Year 3: Not Quite Right
Chapter 24: December 2017
December arrived and Louis could finally see the finish line of his first term of third year. He was greatly looking forward to the opportunity to return home for two weeks of very little homework so that he could take a break from the numerous assignments he had to complete every week. Not that he was complaining. He much preferred this year's arrangement to those of previous years. But he also knew he needed a chance to recharge himself for the second term.
It was in a habitual way that Louis and Justin made their way down to the dungeon corridor containing Cormoran the Cruel the first Sunday of the month. They were used to this routine by now, and could almost feel comfortable with the arrangement, despite being in Slytherin territory, far removed from the rest of the school.
They were expecting Darian Reed tonight. After months of dancing this game with the Slytherins, Louis and Justin had worked out the pattern by which the Slytherins decided who would meet with them any given week. Flint never came, not since the last week of September. The other four boys rotated, also alternating how many of them came on a given night – either one or two.
But when Louis and Justin stepped into the corridor, they found all five Slytherins waiting for them, Flint standing slightly ahead of the group.
Louis froze, as did Justin next to him.
"Just keep walking," Justin muttered out of the corner of his mouth.
Louis forced his legs to advance and walked towards the Slytherins slowly, looking around in fear and racking his brain for any reason they might all be here to beat him and Justin up again. He couldn't think of anything, unless Justin had recently written a particularly bad essay. Louis knew everything that he'd turned in had been top notch. But there was no other explanation for all of this.
Louis and Justin came to a stop just out of Flint's reach and Louis nervously glanced from Flint to the other's faces, trying to gauge the situation. None of them looked angry exactly, but they all looked serious.
"We have your assignments here," Justin said, producing the pile of parchment from his bag.
Flint snapped his fingers and Arthur Pritchard stepped forward, grabbed the homework, and then returned to his original position.
"Now that that's out of the way," Flint said. "There was just one small matter that we wanted to talk to you about."
Louis glanced around in search of an exit in case he needed one, but there was nowhere to run but backwards, and it was a long corridor before he would reach the staircase. He might be fast, but he couldn't count on the Slytherins not being faster.
"We've done everything you've asked," Louis said in a small voice.
"You have," Flint agreed, sending a wave of relief through Louis. They weren't in trouble. Whatever this was, it wasn't about punishment.
"Then what's this about?" Justin asked.
Flint waited a moment before answering.
"Up until now, we feel we've been rather understanding about your poor decision to study ancient runes instead of care of magical creatures," he said.
Louis opened his mouth, preparing to thank Flint for this generosity, but stopped himself when he saw Justin shake his head almost imperceptibly.
"While we feel that it was negligent of you not to check with us prior to selecting your electives, we have looked the other way for three long months. That ends today."
"What – ?"
"It was your choices that have led you to this unfortunate situation," Flint continued. "If you were taking care of magical creatures like you should be, this wouldn't be a problem. Up until now, we've been completing our own assignments for that class. However, we have more important things to do than to draw sketches of horklumps and bowtruckles. So, starting today, the two of you will add our care of magical creatures assignments to your list of responsibilities."
"But we aren't in that class," Justin pointed out.
"That was your choice, not mine," Flint declared. "And thus, is not my problem to solve."
"Are you sure you want us doing your assignments though?" Louis frowned. "If we're not actually there for the lectures, how will we be able to complete the assignments at the correct caliber?"
"That also sounds like your problem," Flint said. "We will expect you to maintain the same level of work that you produce for our other assignments."
It wasn't fair, but then again, nothing with the Slytherins was fair.
"Are we understood?" Flint asked, evidently needing confirmation from the two Gryffindors.
Louis and Justin nodded, just desperate to get away from the five boys looming in front of them with evil grins on their faces. They knew what they were doing was wrong. They always had of course, but Louis could see it in their faces now more clearly than ever before. They knew what they were doing was wrong. They were just doing it anyway.
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Back in their dorm, Louis let out the loudest scream he could muster. It was so loud that Brendan Kelley from the dorm above theirs poked his head in to make sure everything was alright as he descended to the common room. Louis was nearing the end of his rope. He didn't know how much more of this he could take.
"How are we supposed to take on five shares of care of magical creatures assignments every week when we aren't even taking the course?" he demanded.
Justin shrugged. "There's always the library," he pointed out. "And I think at least one of our dormmates is taking the subject, so we can ask him for the assignments."
"Won't that seem suspicious?" Louis asked.
"What else are we supposed to do?" Justin wondered. "Ask Professor Hagrid for the assignments every week?"
Louis thought about it for a moment. "That actually might not be a bad idea," he admitted.
"Come again?" Justin frowned.
