Just a quick note: Happy 4th of July to everyone, and happy belated-Canada
Day to my relatives up north. *waves* Fireworks RULE! Anyway, I really
wanted to get this out before the weekend because I'll be gone the whole
time and won't be able to write much. *pouts* Man, holidays suck major...
Anywhoo, on with the story!
*******
After four long, grueling days of classes and homework and annoying classmates, Friday had finally arrived. The earth itself seemed to be celebrating. Not only did it stop raining, but the sun rose in all its glory in a clear and cloudless sky. A person couldn't ask for better weather that afternoon as we strolled across the grounds to Hagrid's hut, where Care of Magical Creatures class was held.
"So," Pansy said, shielding her eyes from the blinding sunlight. "What new horror do you think awaits us this time?"
Cassandra snapped her gum loudly. "Something large, fanged, and poisonous, no doubt."
"Knowing Hagrid, it'll probably be illegal, to boot."
"Personally, I think he just likes torturing us," Draco said lazily, skirting around the edge of the lake.
"I second that thought," I said. "I believe Dumbledore may be in on it as well, otherwise we wouldn't have every bloody class with the Gryffindors."
"Too true," said Pansy. "Father always said the old coot was senile, and his letting Hagrid teach only proves it."
"Well, you have to admit that his class is never dull," I mused.
"Only because we spend most of our time fighting for our lives," Cassandra grumbled as we arrived at the shack, making sure to keep a safe distance from the Gryffindors. We may be evil, but we're not suicidal, and judging by the glares we were receiving from Potter's gang, they wouldn't hesitate to hex us senseless if provoked. Draco smirked, finding the situation quite amusing. I caught Granger's eye, grinned, and winked, very much enjoying the way her scowl intensified by several degrees.
All good things must come to an end, however. We had only been there for a few moments before Hagrid appeared from behind his hut, his moleskin coat looking even grungier and shabbier than normal, if that was possible. The giant man rubbed his hands together in anticipation and obvious excitement, a sure sign that someone was bound to get mutilated by the end of class.
"I gotta treat fer yeh out back, only jus' got 'em," Hagrid said eagerly, not noticing the nervous expressions on the students' faces as he led us behind the shack. Much to our surprise, the creatures tethered to the garden fence seemed to be relatively normal. Pulling against their ropes were twenty pitch-black wolves, none of which looked very happy to be tied up.
"Er... Hagrid?" asked Potter, eyeing the creatures apprehensively. "What are those things?"
"They're called Bane Wolves," Hagrid said, as though that explained everything. "Now, who knows what Bane Wolves are known fer?"
To the complete and utter shock of everyone present, Granger's hand shot up instantly. "Bane Wolves, also known as Hellhounds, are often found where large battles are fought," she said. "It was long believed that they fed off the souls of the dead or carried the souls into the after-life. Even though this theory was disproved over a century ago, they are still considered to be atrociously bad luck."
Hagrid beamed at Granger as the rest of the class exchanged horrified glances. "Good, ten points teh Gryffindor." To the dismay of the class, he untied one of the leashes from the fence and dragged the attached wolf uncomfortably close, causing several to back away from its snapping jaws. "All right, bein' as it's yer firs' day an' all, yeh won' be able to 'andle 'em just yet," Hagrid said, sounding disappointed, even though many students were sighing in relief. "So today I'll jus' show yeh what makes a Bane Wolf differ'nt than a normal one. Yeh see 'is eyes?"
We obligingly examined the struggling wolf more closely. Some gasped as they realized the creature had pure white eyes. No iris, no pupil, just white. Far more unsettling than its appearance was the sense that it could see something we couldn't. I shuddered slightly as the wolf's opaque eyes rested on me for a moment, leaving the distinct impression that it was looking /through/ me instead of at me.
"People say they kin see auras. Tha's why their eyes're that way," Hagrid explained. "But if yeh get 'em real angry, their eyes'll turn red. Once that happens, yeh probably won' be livin' much longer." Several students gulped nervously.
The rest of the period was spent learning minor differences that made a Bane Wolf recognizable from a normal one, most of which you'd need to have the wolves standing side-by-side to notice. You can imagine how useful that knowledge would be.
"I don't get it, though," Draco said as we made our way back up to the castle. "If people thought those things brought their souls to the after- life, why were they afraid of them? I'd be a lot more worried if they /didn't/ show up."
I smiled. "Legend has it that sometimes Bane Wolves would attack soldiers during battle. The whole pack would go after one person and tear them to shreds, effectively eating him alive, their eyes glowing red."
