled confused and looked back into the mirror to his bright, fire colored hair. It was mainly orange, but it darkened to almost red towards the roots and he had yellow, red, and even some blue, green and purple highlights, making it seem alive. He had also charmed it to glow very bright, almost blindingly, so it looked as if his head was on fire.

"You think so?" he asked.
"I was going for a Weasley."

Draco scrunched up his nose in distaste.

"Why would you do that?" he asked.

"To pay my respects of course!"

"You're the reason she's dead, Quinn," Draco muttered.

Harry's bright green eyes snapped back over to the blond. They seemed to have become much more vivid too with the hair, but instead of hot fire, they more looked like bright cubes of ice with the way Harry looked at him. it greatly contrasted the wide grin the insane boy was sporting.

"Are you accusing me, Draco?" Harry asked softly.

His tone, for the untrained ear, had sounded very playful but Draco was no fool. He could clearly hear the threat seeping through.

"Of course not," he replied after a few moments of tense silence, his face blank.
"You did everything to save Ginny Weasley and now you're paying your respects to her family."

Harry's smile became more genuine and his eyes lost their frost.

"Exactly!" he agreed cheerfully.
"Now let's get to breakfast! Can't miss first class, right?"

Draco scowled and nodded stiffly. Harry just ignored the tenseness in his friend's shoulders and grinned, grasping Draco's hand in his own to pull him out of his room. He dragged Draco all the way to the Great Hall, all the while complaining about Tom.

They barely entered the Great Hall or Fred and George zoned in on them. Harry smiled brightly at the widely grinning twins walking over to them. Draco scowled and took a step aside to allow both redheads to take their places on either side of the young King of Slytherin and throw their arms over the younger teen's shoulders.

"Nice hair," Fred said grinning.

"You look good as a redhead," George added winking.

"I look good as an everything," Harry countered amused.
"But thanks anyways! I wanted to look a bit like my favorite Terror Twins."

"If only our hair could be that bright," George sighed wistfully.

"It's like real fire! And with your pretty eyes, you look almost like a Veela!" Fred marveled.

"You think I'm pretty?" Harry asked innocently, batting his eyes at the both of them.

The twins laughed for a moment before leaning closer to Harry, mischievous grins on their identical faces. Harry smirked too, and Draco was instantly wary. This couldn't mean anything good.

"Everything ready?" Harry asked the Weasley duo.

"Absolutely. All you have to do is say the word," George said grinning.

"Pretty literally, just like we agreed," Fred laughed.

"What have you planned this time, Quinn?" the blond asked.

Harry turned at his friend and grinned widely.

"I just want to start the schoolyear with a BANG!"

He barely said the last word of loud fireworks exploded behind the teacher's table, catapulting several of the professors face-first into their breakfast. Many students jumped up and screamed in horror, probably thinking that Sirius Black was attacking or something, while slowly, music started playing from all around. Harry laughed joyously and high-fived the twins as the intro of 'Mighty Quinn' sung by Manfred Mann started thundering loudly through the Great Hall.

Come all without, come all within
You'll not see nothing like the mighty Quinn
Come all without, come all within
You'll not see nothing like the mighty Quinn

"Seriously?" Draco asked incredulous.

Harry grinned and walked back to the Slytherin table while Fred and George danced around the room, bellowing out the lyrics as loud as they could.

Everybody's building ships and boats
Some are building monuments
Others jotting down notes
Everybody's in despair
Every girl and boy
But when Quinn the Eskimo gets here
Everybody's gonna jump for joy

"STOP THIS NONSENSE!" Snape screamed.

Instead, the music became even louder to drown him out.

"QUINZEL!" the Potions Master tried again, swishing out his wand in a fury.

Whatever spell he tried didn't seem to work at all. in fact, with every attempt to drown the music out, being it with screaming or spells, the music became even louder. Before long, many students had to press their hands over their ears and several, like Hermione, had fled the Great Hall because of the loudness. The brunette witch hadn't left for herself, however, but because her giant orange cat had taken off on its own.

Come all without, come all within
You'll not see nothing like the mighty Quinn
Come all without, come all within
You'll not see nothing like the mighty Quinn

Professor Lupin stood up suddenly and waved his wand around, saying something Harry couldn't hear because of how loud the music was being and suddenly, everything was quiet again. Harry blinked in shock and shook his head to get rid of the ringing in his ears at the sudden stillness. He hadn't expected anyone to stop his prank so quick.

