A.N. Thank you to everyone who reviewed!!!!! (to a certain reviewer, yes you can link my stories to your site!) Sorry it took me so long to update, but I've been overloaded with homework and I just got sick. Really quite disgusting. Thank you to the book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It helped me a lot in this chapter. Anyhoo, I hope you enjoy this chapter!!!!!

Malena

Harry backed away from the window as though it had burnt him. It couldn't be a Hyncropratinous, could it? Not now, when he had just returned to Hogwarts. Harry took a hesitant step towards the window, and looked at the demon and Voldemort once more. But they were gone. There wasn't even an imprint in the grass where they had been standing.

Harry opened the window and took another look outside. Nothing. There was no sign that they had even been there! Harry rubbed his eyes and took another look. Had he been imagining it?

'You're letting your imagination run away with you Potter,' Harry thought. 'You're just being paranoid…"

"Harry why is the bloody window open?" Ron said groggily. "It's freezing! Shut it!" Harry closed the window, took another sip of his water, and then went back to his bed. He didn't sleep anymore that night.

~*~

"Harry, what happened?" Hermione said. "You look terrible!"

Harry was sitting at breakfast with his head in his arms. He raised his head when he heard Hermione.

"Hermione?! What are you-I thought that- What?"

Hermione smiled slightly, "I was feeling much better. I woke up yesterday evening. Didn't anyone tell you?"

"No!" Harry said, jumping up and hugging his friend.
"Well, Madame Pomfrey couldn't keep me from going to my classes, so here I am!" Hermione exclaimed happily. "Now, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Herm," Harry said wearily. "I just didn't sleep well last night. Don't worry about it."

"Do you need some Dreamless Sleep potion?" Hermione asked anxiously.

"No, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Harry said shortly. Hermione stared apprehensively at him, before sitting down next to him and starting to dish up some oatmeal.

"Harry," Ron said, coming up too. "What happened last night? You woke up screaming and then the window was open."

Hermione dropped her spoon and splattered oatmeal everywhere.

"The window was open? Why?"

"I had to get some air," Harry lied.

"Harry are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes, Hermione."

Ron stared. "Hermione!"
Hermione ignored Ron, and stared at him again. "Do you want some oatmeal?"

Harry shook his head and just put his head in his arms again.

"Harry, you really should eat something…"

Harry's eyes narrowed, but he didn't say anything. He only took his head out of his arms when he felt someone tap his shoulder. It was Fred.

"Hey Harry, first Quidditch Practice of the season is tonight! Seven o'clock! We have to decide on a new captain. See you there!" Fred smiled at Harry, waved, and then went back to sit next to Angelina and George.

"Well, now at least you have something to look forward to besides Care of Magical Creatures," Ron said slyly.

"I can't wait to get back in the air…"

~*~

As the three of them walked down the damp lawns on their way to Care of Magical Creatures they heard a voice from behind them. Someone snickering….

"Well, well, well, if it isn't our favorite little convict," said the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy.

Ron and Hermione spun around, but Harry kept on walking.

"What's the matter Potter? Scared to face the truth?"

At this Harry did turn around. He stared at his nemesis and said, "The next time you ever want to tag along when we're lost in the woods, I'll remember this little incident, Malfoy." Then he turned again and continued to the next class.

"You'd better watch out," Harry heard Ron say. "One wrong step Malfoy, and I swear I'll-"

"You'll what? Send your puny little owl after me? How can you even afford to feed it?"

Malfoy gave one last smirk, then swept past all of them on their way to the Care of Magical Creature's class.

"Why do we still have this ruddy class with them," Ron said through gritted teeth.

"Ron, control your anger," Hermione said. "Honestly! Almost attacking him!"

"Herm, I always almost attack him!"

"That doesn't make it right, Ron."

Harry looked over the small hill they were coming over and saw Hagrid sitting by his hut. There were gray, green-spotted lobsters tramping all around in a small wading pool with rocks. Fang was howling and barking at them. A few of the students that were already there were staring at the lobsters.

"Hello Hagrid," Harry exclaimed.

Hagrid turned around, "Harry! How're ye doing?" Hagrid clapped an enormous hand on Harry's back, almost making him fall to the ground.

"I'm doing okay," Harry sputtered.

"Sorry ter hear what happened," Hagrid said, lowering his voice. "No one should have ter go through tha'."

"Mmm…" Harry didn't really want to go into it.

"Hagrid…" Hermione said, looking at the lobsters. "Are those what I think they are…"

"Shh! Don' ruin the surprise fer everyone else!" Hagrid said, grinning. Hermione just stared at him as he walked back over to put Fang in his house.

"What are they?" Harry asked.

"They're Mackled Malaclaws," Hermione hissed back. "Don't let them bite you or-"

"Alrigh' everyone, let's get started," said Hagrid in a booming voice. "These fascinating creatures here are Mackled Malaclaws."

"I thought they were odd colored lobsters," Dean said, looking down into the wading pool again.

"Ah, that's what they want ye ter think," Hagrid said keenly. "See, they got a skin that will make you have a fever and a rash if you eat it. Don't taste too good either." Hagrid clapped his hands together and said, "Okay, everyone get your dragon hide gloves on and get one of the Malaclaws."

A few minutes later they were all sitting on the ground with a Malaclaw in front of them. The Malaclaws were trying to attack them with their claws, while the students tried to coax them away with crustaceans.

