Harry Potter and the Kid and the Tiger
Chapter Eight-Hobbes Siberia
"How d'you do it, Harry?" Harry Potter heard his friend Ron Weasley ask in the middle of the night softly, careful not to wake anyone else up.
"What d'you mean how do I do it?" Harry answered back to Ron, also very quietly, "What do I do?"
"You fight You-Know-Who all of the time and win," Ron began, but Harry cut in.
"Yeah, right. Ron, Cedric Diggory was killed last year. Remember that?"
"Yeah," Ron said, "I remember, but let me continue. You never get caught breaking the rules, people, like Colin, fawn all over you, and you've got Hermione!"
Harry was confused, "So, Hermione's my girlfriend what's the matter with that? And trust me all of the fame isn't what it's cracked up to be." To Harry that was the understatement of the year.
"Because I've had a crush on Hermione for two years now. Two years! Harry, how long have you had a crush on her?"
Harry was taken aback, Ron liked Hermione? What? "Ron, I've liked her since I've seen her during the summer. So what?"
"She doesn't like you back!" Ron said, more forcefully, and loudly. Seamus Finnigan moved a little bit in his sleep, and Ron calmed down.
"Ron," Harry said, a little unsure what to say, "I'm sure she does. Why didn't we talk about this before at the Grangers' house, after all you came up with the "prefect couple" thing."
"I know Harry, but I was just hiding my feelings I guess."
"Ron, I'm really sorry. Why you talk to Hermione about it, if she likes you back, I'm sure she'll tell you."
Ron nodded, "Sure, I will Harry. Thanks. Oh, by the way, why were you late coming up to the dorm?"
Harry shifted uncomfortably, he probably shouldn't tell Ron that he'd kissed Hermione. "Er, well, nothing, just getting the people up to their dorms."
Ron didn't seem to swallow this one bit, "Really, Harry. You were gone for fifteen minutes. It doesn't take that long for you make sure everyone's in their dorms."
"Ron," Harry warned, "You don't want to know."
"Why?" Ron asked excitedly, "Did you filch something?"
"No," Harry sighed, "You really don't want to know."
Ron looked indignantly at Harry, "Harry Potter, if you don't tell me, I, Ron Weasley, will never be your friend again!"
"You might not be my friend anyway if I tell you," Harry said, "And be quiet, Dean and Neville almost woke up."
"Harry, I promise, I won't get mad at you."
"All right," Harry sighed again, this was it, crunch time, "I was kissing Hermione."
"Oh," Ron said, with a lump in his throat, "Well, then, good night, Harry."
With that, Ron promptly rolled over and Harry heard him sniffle a little bit, and then he fell asleep.
The next morning, at the Great Hall, Harry came down for breakfast a little late, owning to the fact that he wanted to give Ron some time to talk to Hermione about his feelings for her. Harry devoutly hoped that Ron hadn't chickened out. He also devoutly hoped Hermione didn't like Ron.
Upon coming down to the Gryffindor table, Harry saw that Ron and Hermione were seated as far apart as possible, Harry sighed and supposed that Ron had, indeed, chickened out. Harry walked over to the vacant seat on Hermione's right and sat down.
"I can't believe Ron," Hermione said as soon as they sat down.
Uh oh, Harry thought, What'd Ron do? "Why? What happened?"
"He came to me and told me he loved me, which I highly doubt is true, we're fifteen for Heaven's sake! I told him I had never felt that way about him, and he then made as if to kiss me. So, I hit him so hard his face'll be red for quite some time!" Hermione exclaimed indignantly.
"Sorry, Herms," Harry said, "He told me he had a crush on you last night, and told him to tell you about it. So, this is my fault."
"No it's not, Harry! You have to stop blaming yourself for things that aren't your fault. Besides, I like you and if Ron didn't get that out for awhile, it might wreck our friendship beyond repair," Hermione sighed, "I just hope it's not ruined already."
Harry nodded.
"In any event, we got our schedules today. Double Potions with the Slytherins today," she said, sighing, as she handed Harry his schedule, "Also, no owls came for you."
"Thanks, 'Mione," Harry said. Harry looked at his schedule, it was usual, double Potions, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, etecerta. Harry looked over the schedule for when he'd have Defense Against the Dark Arts. Tomorrow, Harry wondered who the new teacher for the subject was. It was clearly not Snape, as he had been at the Great Hall the day before. Harry thought back to his former Defense teachers, Quirrell, who had been Lord Voldemort's supporter. Lockhart, a pompous git who ended up losing his memory when he tried to perform a Memory Charm and the wand backfired. Lupin, most certainly the best teacher ever had the small problem of being a werewolf and quit after one year. Last year Harry'd had Mad-Eye Moody, who was really Barty Crouch, Jr., a Death Eater taking Polyjuice Potion. He had been given the Dementor's Kiss which sucked his soul out of his body. Harry sincerely hoped the new teacher would last out the year.