"Thank you, Remus," Dumbledore said calmly.

"No problem, headmaster," Lupin said, smiling.

He caught Harry's eye as he sat back down and winked. Harry narrowed his eyes. Challenge accepted.

. . . . .

"I've got Arithmancy first thing already," Draco said, scowling down at his schedule.

"Good luck!" Harry snorted.

Draco glared at him and sniffed.

"I don't need luck," he said.
"My father says I have talent."

"Is that why you're taking three classes instead of two?" Blaise asked, looking over his friend's shoulder.
"Arithmancy, Ancient Runes and Care for Magical Creatures. Aren't those the same as Theo takes?"

"Yes," Draco replied proudly.
"What electives did you take?"

"Arithmancy and Study of Ancient Runes," Blaise replied.
"Mum's a Runes Mistress, so I have a head start there."

"I'm taking those too," Daphne said, smiling at Blaise.
"Haven and Milly too, and Tracy is taking Divination and Care for Magical Creatures, just like Pansy. What about you, Quinn?"

"I'm taking Care and Runes!" Harry said cheerfully.

"Meaning you've got the first period free," Daphne said.
"Divination and Arithmancy is both right now, as well as Muggle Studies."

"Hmmm… That means I'm the only one with a free period right now," Harry said smirking.

The entire group tensed at those ominous words.

. . . . .

Peeves turned out to be great company during Harry's free period, even if he ended with three months of detention with Filch at the end of it. At least the grumpy old squib would be cleaning up Peeves and Harry's mess for just as long.

. . . . .

As the Slytherins walked into the Defense classroom, Harry stopped suddenly, his eyes widening in shock. There was an old, ratty little radio sitting on the teacher's desk… Playing. Mighty Quinn…

"Looks like Professor Lupin likes you," Theo muttered.

"Who knows why though," Blaise teased.

"Because I'm wonderful and beautiful, obviously."

"And so very humble too, I see," Lupin said with a smirk.

Harry jumped and gave a dramatic squeal before turning around to face his teacher, who had walked in behind them.

"Are you implying something, Professor?" Harry asked, playing offended.

"If he is, he's got the right idea!" Daphne laughed.

"Anything but humble, this one," Pansy joked, jerking her thumb at Harry.

"Nice friends I have!" Harry whined playfully.

Lupin chuckled amused and walked over to his desk. A small wave of his wand, the radio turned off before the teacher looked over at the settling students with a smile.

"Alright, class! Today's will be a practical lesson. You will only need your wands," he said.

A few curious looks were exchanged as the class put away their books. They had never had a practical Defense Against the Dark Arts before.

"Right then," Professor Lupin said smiling.
"If you'd follow me."

Puzzled but interested, the class got to its feet and followed Professor Lupin out of the classroom. He led them along the deserted corridor and around a corner and stopped, right outside the staff-room door.

"Inside, please," Professor Lupin said, opening it and standing back.

Lupin beckoned the class towards the end of the room, where there was nothing except an old wardrobe in which the teachers kept their spare robes. As Professor Lupin went to stand next to it, the wardrobe gave a sudden wobble, banging off the wall.

"Nothing to worry about, there's a Boggart in there," Professor Lupin said calmly, as a few people jumped backwards in alarm.

Harry's eyes started shining immediately at those words. They were going to face a Boggart? Was he really going to be given the opportunity to hold more sensitive information about his friends? He loved this class!

He only listened with half an ear to Lupin's explanation of how they loved dark, tiny spaces and that they were shapeshifters that took the form of the fear of the person nearest to them. Harry was too busy imagining how he would be able to use this to his advantage later on, and with the terrified looks every student in the class threw at him, they all knew it too.

"The charm that repels a Boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a Boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing. We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please … Riddikulus!"

Everyone dutifully repeated the spell, Harry still with a wolfish grin stretched on his face. Sadly, Professor Lupin noticed him and smirked.

"Harry! You look awfully happy!" he said.
"Why don't you come to the front and we'll change that for you."

Harry blinked innocently and stepped forward.

"You remember what to do, right?" Lupin asked.
"What do you think the Boggart will turn into?"

"Dunno," Harry replied honestly, giving a shrug.

"Well, we all know you're pretty fearless," Lupin chuckled.
"Stories of your adventures the last two years have spread quite a bit."

