Chapter 3: An unlikely Proposal
One day after Potions class Harry stayed after. "Professor Snape?" He said shyly. "What do you want Potter?" Snape said sharply.
"Well, I was just thinking that…with Voldemort…obviously he must be concocting some awful plan and I thought, if we ever came face to face again it might be a good thing if I could defend myself…and since you're the expert at dueling at Hogwarts I was hoping you could teach me… maybe…if your not too busy, sir."
"You want me, to teach you, how to duel." Snape took a moment to reflect "I'll consider it." he said icily with no intention of doing just that.
"Thank you Professor Snape."
On his way back to the common room he bumped into Malfoy. "Watch where you're going Potter."
"Hi Malfoy, where're you going?"
"Nowhere, what's it to you."
"Do you mind if I join you?"
"Me? Where's your little entourage of friends?"
"I've gotten rid of them, it appears you've been right about them all along. They're worthless, I would like to hang out with you know if that's all right with you."
"Prove it."
"How?"
"Follow me Potter."
They walked down several hallways and out across the field to Hagrids cabin for his Care of Magical Creatures class. Harry had forgotten completely that he had that class today. Hagrid had a large wire fence that enclosed a small gray bird-like animal with four legs. It had very short gray fur and a sharp pointy beak, but the most peculiar thing to Harry were the three red eyes placed evenly around its head.
"Thes is the flightless Specter Bird. Although it looks rather fierce, it's really jus' a small fluff ball."
This did not ease the students minds. A dragon, with teeth six feet long would still be considered a fluff ball to Hagrid.
"Now, we mus' be sure to close the gate, ther mighty fast little buggers."
"Open that door Potter." Ron, who was standing in front of them, turned to stare at Malfoy.
"Mind your own, red head." Harry said to Ron.
"Open that door and let out those confounded things, prove you meant what you said."
Harry was about to say never but stopped with the sudden flash of pain he felt in his head, but it disappeared as quickly as it had come and he thought nothing of it.
"Do we hav a volunteer? Harry, why don' yuh giv it a go, huh?"
Harry walked up to the fence, opened it, and closed it behind him. He began searching for his bird and spotted one, rather close, middle sized, and dashed forward, but the bird had spotted him with his back eye and darted away towards the rest of the flock. Harry chased after it as the flock moved into the corner.
"Now I got you." He dashed at the bird and landed flat on the rather disgusting ground. The birds, having moved just in time, were now all headed for the door and Harry looked up just in time to see each and every one turn past the door into a screaming bunch of students. He could hear Hagrid yelling "catch 'em, hurry, be careful, don' scare 'em." Harry had not closed the door completely. When he walked out of the fence Malfoy placed his arm around him.
"Nice work, Potter, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."