As Harry finished his bacon he suggested to Hermione that maybe she should make up with Ron.
"Oh, I know I should," she muttered, "But he's always such a prat about things, your fame, us going out, us getting in the Phoenix Underground. I get sick of it after awhile. I'll just let him simmer down. I'm not looking weak here."
Harry shook his head, "Easy for you to say, you have Ancient Runes and Arthimancy to get away from him. I have an exact duplicate of his classes."
Hermione shrugged, "Well, I'd rather you talk to him then me, you're still his friend. For now."
Harry sighed, "I really wish we never had these kind of fights, me and Ron against you, Ron against me, and now Ron against you, this really makes me feel uncomfortable.
Hermione nodded, "Well, we better get to Potions. I don't want to know how many points Snape'll take off Gryffindor if we're late."
Harry nodded, and left holding hands with Hermione.
Actually, it wasn't Harry and Hermione who were late for Potions, but Ron, which caused Snape to take ten points from Gryffindor. Then, Neville spilled his Sleeping Potion all over the floor, but he had put in too much unicorn hair, and the dungeon floor melted away. The new kid Calvin, then accidentally turned out a diluted Love Potion instead of a Sleeping Potion by mixing up lacesods with lacewings and gillyweed with gillywater, so that when he tested it on himself and Lavander Brown, they ended up kissing for about two minutes, all while pledging eternal love to each other.
All in all, one hundred points gone from Gryffindor, on the first day of the term.
As the Gryffindors walked up the steps to the castle that night they had managed to lose an additional fifty points because while in Charms, Calvin had accidentally imitated wizard Baruffilo, and ended up on the ground with a water buffalo on his chest when attempting to Banish a pillow.
"Man, how could he be Dumbledore's relative?"
"They must have made a mistake, no one related to Dumbledore could make mistakes like that!"
Calvin, who had always been somewhat short, seemed to shrink further down to the ground as he heard those words and Harry felt sorry for the poor kid. He remembered in his second year when most of the school had thought he was the Heir of Slytherin, and was attacking Muggle-borns. It hadn't been a good feeling.
Once inside the common room, most of the Gryffindors decided to let of steam by playing a game of Exploding Snap, doing their homework, or watching the twins come up with new ideas for their joke shop, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes (or Triple-W as they were calling it). Harry grinned as he remembered how he had given the twins the thousand Galleons he had won at the Triwizard Tournament to get Ron some new dress robes, and finance the joke shop.
Harry, meanwhile, was doing his homework on the common room table with Hermione, wondering if he'd ever get up the courage to kiss her again.
"So," Hermione said, "Did you talk to Ron today?"
Harry shook his head, "He was completely avoiding me. I really hate that. It was bad enough when he did that last year. This year, though, it seems worse," Harry's quill went off the paper a little bit.
"It's my fault," Hermione mumbled.
"What do you mean?" Harry inquired, "Great wizards, how could it be your fault."
Hermione heaved a deep sigh, "I sort of liked him last year, but I think that was because I thought he had a crush on me. I guess I got a little big-headed with Krum after me, and led him on a little bit. Flirted with him some when you were at Quidditch practise and all."
"You flirted with him?" Harry asked incredulously, his voice rising
"Nothing really, smiled at him and tried to ask like I liked him a little bit. We got in that argument after the Yule Ball because I thought he liked me. But, that only lasted a few weeks. I guess 'cuz I knew I really didn't like him in that way. I've always had a crush on you, since first year, when you were going after the Philosopher's Stone, down there when I hugged you, I remember how good that felt, or when you and Ron figured out the basilisk in our second year..."
Harry smiled, "I should have picked up on the signs earlier."
Hermione smiled faintly, "I guess, but I'm glad I'm with you now. How about I talk to Ron instead?"
Harry shook his head, "No, I'll go."
They both looked at each other and said at the same time, "Then we'll both go." Smiling Harry and Hermione walked over to a corner of the Gryffindor common room where Ron was sitting, absent-mildly stacking Exploding Snap cards. He looked up at them.
"I'm sorry, why am I such a git? I mean, this is twice I've gotten mad like this. Maybe I need to see a shrink."
Harry shook his head, and so did Hermione.
"Ron, it's all our fault," Hermione said, "I shouldn't have let you think I liked you, you shouldn't have tried to kiss me," at this Ron flushed a deep shade of red that was near purple, "and Harry, well, Harry's the innocent bystander. Add you do need to curb your jealousy," she added.