Harry laughed and gave a flourish bow.

"Maybe the Boggart will stop existing!" he joked.

"It won't even become the Dark Lord or Sirius Black?"

Harry smirked.

"Don't underestimate me, professor."

. . . . .

"Quinn-"

"Don't talk to me," Harry hissed.

Theo snapped his mouth shut and looked down at his food. Ever since the Defense class, Harry had been in the foulest mood. He had stood in front of the wardrobe with a cocky smirk, his wand in hand and body relaxed until the Boggart stepped out. All cheer had disappeared from his face and he went completely blank before screaming with rage and stomping out of the classroom.

Fucking. Batman. He hadn't wanted to see that bastard show up as his biggest fear. He'd gone straight towards the Slytherin dorms and threw the biggest temper tantrum he'd had in years, where everything in the room either started floating or exploded. After he'd calmed down a bit, he was forced to admit that he understood why it was Batman. He always tried to tear Harry's family apart and every time Joker and Harley ended up in Arkham, Harry couldn't help but fear that he may never see them again.

"Hello, Harry."

Harry pulled himself out of his musings and smiled up at Luna Lovegood.

"Hey there, beautiful," he said smirking.

"Don't worry," the girl said, ignoring Harry's attempt to flirt.
"He's not a danger to your family. He won't get them forever."

Harry scowled in confusion, but he quickly shook it off and smiled.

"Thank you, Luna."

. . . . .

Harry was pleased to get out of the castle after lunch. Yesterday's rain had cleared; the sky was a clear, pale grey and the grass was springy and damp underfoot as they set off for their first ever Care of Magical Creatures class.

He was flanked by Draco and Theo while Pansy and Tracy walked behind them, together with Crabbe and Goyle who both took the same classes as Draco. Harry walked beside them in silence as they went down the sloping lawns to Hagrid's hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. He noticed a mop of bright red hair (though not as bright as his own) and very bushy brown hair. They must have the class with Gryffindor. Hagrid was waiting for his class at the door of his hut. He stood in his moleskin overcoat, with Fang the boarhound at his heels, looking impatient to start.

"C'mon, now, get a move on!" he called, as the class approached.
"Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"

Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees, and five minutes later, they found themselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing in there.

"Everyone gather round the fence here!" he called.
"That's it – make sure yeh can see. Now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books."

"How?" Draco drawled annoyed.

"Eh?" Hagrid asked confused.

"How do we open our books?" Draco repeated.

He took out his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which he had bound shut with a length of rope. Other people took theirs out, too; some, like Harry, had belted their book shut while others had crammed them inside tight bags or clamped them together with bullclips.

"Hasn' – hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" Hagrid asked, looking crestfallen.

The class all shook their heads.

"Yeh've got ter stroke 'em," Hagrid said, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Look…"

He took Hermione's copy and ripped off the Spellotape that bound it. The book tried to bite, but Hagrid ran a giant forefinger down its spine, and the book shivered, and then fell open and lay quiet in his hand.

"Oh, how silly we've all been!" Draco sneered.
"We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess!"

"I … I thought they were funny," Hagrid said uncertainly to Hermione.

"Oh, tremendously funny!" Draco growled angrily.
"Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off!"

"Don't be so boring, Drakey!" Harry laughed.
"You'd be surprised how many 'monsters' can be calmed by just a bit of stroking. Like Cerberus, a Basilisk, me."

"I'll keep in mind next time you're planning something, I just need to pet you," Draco said blankly.

Harry grinned and leaned closer.

"You also need to know where to pet," he whispered.

Draco scowled confused, but when Harry looked down meaningfully at his crotch, he hissed in annoyance and pushed Harry away.

"And I thought you couldn't get any worse."

"Righ' then," said Hagrid, who seemed to have lost his thread.
"So … so yeh've got yer books an' … an' … now yeh need the Magical Creatures. Yeah. So I'll go an' get 'em. Hang on …"

He strode away from them into the Forest and out of sight.

"God, this place is going to the dogs," Draco said loudly.
"That oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him-"

"Shut up, Malfoy," Ron growled.

Draco glared and Crabbe and Goyle both cracked their knuckles.

"Too bad it wasn't you who died in the Chamber last year, Weasley," the blond sneered.
"Then again, I suppose we should be happy it was one of you at least. Would have been hard not to, there are just so many."