"Hagrid loves talking about magical creatures," Louis explained. "And he can sometimes be blinded by his love for them. If we just go visit him and show interest in the subject, we'd probably learn a lot, specifically the kinds of things he'd be looking for in an assignment."
Justin considered. "Isn't that kind of like cheating though?" he asked.
"Isn't this all basically cheating?" Louis pointed out.
Justin did admit that Louis had a good point there, and with a little more persuading, agreed that talking to Professor Hagrid was their best bet.
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The next day, once classes had let out for the afternoon, Louis and Justin began to make their way outside and across the grounds to the building where Hagrid lived. They'd never been there before, or even had any reason to go near it, and were surprised when they saw just how plain and small it was.
"He could be living in the castle," Justin muttered to Louis as they approached. "He could have lavish quarters just like all the other professors. Why do you think he lives out here?"
Louis shrugged. "Beats me," he said.
Though his parents and many of his aunts and uncles always talked very highly of Hagrid, Louis had never had much of a chance to interact with the man. It was with a slight bit of trepidation that Louis reached up and knocked on the door.
There was the sound of scuffling, and furniture moving on the inside, and then the door was thrown open to reveal Hogwarts' resident half-giant and care of magical creatures professor, Rubeus Hagrid.
"Louis Weasley!" Hagrid roared in a jovial voice. "And yeh've brought a friend! Good the have yeh, yeh've come fer tea, I presume?"
He stepped aside, gesturing for Louis and Justin to enter, and they did so, though cautiously.
The inside of the cabin smelled strongly of meat and had a very rustic feel to it, very different from the atmosphere in the castle. A kettle was already sitting at the ready next to the fire and Hagrid eagerly filled it with water to boil for tea.
"I always knew one of yeh'd come ter visit me eventually," Hagrid said, grabbing some teacups out of a nearby cupboard and smashing one of them in his enthusiasm.
Louis felt bad. Hagrid was clearly starved for company, and here he was secretly just trying to wheedle information out of the professor so that he could complete some homework assignments. Unfortunately, Louis had a job to do, and he couldn't afford to deviate. Besides, as far as Hagrid had to know, he was just here for a social call.
"This is my friend Justin," Louis made the necessary introductions.
"Nice to meet you Professor Hagrid," Justin shook the professor's hand.
"Ah, jus' Hagrid to yeh boys," Hagrid said. "So, what's been going on up at the castle these days?"
"Oh nothing much," Justin said. "Actually we thought we'd come down to talk to you about magical creatures."
"Yer interested in magical creatures?" Hagrid asked, his eyes lighting up. "But, I don't remember seeing either of yeh in my classes."
"We needed to take arithmancy and ancient runes for the credits," Louis said by way of explanation. "If we could've taken a third class, we definitely would have taken yours."
"Yeh know, I've actually come across evidence of a possible manticore in the forest. Would yeh like to go looking fer it with me?" Hagrid asked hopefully.
"Oh, er – " Louis looked at Justin with a mixture of discomfort and anxiety at the thought of going into the forbidden forest to look for such a highly dangerous creature.
"Actually, we were hoping to start with something a little less… intimidating," Justin said, choosing his words carefully. "For example, what sort of creatures are you teaching the third years about right now?"
It was a beautifully crafted segue into the topic they'd really come here to talk about and Louis applauded Justin for his sneakiness.
"Ah, I see," Hagrid said, nodding in understanding. "Yeh keep hearing yer classmates talking about all the wonderful creatures they've been learning about and yeh want teh learn about 'em yerself."
"Yes, that's it," Louis nodded. "Magical creatures are just so fascinating."
Hagrid nodded in understanding. "Well I've got a treat fer yeh then," he declared. "After we finish our tea, there's somethin' I'd like teh show yeh in the lake."
"What is it?" Louis asked. It was nothing personal, but if Hagrid just wanted to show them the giant squid, he would pass. He and Justin had a lot of homework to get done.
"Well don' go blabbing to yer classmates," Hagrid said in a stage whisper. "It's a surprise fer them see. We've been studying ramoras – did you know that even one tiny fish can anchor an entire ship, as big as Hogwarts even?"
"Really?" Louis asked, making a mental note to remember this fact. "That's impressive."
Hagrid smiled and nodded. "Well anyway, a buddy of mine came across a remora and captured it – technically against the law, because they're protected, see, but he gave it to me and I set it loose in the lake."
"Aren't ramoras usually only found in the Indian Ocean?" Justin asked.
"That's what makes this so special, see?" Hagrid asked.
Louis and Justin exchanged a look, but didn't dare contradict the professor. Besides, if they could study a ramora up close, it would be extremely helpful when they wrote about them later that week.
