"Harry! Besh! its okay, I've got 'er!"
Tristina, who had been admiring the fresh view of the border of Mavlow Forest, snapped her head towards the edge of the forest. a boy, tall and skinny with overly baggy clothes, stepped from the shadows. Next to him was a lanky feline who wore a green T-shirt and baggy roughed up blue jeans.
"Tristina, this is..."
"Harry Potter." Tristina interrupted, smiling to the human boy.
"You...you know me?" Harry asked, seemingly taken aback.
"M'sorry, Harry. I should have told yeh before. where Tristina comes comes from, yer famous."
Harry blinked up at the bearded man. "I...I am?"
"Sure, Harry." said the black furred feline. "I told you so when we met, remember?"
"*Excuse me,*" Tristina interrupted in kesun. "*I know* Harry Potter, *but I dont know you.*"
"Aside from 'Harry Potter', I'm afraid none of us understood a word of that, Tristina." said Hagrid, looking down to the small girl at his side. Tristina's ears drooped to the sides of her head, and her gaze fell to the floor.
"Let me try something." said the feline suddenly, and Tristina felt her cheeks redden. "*Is master punishing me for something? By sending me away with people I cant-*"
"Hello, Tristina. my name is Besh Tykos. Do you understand me?" Tristina's ears perked up as the foregin -yet comprehensable- language fell upon them.
"Do you understand me?" The feline asked again. realizing her mouth was hanging open, Tristina snapped it shut and slowly nodded. Catching on, Tristina decided to give this 'new' language a try.
folding her tongue against the back of her mouth, Tristina took a breath and let out a low, rumbling bleat. "awweye..." Besh frowned, his eyebrows knitting together as Hagrid gave out a curious chuckle.
Tristina frowned and repeated her previous attempt, this time letting her tongue rest a bit more on her bottom jaw. "I." Besh's face cleared and he nodded brightly, then translated the letter into english.
"I?" Harry repeated. "I dont think she's ever used animalese before." said Besh. Pressing her tongue fully against the roof of her mouth, Tristina let out what sounded like a muffled growl, then a hiss, followed by a short bleat.
"Un...der...stand..." she said slowly, sounding the word out.
Tristina then repeated the word. "You understand?" Harry asked, smiling as Tristina nodded furiously.
"Thankfully she understands english," said Hagrid, leading them back into the forest.
"So we'll only need you to translate what she's saying, Besh."
"Okay Hagrid." said Besh.
As Tristina followed Hagrid, Besh, and Harry deeper into the forest, she mostly kept her eyes on the back of Hagrid's shins. "Tristina." Tristina looked up as Besh's voice reached her. "If you have any questions, you can ask me, and I'll answer as best I can okay."
"quest-eons are...for-bid-den...where I come...from." Tristina replied, slowing down for the more difficult words.
"You can ask all the questions you like with us, Tristina." said Hagrid when Besh translated her reply. Tristina bit her lip nervously, but looked up as Hagrid stopped by a machine Tristina vaguely recognized.
It resembled the hover bikes Tristina had seen the guards occasionally use, but it two rubber circles near the back, one near the front, and what appeared to be a oddly shaped metal oval on one side.
"Besh, what that?" Tristina asked, pointing to contraption. "It's called a motorbike, Tristina." explained Hagrid after Besh had translated. "Go ahead and climb on behind me. Besh, you squeeze in with Harry again."
Despite being unsure if she was allowed, Tristina still knew a command when she heard one. Tristina approached the 'motorbike' (as Hagrid called it) and yelped as Hagrid picked her up around her waist and plopped her on the seat behind him.
Tristina immidately flattened her arms around Hagrids sides as the motorbike lurched and rumbled to life. then she clung to his trench coat as the motorbike tore through the trees and finally, into the air.
As the gentle breeze ran through Tristina's facial fur and hair, she lifted her nose to clouds and took a deep breath.
The feeling...Tristina closed her eyes as her heart clenched painfully inside her chest.
"Steady Tiff. your doing fine. Just let it come..." "I'm trying, Alex. I'm trying. Dang, you make it look so easy..."
"You okay, Tristina?" Besh roared over the wind. Tristina blinked and looked over at him to find both he and Harry staring curiously at her.
"Whats 'smatter?" Hagrid called over his shoulder to Besh, his wirey hair and mustache mercilessly slapping his goggles.
"Bad thought!" Tristina roared back to Besh. "EX...plane...later!" Tristina finished, still struggling with Animalese langauge.
Besh nodded and turned to Hagrid. "She said she'll tell us later!" Besh called. "Something about bad thoughts!" Besh called to Harry as they settled down uncomfortably in the sidecar.
