Chapter 7: Snuffles and Cobbleleds
The Gryffindor 5th years made it up to the DADA corridor just in time, as they were walking rather slowly, and still blabbering about the extraordinary potions lesson. Upon entering Lupin's class, Harry smiled and they all took their seats.
"Well, we seem cheery today," Lupin said, his eyes twinkling as if he had just pulled a marvelous prank.
"Karista made Professor Snape stutter!" Dean and Parvati said together.
"Really?" Lupin said, stifling a large laugh. "Very impressive, Ms. Flannigan?"
Karista was blushing furiously as Hermione and Ron were asking her if she would do it again.
"Well, I should expect a repeat performance then," he smiled warmly at Karista. "Now, before we begin our first lesson on Cobbleleds, I must first introduce my new dog, Snuffles."
A shaggy black dog appeared from behind Lupin's desk and wagged it's tail merrily as it set its' eyes upon Harry. Harry immediately knew that it was Sirius in his animagus form.
"Say hi to everyone, snuffles," Lupin murmured, patting the dog on the head. Immediately it took of down the aisle, listening to the girls shriek "how cute!" Once it reached Harry, Ron, Hermione and Karista, it sat down and raised its paw to shake.
"What a cutie!" Karista said, taking it and shaking as the dog let out a deep bark of approval. It then weaved its' way through to Harry and jumped in his lap.
"Alright, Snuffles, alright," Lupin smiled, calling back the dog amid gales of laughter from his classmates. "Now today we will be learning about a particularly nasty animal, which is, well, rare and people have hardly ever seen it. The only ones who have seen it are dead."
A huge gasp arose in the air as Lupin opened his book. "Open your own books to page 397."
A ruffling of papers and backpacks sounded as they looked for their books.
"The Cobbleddeds, we'll call them cobbles for short, look very innocent," he said, raising his book so that everyone could see the picture. "Has anyone ever seen a miniature dachshund? The little dogs that muggles raise as pets?"
A few people raised their hands, including Harry, Karista and Hermione. Ron just sat and looked puzzled.
"The cobbles take after the look of a dachshund, but don't be fooled. They have large wings, which means they can fly…they also have razor sharp teeth and claws that can do some pretty bad damage. When they are angry, they turn a nasty shade of green and their eyes turn yellow and they make a spitting sound much like a cat. They eat chickens and red meat and are particularly obnoxious. They can swim pretty fast too."
***
While everyone poured out of the DADA classroom with happy faces on, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Karista walked up to Lupin's desk.
"Hi there, Harry! I would have talked to you last night, even this morning bu-," Lupin stopped, because the three of them were shaking their heads, telling him that he shouldn't say anything about him being a werewolf, or even about Sirius. Luckily Lupin got the hint and went silent.
"I see that we have more newcomers here," Lupin said, a dignified smile on his face as he stuck out his had for Karista to shake.
"I hear you are an excellent teacher, professor Lupin," Karista said, sounding sincere.
Lupin couldn't help but blush. He then noticed Snuffles was bumping his hand.
"Oh, looks like he has to go out," Lupin said. "I'll see YOU all later?"
"Yes," Harry said, hoping it would be soon. They left the classroom, but as soon as they got into the corridor, Karista narrowed her eyes.
"That isn't a dog," she muttered, making Ron, Harry and Hermione spin around.
"Of c-course it is, Karista," Harry stuttered. How did she know?
"You can tell it isn't. It doesn't even act like the breed it is," she said, eyeing Lupin's door.
"Maybe we should tell her, Harry," Ron whispered to Harry.
"Um, then there is something that I should tell you, Karista," Harry muttered, eyeing the Slytherins that were walking down the corridor. "Just not here."
They made their way up to their common room.
"Well, what is it you wanted to tell me?" Karista asked once they had sat down.
"You are right, the dog is an animagus," Harry started looking at Karista's reaction. "The man who is the animagus' name is Sirius- Sirius Black."
Karista sat looking at them, puzzled. Obviously they must have expected her to know what the name meant, but she had no clue.
"He's my godfather," harry said, continuing, hoping to help her understand.
"I am supposed to understand something here, I take it," she said, looking at the expressions on their faces.
They then went on to tell her the story about Sirius and being Harry's parent's secret keeper. How he had supposedly betrayed their trust and told Voldemort their whereabouts. Karista suddenly understood.
"I remember hearing about that," she started. They then told her about Peter, otherwise known as Wormtail, who had once been James, Remus and Sirius' friend.
"I guess that makes sense," Karista said, a weak smile on her face. "But does Dumbledore know-."
"Yes, he's known about it at least since our 3rd year, possibly even longer that he's an animagus, but he should know he's here."
"Okay…I was almost going to go back in their and call him on it," she said, absent mindedly patting her wand. "Thanks for telling me."
Once they were sure she wouldn't so anything to Sirius or Lupin, they headed off for their History of magic lesson, with a considerably lighter conscious.