"Hermione, you never did tell us why we shouldn't let them bite us," Ron said, throwing a crustacean and trying to get the Malaclaw to chase it.

"Oh, yes! Don't let them bite you because if you do you'll-"

"OW!" Yelped Malfoy. "It bit me!"

Hagrid dropped whatever he was doing and rushed over to Draco. He showed him a spot between his rolled up sleeves and his gloves, where the Malaclaw had bitten him.
"Don't worry Malfoy, there's only one side effect," Hagrid said. "Why don't you go up to the castle and get that healed."

"What's the side effect?" Draco spat.

"You'll have bad luck for up to a week."

Draco's eyes got wide, "WHAT?"

"Don't worry Malfoy, it's not all that bad. At least you weren't bit by two of them."

Draco looked furious. "If anything happens to me, you'll be hearing from my father." At this Draco turned sharply, and started to tramp back up to the castle. Halfway there his foot got tangled in his cloak and he fell into a large pile of mud.

The Gryffindors howled with laughter! Malfoy pulled himself out of the mud, and tried to wipe himself off. However, his foot was still caught in his cloak and he fell into the mud again, this time doing a spectacular face plant.

He untangled his foot from his cloak, and stalked away with as much dignity as he could muster.

"Alrigh' everyone back to the lesson," Hagrid said, obviously trying to hide a smile. "S'pose I should've warned ye about that beforehand."
After the giggles and gales of laughter had subsided, the students desperately tried to keep the Malaclaws from biting them. The Malaclaws seemed to do well when they attempted to attack each other, so for the most part the students just sat around, watching the Malaclaws. This allowed Ron, Hermione, and Harry to talk to Hagrid.

"Sorry 'bout yer godfather, Harry," Hagrid said. "Wish he could've spent more time with ye."

"Huh? Oh, right. Yeah, I wish he could've too," Harry said, drawing his eyes away from three Malaclaws who were viciously trying to attack each other.

"I knew Sirius back when he was in school," Hagrid said wistfully. "Quite a troublemaker he was…"

"Yeah, yeah I know," Harry said, pretending to look sad.

"Well, I won't bother ye anymore about him," Hagrid said. "B'sides, class is almost done."

Hagrid made the students round up the Malaclaws, causing two other students to get bitten.

They were most relieved to be able to go back up to the school for lunch.

~*~

Sirius glanced through his curtains, watching the passerby's. There was supposed to be a meeting that night. A meeting of "the old crowd." Sirius closed the curtains and walked over to his new couch. The house that he had found in Hogsmeade was comfortable, but whenever people came over or when he had the curtains open he had to wear a simple disguise.

There was a knock at the door, and Sirius jumped up. He hastily put on his disguise and opened the door.

"Good evening Sirius," said a quiet voice.

"Oh, hello Professor Dumbledore," Sirius said, moving back so the elderly wizard could come in. "How're things up at the school?"

"Fine, fine," Dumbledore replied. "We have found all of the students, however some parents have decided to withdraw their students for the time being."

"Mmmm… well that's to be expected."

There was another knock on the door, and Remus came in.

"Hello Professor," Remus said, giving a slight bow. "I'm sorry, I can't stay for long… I have another meeting to attend."

Sirius snorted. "So, you have a date?" Remus turned red, and mumbled, "shut up Sirius."

Sirius grinned, sat back in his chair and said, "So Remus, have you seen Harry yet?"

"No, I have the fifth year Gryffindors tomorrow," Remus said. "We're going to be studying Lethifolds."

"Are you quite sure they're ready?" Sirius asked, raising his eyebrows. "Those are rather dangerous."

"I don't have any doubt in them. Besides, I can always do the Patronous charm if it gets too ugly."

"You sound like Hagrid. D'em fascinatin' creatures!"

"Hey!"

"I'm just kidding!" Sirius sniggered. Remus chucked a pillow at him anyway.

"Boys…" Dumbledore said, raising an eyebrow, but smiling all the same.

After a few more minutes the rest of the "old crowd" had arrived.

"All right, let us begin…"

~*~

Harry's bangs whipped back as he rose off the ground. He stared down at the little specs, otherwise known as his teammates. Harry watched Fred and George chase Angelina Johnson and Katie Bell around the Quidditch pitch. He went into a sharp dive, trying to imitate the move that he had seen other Seekers do in their games. He pulled out of the dive just inches away from the ground, and went rocketing around the pitch.

Earlier that evening the team had named Alicia Spinnet as Quidditch Captain. She had screamed, and nearly fainted. Then, tears of happiness running down her face, she took the badge that the Captains got to wear and ran out of the Dressing Room, bawling,

The team waited for her to return by goofing off. George broke away from what he was doing and attempted to chase Harry around the pitch as well. His broom couldn't even compete with the speed of Harry's Firebolt.

"Harry! Slow down! You're making us look bad!"

With a grin, Harry stopped, and spun around to look at his teammates. However, something in the distance caught his eye.

His smile faltered, and his mouth dropped open. A great, billowing cloud of smoke was rising into the sky. Flames licked the sky, and the screams of students could be heard all the way in the Quidditch Pitch. Hogwarts was burning.

"Harry? What's wrong?" Asked Fred.

At that instant Harry fell off his broom, plummeting towards the ground 100 feet beneath him.