After what seemed like days, the Hagrid coined 'Motorbike' began to dip lower and lower towards a land Tristina had never seen before.
Squat, brick buildings stood close together, only separated by dingy cramped aisles Besh said were called 'alleys'. various strange people dressed in either trench coats like Hagrid or bulky shirts and trousers like Besh walked busily along the sidewalks.
a dull hum of chatter filled Tristina's ears, and she wondered if she could tune it out like she did Tarkama's lectures.
As they landed near one of the more deserted looking buildings, Hagrid instructed the three of them to dismount as he pushed the bike into the shadows.
"I'll come back for this when you all are finished." said Hagrid. "Come with me." said Hagrid, leading them towards the bustling sidewalks. Harry lined up behind Hagrid, Tristina behind Harry, and Besh behind Tristina.
"In 'ere." said Hagrid, motioning to a door Tristina wouldnt have noticed if Hagrid hadn't pointed it out.
filing through the door, Tristina, Besh, and Harry entered a smoky dank filled room lined with tables and various people gathered in groups.
"Hello there, Hagrid!" said a voice from a long shadowy alcove next to the far wall. "Usual I presume?"
"Not today, Tom." Hagrid reply with a hint of pride in his voice.
"I'm on offical Hogwarts business. Just helping young Harry, Besh, and Tristina here buy thier school supplies." Tom's smiling face faded as he spotted the trio Hagrid was referring to.
"Bless my soul." He whispered "It's Harry Potter and Tristina Veganstroth."
The hum of chatter died almost instantly at Harrys name. Tristina looked around to see the occupants of the pub were now staring at ethier herself or Harry.
"Blimey" she heard one voice whisper. "Whats Veganstroth done to her?"
"Did Tom say 'Harry Potter'?"
"Such a pity. To be so brave, and now so ragged... "
"Its Potter. Harry Potter."
Tristina nearly jumped as a eager looking man clasped Harry's left hand in both of his own. "Welcome back, Mr. Potter." He bleated happily "Welcome Back." Harry nodded, smiling politely.
As the man turned to Tristina, however, his smile was soon joined by unshed tears. "My dear...I'm so sorry..." He said, patting her cheek as he hobbled away.
"Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter." said an excited looking woman, shaking Harrys hand as the man had done. "I cant believe I'm meeting you at last."
As she turned to Tristina, however, her smile faded considerably. "I...I'm sorry." she said, turning from Tristina and taking out a handkerchief.
Tristina scooted closer to Besh as more people started to crowd towards both herself and Harry. Just as they were about to make it to the door near the back, a scrawny man in purple and white robes and a purple turbin stepped forward. "Harry P-P-Potter. S-s-such a honor, to m-m-meet you."
"Oh, hello Professor." said Hagrid, coming up behind the trio. "I didn't see you there. Harry, Besh, Tristina, this is Professor Quirrel. He'll be your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
"Oh, hello." said Harry, as if he suddenly remembered why he was there. "My dear." said Quirrel, clutching Tristina's branded hand with both of his own. "I'm s-s-so s-s-sorry about your-"
Tristina cried out as a piercing ringing filled her ears, followed by a stabbing pain. Moaning in agony, Tristina stumbled away from Quirrel as the world began to spin and something stiff and cold began to run down her arms.
"s-s-s-sorry. s-s-so sorry, Hagrid. I d-d-didn't know she'd r-r-r-react like that." "'sokay, Professor. Tarkama mentioned something about her being dangerous, but he never said she was a danger to 'erself! Ruddy tyrant." Tristina let out a quiet wimper and opened her eyes to see what she first took as a fellow slave. hearing a few clicks of metal,
As her vision cleared, however, she recognized the strangers to in fact be Hagrid, Besh, and Harry. "Are you okay, Tristina?" Tristina nodded as she staggered to her feet. "It was nice seeing you, Professor, but we'd better get going." said Hagrid as Tristina distinctly picked up the entrance door to the pub creak open.
Tristina grunted, bleated, hissed and snorted out a explaination to Harry, which Besh soon translated. "She said sometimes she'll have thoughts that cause her head to hurt. Anything can cause it, a word, a phrase, even certain tastes and smells. If she doesn't stop thinking about whats causing the headache, it will get worse and eventually, she'll spark and pass out." Besh explained, frowning as Tristina kept her gaze to the floor.
"but what about those metal things that ran down her arms?" Harry asked. Tristina frowned and pointed to her collar. "yeah, they came from there." said Harry. As Tristina was about to explain, Hagrid interrupted them
"Come on, you three. we've got a lot to do."
"You okay, Tristina?" Harry asked once they had caught up to Hagrid. Tristina nodded, frowning...and now more confused than ever.