Ron had gone completely red in the face, and he looked about ready to lunge when Hagrid returned. Trotting towards them were a dozen Hippogriffs. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly-looking. Each of the beasts had a thick leather collar around its neck, which was attached to a long chain, and the ends of all of these were held in the vast hands of Hagrid, who came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures.

"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid roared happily, waving a hand at them.
"Beau'iful, aren' they?"

Harry nodded his head eagerly in agreement. He had been worried that they would start with tiny little fairy creatures or something, but instead, Hagrid immediately brought his A-game! Then again, Hagrid was never really aware of safety hazards, so that was a big plus in Harry's book too.

"He's making this way too easy for me," he whispered gleefully at his friends.

The entire group of Slytherins took a few steps away from him instantly.

"So," said Hagrid, rubbing his hands together and beaming around.
"If yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer…"

Harry jumped forward immediately with an eager shout.

"Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' Hippogriffs is they're proud," Hagrid warned.

"Yeah, yeah," Harry muttered dismissively.
"Show respect, let them pick the pace and stuff. I have a cousin who's the same, and my dad's too. You have to let them know you're on their side and give them the space they want. Once you have their trust you can start pushing your luck a little, but too early and you're dead."

He looked back at the other students and smirked.

"It's how I made friends with Draco."

Several students laughed at that and Hagrid smiled.

"Right then – let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak."

He untied one of the chains, pulled the grey Hippogriff away from his fellows and slipped off his leather collar. The class on the other side of the paddock seemed to be holding its breath.

"Easy, now, Harry," Hagrid said quietly.
"Yeh've got eye contact, now try not ter blink – Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much …"

Harry stared with wide, adoring eyes at the magnificent creature before him. He absolutely loved magical creatures. He'd met Fluffy in his first year, the Basilisk in second, and now Buckbeak the Hippogriff. He really hoped that this would end up being a pattern. He gave a short bow and then looked up. The Hippogriff was still staring haughtily at him. It didn't move.

"Ah," Hagrid muttered, sounding worried.
"Right – back away, now, Harry, easy does it."

But then, to Harry's enormous surprise, the Hippogriff suddenly bent his scaly front knees, and sank into what was an unmistakable bow.

"Well done, Harry!" Hagrid exclaimed.
"Right – yeh can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!"

Grinning like a kid on Christmas morning, Harry stepped forward and reached out towards the Hippogriff. He patted the beak several times and the Hippogriff closed his eyes lazily, as though enjoying it. The class broke into applause.

"Righ' then, Harry," Hagrid said beaming.
"I reckon he migh' let yeh ride him!"

"Really?!" Harry asked eagerly.
"Holy shit! Yes! That's amazing!"

Harry put his foot on the top of Buckbeak's wing and hoisted himself onto his back. Buckbeak stood up. Harry wasn't sure where to hold on; everything in front of him was covered in feathers.

"Go on, then!" roared Hagrid, slapping the Hippogriff's hindquarters.

Without warning, twelve-foot wings flapped open on either side of Harry; he just had time to seize the Hippogriff around the neck before he was soaring upwards. It was nothing like a broomstick, and Harry didn't know which one he preferred. The glossy feathers were smooth under his fingers and he held a strong grip as he was rocked back and forth slightly as the hindquarters of the Hippogriff rose and fell with the beating of his wings. It was like riding a horse in the sky.

Buckbeak flew him once around the paddock and then headed back to the ground. He leant forward and braced himself as the smooth neck lowered. Then he felt a heavy thud as the four feet hit the ground and just managed to hold on and push himself straight again.

"That was one of the most amazing things I've done in my life!" Harry crowed as he jumped off the Hippogriff under loud cheers of his classmates.
"Almost as amazing as riding a Cerberus dog into a nest of Acromantulas, raining down righteous fury on them in the form of fire spells!"

The formerly smiling Hagrid turned ghostly pale.

Maybe a little explanation about Harry's Boggart. He isn't scared of Batman as a person, but what he stands for. Harry's biggest fear is abandonment, and in his mind, it will most likely be Batman's fault if he ever lost his parents. For all his issues, Harry is terrified of ending up all alone and he knows that if Batman ever got what he wanted, Harry would never see his family again.

Also, I will be posting less from next week on. I hope to reduce the updates to three times a week, but it's possible I will have to return to once a week. My apologies beforehand.