Ron looked at Hermione and raised his eyebrows, "Well, Harry, I guess it's true, girls to mature earlier then guys, and in this case they become psychologists as well."
Harry rolled his eyes, and Ron stood up, "Well," Ron said, "I s'pose we're friends now again."
Harry and Hermione nodded.
"And I won't be jealous of you two anymore. I'm really sorry for trying to kiss you Hermione."
Hermione smiled, "Don't worry about it Ron, now c'mon and do your homework with me and Harry."
After they did their homework, Harry and Hermione helped the sixth-year prefects herd the rest of the Gryffindors up the stairs, after a final check they went to their dormitories. Harry suddenly found himself standing in front of the girls dorm, and not the boy's dorm. Oh great. Might as well make the best of it...Harry leaned in and kissed Hermione on the lips, enjoying the feeling he got as she kissed him back and hugged him 'round his neck. As they reluctantly came up for air Harry felt a sudden heat, and not from Hermione. Turning, he saw the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan sending off red sparks and reddish smoke in the shape of hearts from their wands.
"Awwwwwwww."
"Ohhhhhh, how sweet."
"Sniff," Lee said pretending to dab his eyes with a handkerchief.
Harry and Hermione both blushed a heavy shade of red, and Hermione hastily went into her dorm while Harry rushed off in the direction of the boy's dorm.
The next morning, the day they would finally see the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, nobody had him yet, as the sixth and seventh years were to have him (her?) on Friday, so the fifth years were having the first shot at him. Harry, however, was definitely more worried about what Hermione would say about last night when he had kissed her. The stupid twins! What if Hermione didn't like him anymore, or was embarrassed to be with him? He waited nervously in the common room for Hermione. When she came down, she walked straight towards him and smiled. Harry breathed a deep sigh of relief.
"What?," Hermione teased, "You think I would leave the castle because of Fred and George?"
Harry sniggered, "I would hope not. Let's go get some breakfast."
In the Great Hall, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, sat down to get breakfast in a much better mood then they had eaten the day before. All of the fifth years were hyped about the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, as nobody even knew if the teacher was male or female, and many students had bet several Galleons and Sickles on who it would be. Besides Harry, Ron, and Hermione who found this amusing, especially some of the names tossed around, only Calvin refused to bet a single Knut on who the teacher would be. When asked why he would say because he didn't want to take their money.
Not that Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn't wonder who it was. Ron seemed to think maybe Fleur Delacour might get the job, as she had said she would try to get a job at Hogwarts, and Hermione told him that was because he liked her, which Ron denied while flushing a very deep shade of magenta. Harry said the real Mad-Eye Moody might be the teacher, but Hermione pointed out that because of last year, Moody had tried to put the Jelly-Legs Curse on his own shadow. Hermione was the only one who believed that it was someone that they didn't know.
Suddenly, the Great Hall became very quiet, and Professor Dumbledore stepped up to the podium with two other people, one of them was quite easy to recognize, ("That's Percy!" shouted Ginny, Fred, George, and Ron all at once.) the other person however was hard to tell, he was very skinny as though he had been malnourished, and had red hair, so shocking, that it easily bettered the Weasley's.
"I have an announcement," Albus Dumbledore said gravely, and if it was possible the hall got quieter, "As you all by know , the Death Eaters that arrived at Diagon Alley at the end of last summer told us that the highest-ranking officials at the Ministry were killed by Lord Voldemort," a gasp went up in the hall, "And his Death Eaters. I regret to inform you that this is true, and the remains of Minister Cornelius Fudge and the larger portion of the Ministry were found in the woods near what used to be the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, which was destroyed a while later by Lord Voldemort," yet another gasp was emitted from everyone's raspy throats,
"And so Percy Weasley, the highest ranking official left at the Ministry has been confirmed as the Minister of Magic. I also have to give you the bad news that the Dementors have been freed from their loyalty to us, and have released every Death Eater in Azkaban, as well as destroy the entire prison. Dementors have been sent on Muggles and Muggle-borns. Meanwhile, the school of Durmstrang in Germany was destroyed yesterday, and the seven American schools of magic have been destroyed." A gasp went up from everyone, "There were no survivors."
"Viktor Krum," Harry, Ron, and Hermione all said the two words like it was a holy relic.
"Yes?" a voice said from behind them.
"Viktor?" Hermione said, sounding both confused and irritated as they turned around.
The ghost of Viktor Krum nodded.
"You're a...a...," Ron stammered.
"A ghost," he nodded, "I died."