The kettle began to boil and Hagrid eagerly began pouring everyone some tea. He also produced some round cakes to go with the tea, but upon picking them up, Louis found that they were hard as rocks.
"Don't want to spoil my appetite for dinner," Louis said as he gingerly placed it back on the plate.
Tea passed without any incident. Hagrid told Louis and Justin stories of the years leading up to the second wizarding war, when Louis' Aunts and Uncles would come and visit him every week and share stories of their troubles.
"Yeh haven' got any Slytherin bullies causin' yeh any trouble, have yeh?" Hagrid asked as one point, causing Louis and Justin both to freeze in surprise and fear. How did he know?
But then Louis realized he was just reminiscing about the days when his Uncle Harry would come down and complain about Draco Malfoy and Louis relaxed.
After tea, Louis and Justin followed Hagrid up to the lake, where he stepped out into the lake and attracted the ramora to him by kicking around and splashing to attracting attention.
"Come and have a look-see," Hagrid encouraged the boys.
Figuring it was worth getting a little wet, Louis waded into the lake, followed closely by Justin, and the two boys joined Hagrid in examining the ramora.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Hagrid asked, reaching under the water and attempting to pet it. The ramora didn't seem to like being petted however, and shrunk away from Hagrid's hand. "Shy too," he said.
Louis made a note to include shyness in his description of the ramora when he wrote the Slytherins' assignment. He doubted it was something he'd find in any textbook, likely because it wasn't the reason this ramora had moved away from Hagrid's hand, but he also suspected it would earn the Slytherins a few bonus points.
After marvelling with Hagrid over the ramora for about twenty minutes, Louis and Justin waded back out of the lake, now in serious danger of catching a cold if they didn't get inside and warm up quickly.
"If yeh want, yeh can hang yer cloaks and shoes by me fire," Hagrid offered. "I think I've got some treacle fudge stored away somewhere."
"Maybe next time," Louis said. He still felt a little bad for using Hagrid and wished he could take him up on his offer and actually spend some time with the professor. He was actually a decent guy, albeit obsessed with magical creatures. But he needed to change and then he needed to get going on his homework.
"Alright," Hagrid said easily. "Don' be a stranger!"
"We won't be," Louis assured him, vowing to himself not to fall short to his word.
Just because he needed Hagrid to get the information he needed about magical creatures didn't mean he couldn't also enjoy Hagrid's company. Hagrid was a good guy who seemed a little lonely. Louis could relate to that.
Louis and Justin returned to the castle and immediately climbed to the seventh floor to change their clothes.
"Well that went well," Justin said back in their dormitory. "I think I've got some good stuff I can use for the ramora essay."
"Me too," Louis agreed. "Maybe this won't be so difficult after all."
They didn't get around to the care of magical creatures assignments that night. It wasn't until Wednesday that they finally sat down in the library to write them out. They took out a few books on ramoras while they were at it, just to make sure that they wrote half-decent essays, and had all their work spread out on the table before them.
Just then, Julia and Olivia walked by.
"Oh, Louis I didn't think you were taking care of magical creatures," Julia said in surprise when she saw what they were working on. "I know you're in my ancient runes class, but didn't you also say you were taking arithmancy?"
"I am!" Louis assured her, not wanting her to think he'd lied.
"Then what's all this about?" she asked, pointing to all the books he and Justin had open on ramoras. "Are you taking care of magical creatures, Justin?"
"No, I – "
"This is just some extracurricular stuff we've been working on," Louis told her.
"Wow," Olivia said. "Astronomy and magical creatures. You two sure have a lot of interests."
"Yeah," Louis said, sweating just a little bit. "We sure do. But we should really get back to – "
"Oh, of course," Julia nodded. "I'm really looking forward to our second date," she added, causing Louis to smile outwardly while mentally banging his head against the desk in front of him.
How had his life become this? He couldn't wait for some peace and quiet back home at shell cottage.
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Thankfully, the assignments Louis and Justin completed for the Slytherins' care of magical creatures class received decent enough grades that Flint didn't deem it necessary to beat either of them up. Unfortunately, it also meant that they were now committed to completing these essays until the end of time.
Louis realized that if this continued until graduation, there was a very good chance that he and Justin were going to have to design their N.E.W.T. schedules based on what subjects the Slytherins were taking. And Louis had so been looking forward to finally having classes without the menacing quintet.
"It's fine," Justin assured him when he voiced his fears. "Once we graduate, then we'll be free."
But Louis wasn't even sure of that. He was starting to think this would last forever. What if Flint forced him to take a job at the same place that he went to work so that he could complete both their shares of the work forevermore? How much longer could this go on? Because to be perfectly honest, Louis wasn't sure how much more of it he could take.