Harry Potter and the Poodle of Magic Alcatraz

Chapter 19

What if they had more pet trouble that day?

By

Jason Richard

So once again, children began boarding the Hogwarts express, ready to go home for the year. Students poured into the station with their bags packed and their brains filled with what they'd learned over the year.

Their professors wished they'd learned more, but what can you do?

As Harry finished packing, he wondered what had happened to Peter Pettigrew, and if the man's ex-wife was still chasing him.

...

She was.

Ex-Wife: "Get back here you rat in every sense of the word!"

Pettigrew: "Nooooooooo!"

...

Harry walked towards the platform, lamenting that he'd be going back to the Dursley's house. He'd gotten a chance to live with someone who seemed like he'd actually care for him, and now? Harry hoped things wouldn't get worse.

"Ah," said Draco Malfoy. "Life is good."

And things got worse, making Harry grimace.

"A dangerous criminal has gotten what they deserve," said Draco.

"Why do you care about Sirius Black?" asked Harry.

Draco: "Not him. That miserable Hippogriff."

Draco didn't realize that Buckbeak was alive. This, Harry noticed, was an opportunity. Harry discreetly uttered a spell that he conveniently knew, one that would make Draco's voice project itself outward when he got home. Buckbeak would undoubtedly hear it. Sirius would keep the hippogriff safe, and besides, this was too good to pass up.

"You better stop badmouthing Buckbeak," said Harry.

"Oh yeah?" said Draco. "Why should I?"

And Harry just grinned, walking away.

Draco: "Wait. Why should I? Hey! Don't ignore me! Why should I stop!?"

But Harry ignored him. Draco grimaced.

Draco: "Eh. What am I worried about?"

…

On the train ride home, Harry, Hermione, and Ron sat together, and both Ron and Hermione had sour looks.

"Still upset about your pets?" asked Harry.

Both of them, "Don't ask."

Harry didn't press the issue, but he did take his wand and point it at Hedwig. His pet, it seemed, was really an owl after all. That was comforting.

Suddenly the window opened, and something landed inside. It out to be a very tiny owl carrying a letter.

Harry took the letter, and it turned out to be from Sirius.

Dear Harry,

I'm so sorry things didn't turn out as we hoped, but I'm glad we have a chance to get to know each other, even if it has to be under the radar. Hope to hear from you soon. Also, I wanted to mention that it was me who sent you the Firebolt for Christmas. Just a little present from your Godfather. Also, I'm sorry about Ron's rat not being a Ron, so I figured he might want to keep the scop owl that brought this letter. I'll send something for Hermione later.

You're ever loving Godfather,

Sirius.

"Yay!" cried Ron. "I have a pet that isn't a forty-year-old man in disguise!"

"You hope," said Hermione.

They all went silent. It occurred to them that there was a worst case scenario here.

"No," said Ron. "Sirius would have checked if it was a real owl before gifting it. He wouldn't have sent a person in disguise after we just got through what that. Would he?"

More silence. The little owl sat on the floor of the train happily, looking all cute and cuddly.

"Well," said Harry. "There's one way to find out." and he lifted his wand.

They waited with bated breath, and Harry waved his wand.

And the tiny owl went POOF!

"Oh thank you," said what the owl turned into. "Harry Potter would not believe the day Dobby has had."

All three of them: "OH COME ON!"

…

At the Malfoy Manor Draco strolled along the path. Birds were singing, flowers were blooming, and the Malfoy's were rich wizards.

"AAAAH," said Draco. "Life is good...if occasionally annoying."

Harry's warning and grin over Buckbeak the hippogriff were still getting to him. Nothing bad would happen if he insulted that stupid Hippogriff again. Nothing at all.

He'd prove it.

So Draco took a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs, "
All hippogriffs are ugly, stupid brutes!"

Figured he'd throw all hippogriffs in there, just to be certain.

Draco strolled forward for a few minutes, but then stopped. He heard something — a loud rushing noise. The wind was starting to pick up. It started blowing faster and faster until Draco's hair and robes were billowing around him.

Then Draco turned and saw it...an Army of Hippogriffs rushing straight towards him, their eyes bloodshot with rage.

And Draco gave a girly scream heard round the world.

...

Harry, in the car ride home with the Dursleys, grinned from ear to ear, sensing that his plan had worked out better than he'd anticipated.

"What are you grinning at?" asked Dudley.

"Oh nothing," said Harry. "So...cousin who always bullies me...have you ever seen a hippogriff?"

…

Severus Snape had followed Draco, waiting for him to say something bad about Lily again so that he could take revenge again. However, it seemed that Harry had things covered this year. That army of Hippogriffs was pretty amazing. Revenge worthy of a Slytherin.

Harry would have done well in Slytherin, Snape thought.

…

Harry shuddered. He didn't know what, and he didn't know who, but someone had just thought something...unthinkable.