Dumbledore continued as the surly ghost of Viktor Krum went off to the Ravenclaw table, "As you may have noticed Viktor Krum's ghost will be staying at Hogwarts for the remainder of the year as a Protectorate ghost, or one who watches over the castle before he will leave for Bulgaria. I would also like," Professor Dumbledore had pulled the red-haired man up forward,
"As I have sent Hagrid off on a trip for the benefit of the school, Icarus Snuffles will teach Care of Magical Creatures for the next few months or so."
Harry looked closer at the red-hair man, Snuffles, eh, it couldn't be...it was! As Harry stared closer he saw the familiar face of his godfather, Sirius Black! Sirius wasn't as gaunt as usual, and of course his hair color was different, but it was him, no doubt about that.
Dumbledore smiled, looking much older then usual, "You may now continue eating."
"That was Sirius, wasn't it Harry," Ron whispered.
Harry nodded, "Yeah, it was."
Harry then looked at Hermione whose face was chalky-white. "Herms?"
Hermione didn't respond, "Herms? 'Mione? 'MIONE?"
Hermione still didn't respond.
Harry put his arm around her and smiled faintly at the warmth that went up his arm. "Hermione," he whispered.
She responded some, "My...my...my...my..."
"Hermione?" he said, "Your what?"
"My parents."
Harry suddenly realized what she meant, if dementors were being used on Muggles and Muggle-borns, parents of Muggle-borns at Hogwarts would be the first strike.
"It's OK, Herms, really, nothing will happen."
Hermione nodded, her face still pale.
"C'mon Hermione," Harry said, "Don't you want to see the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and all the homework he or she's going to give us?"
Harry sniggered a little bit, and Hermione finally smiled.
"I s'pose I do Harry," she said, "C'mon, lets go to class."
Harry slipped his arm around Hermione's waist, and Ron got up as they walked off to the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Nothing could have prepared them for what they saw.
A very tall tiger was standing up straight, looking very calm in his black robes and wizarding hat. The tiger had fuzzy cheeks, black eyes, and an extremely lustrous fur-coat. He nodded at each of them as they went to their desks, Hermione naturally picked three seats in the front. Then Calvin came in, and the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher shook his hand warmly with his paw, and slapped him on his back friendly. Calvin smiled and high-fived the teacher muttering something about "Calvinball on the Quidditch pitch tonight."
After Calvin sat down, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher said in a very mellow voice for a tiger,
"I'm Hobbes Siberia," a and gasp went up in the room (A/N: I sure use 'gasp' a lot don't I?), Harry had no idea what they gasping about and Professor Siberia continued, "As you might not or you may know, some people have considered me to the greatest Auror in the world behind Mad-Eye Moody, and definitely the reason way Dark wizards in America do not flourish, until recently. I am honored that somebody would think that about me but it's really not true," Professor Siberia smiled, "I'm also a rarity in the wizarding world, they say, an animal who can become a wizard, does anyone know what that is?"
To no one's surprise, Hermione's hand went up in the air, but to everyone's so did Calvin Arrow's.
"Yes, Miss Granger?" Siberia said, nodding to her.
"A Wizarimal."
"Excellent, ten points to Gryffindor. "I expect that you all have read my book, Aurors, Unforgivables, Death Eaters, and the Dark Mark. If you haven't, well, then, your probably a student after my own heart. After all, I did go to Hogwarts myself and graduated with a 72%, skimming by in most of my classes except Defense Against the Dark Arts. So instead of a pre-test or anything of that sort, I will go straight into my first lesson, which is the Patronus Charm. Who knows what a Patronus is?"
Only Harry, Calvin, and Hermione's hands shot up into the air, and Professor Siberia called on Harry, "Yes, Mr. Potter?"
"A charm to move dementors away, the magic words are Expecto Patronum."
"Excellent, another ten points. Can anyone here conjure up a Partronus?"
Harry and Calvin's hands shot into the air.
"Mr. Potter, Mr. Arrow, please come here and demonstrate."
Harry and Calvin walked up and Harry pointed his wand at the back of the classroom and concentrating on kissing Hermione and yelled "Expecto Patronum!"
A large silver stag erupted from Harry's wand and circled the classroom several times before disappearing. Calvin's Patronus was a tiger which ran around the room and tried to pounce on a startled Neville Longbottom who fell out his chair with a shout before it disappeared.
"Very good! Potter, Arrow, twenty-five points to Gryffindor for each of you. Those are certainly the best Patronuses I have seen in several years."
Harry went back to his seat, smiling broadly, but his smile was nothing compared to Calvin who was enjoying the open-mouthed looks of astonishment the Gryffindors were giving him. Harry set down next to Ron and Hermione happy and satisfied, as Professor Siberia continued.