The Gryffindor 5th years made it up to the DADA corridor just in time, as they were walking rather slowly, and still blabbering about the extraordinary potions lesson. Upon entering Lupin's class, Harry smiled and they all took their seats.
"Well, we seem cheery today," Lupin said, his eyes twinkling as if he had just pulled a marvelous prank.
"Karista made Professor Snape stutter!" Dean and Parvati said together.
"Really?" Lupin said, stifling a large laugh. "Very impressive, Ms. Flannigan?"
Karista was blushing furiously as Hermione and Ron were asking her if she would do it again.
"Well, I should expect a repeat performance then," he smiled warmly at Karista. "Now, before we begin our first lesson on Cobbleleds, I must first introduce my new dog, Snuffles."
A shaggy black dog appeared from behind Lupin's desk and wagged it's tail merrily as it set its' eyes upon Harry. Harry immediately knew that it was Sirius in his animagus form.
"Say hi to everyone, snuffles," Lupin murmured, patting the dog on the head. Immediately it took of down the aisle, listening to the girls shriek "how cute!" Once it reached Harry, Ron, Hermione and Karista, it sat down and raised its paw to shake.
"What a cutie!" Karista said, taking it and shaking as the dog let out a deep bark of approval. It then weaved its' way through to Harry and jumped in his lap.
"Alright, Snuffles, alright," Lupin smiled, calling back the dog amid gales of laughter from his classmates. "Now today we will be learning about a particularly nasty animal, which is, well, rare and people have hardly ever seen it. The only ones who have seen it are dead."
A huge gasp arose in the air as Lupin opened his book. "Open your own books to page 397."
A ruffling of papers and backpacks sounded as they looked for their books.
"The Cobbleddeds, we'll call them cobbles for short, look very innocent," he said, raising his book so that everyone could see the picture. "Has anyone ever seen a miniature dachshund? The little dogs that muggles raise as pets?"
A few people raised their hands, including Harry, Karista and Hermione. Ron just sat and looked puzzled.
"The cobbles take after the look of a dachshund, but don't be fooled. They have large wings, which means they can fly…they also have razor sharp teeth and claws that can do some pretty bad damage. When they are angry, they turn a nasty shade of green and their eyes turn yellow and they make a spitting sound much like a cat. They eat chickens and red meat and are particularly obnoxious. They can swim pretty fast too."
***
While everyone poured out of the DADA classroom with happy faces on, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Karista walked up to Lupin's desk.
"Hi there, Harry! I would have talked to you last night, even this morning bu-," Lupin stopped, because the three of them were shaking their heads, telling him that he shouldn't say anything about him being a werewolf, or even about Sirius. Luckily Lupin got the hint and went silent.
"I see that we have more newcomers here," Lupin said, a dignified smile on his face as he stuck out his had for Karista to shake.
"I hear you are an excellent teacher, professor Lupin," Karista said, sounding sincere.
Lupin couldn't help but blush. He then noticed Snuffles was bumping his hand.
"Oh, looks like he has to go out," Lupin said. "I'll see YOU all later?"
"Yes," Harry said, hoping it would be soon. They left the classroom, but as soon as they got into the corridor, Karista narrowed her eyes.
"That isn't a dog," she muttered, making Ron, Harry and Hermione spin around.
"Of c-course it is, Karista," Harry stuttered. How did she know?
"You can tell it isn't. It doesn't even act like the breed it is," she said, eyeing Lupin's door.
"Maybe we should tell her, Harry," Ron whispered to Harry.
"Um, then there is something that I should tell you, Karista," Harry muttered, eyeing the Slytherins that were walking down the corridor. "Just not here."
They made their way up to their common room.
"Well, what is it you wanted to tell me?" Karista asked once they had sat down.
"You are right, the dog is an animagus," Harry started looking at Karista's reaction. "The man who is the animagus' name is Sirius- Sirius Black."
Karista sat looking at them, puzzled. Obviously they must have expected her to know what the name meant, but she had no clue.
"He's my godfather," harry said, continuing, hoping to help her understand.
"I am supposed to understand something here, I take it," she said, looking at the expressions on their faces.
They then went on to tell her the story about Sirius and being Harry's parent's secret keeper. How he had supposedly betrayed their trust and told Voldemort their whereabouts. Karista suddenly understood.
"I remember hearing about that," she started. They then told her about Peter, otherwise known as Wormtail, who had once been James, Remus and Sirius' friend.
"I guess that makes sense," Karista said, a weak smile on her face. "But does Dumbledore know-."
"Yes, he's known about it at least since our 3rd year, possibly even longer that he's an animagus, but he should know he's here."
"Okay…I was almost going to go back in their and call him on it," she said, absent mindedly patting her wand. "Thanks for telling me."
Once they were sure she wouldn't so anything to Sirius or Lupin, they headed off for their History of magic lesson, with a considerably lighter conscious.