Draco frowned. "What does that have to do with the after-life?"
"Oh /honestly/, Draco. Do try to use your brain once and a while," I said, shaking my head. "People thought they were minions of the devil, there to drag the man to his eternal damnation."
"Ohhhh, I get it," Draco said with sudden comprehension. "That's why they're called Hellhounds."
"Exactly," I said as we climbed the stairs into the Entrance Hall. "I can't imagine why Dumbledore would let Hagrid have those things around students, though. You'd think it'd be awfully dangerous."
"Yeah, well, you'd think it'd be dangerous having a half-giant for a teacher, but that doesn't stop Dumbledore," Draco said wryly.
"Well, /I/ think it's a crime that oaf is allowed around people at all, much less teaching," said Pansy in her most haughty voice. I'd forgotten she was even there. "He's a danger to us all with those monsters he has us learning about."
"I don't remember you being in this conversation, Pansy," I said irritably.
Pansy glared. "I don't remember caring. Oh wait, that's right; I don't!"
"Well, good for you, but that doesn't change the fact that you should shut up," I snapped.
"Both of you shut up," said Draco, clearly annoyed. "You're giving me a headache."
Pansy huffed, but said nothing as we approached the doors to the Great Hall. Leaning against the wall beside the entrance was Fae, looking unusually tense as she scanned the mass of students heading for dinner. Upon spotting me, she beckoned me over. Damn her..
I split off from the group ("Might as well see what the old bat wants.") and waded through the sea of bodies to stand beside Fae, not bothering to hide my aggravation. "What?"
Instead of answering, Fae leaned uncomfortably close to me. "Come to my office after dinner." She said this so quietly, I almost didn't catch it over the clamor of hundreds of talkative students. "I need to talk to you."
Before I could ask her what was going on, she'd disappeared down some obscure passageway. I stared after her for a moment, thoroughly confused and a little nervous. What was that all about?
*******
An hour later, I was standing anxiously outside Fae's office, seriously considering throwing myself down a flight of stairs so I could avoid this meeting. Whatever Fae wanted to talk to me about, I was quite sure it wasn't pleasant.
I was still there a few moments later when the door suddenly opened, revealing a surprised and slightly amused Fae. "It's a lot easier to be let in if you knock, you know," she said, stepping aside so I could enter.
"Er... right. I'll remember that next time," I said as Fae closed the door behind me. I took a seat in front of her desk, noting that this office was almost identical to the one at her manor. There was the same collection of blades arranged on the wall, each overlaid with silver for maximum effect. Against another wall was a bookcase stuffed with dozens and dozens of tomes on the Dark Arts and dark creatures, some falling apart with age and use. On still more shelves, there were odds and ends: a few photographs, a jar half-full of fangs, the jawbone of a werewolf she'd had a particularly hard time killing. I suppose it was kind of creepy, but she has entire wings of her manor that are devoted to various weapons and creatures, so this was nothing.
Fae settled herself into the wooden chair across from me, her sapphire eyes studying me. I fought the urge to fidget, but it was a rather pointless effort. Something in Fae's gaze unnerved me to no end. "So," I said. "What did you want to talk to me about?"
My feeling of dread increased as Fae leaned forward, regarding me seriously. "I'm going to have to ask you to not go to Hogsmeade this year."
This wasn't exactly what I'd been expecting. "What?! Why?"
"It's too risky," she said. "With Voldemort back, I'm not taking any chances."
"Why? It wasn't too risky when Sirius Black broke into the castle in third year, why should it be now?" I asked, trying to keep my voice even while my mind screamed 'What the hell is going on here?!' "Besides, I'm a Slytherin. Why should he attack me, of all people?"
Fae rubbed her eyes tiredly. "Blaise, you have to realize that, outside of Hogwarts, which House you're in doesn't really matter."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," I said impatiently. "But the fact still remains that most of You-Know-Who's supporters are Slytherins, so naturally he's not as likely to go after them."
"Yes, but there are other reasons... other dangers that I'm not willing to put you in," she answered with an oddly distant expression.
"Like?"
Fae sighed. "I'm not entitled to share that information with you at this time."
"Oh, what the /hell/?" I cried, not caring I was being undignified. "You're not /entitled/? What, do you work for bloody MI-6 now?"
"If I was, would I tell you?"
I vaguely noticed my nails were digging into the armrest of the chair. "Damn it all..." I muttered, then attempted to regain my composure. "Is there anything else you're entitled to tell me, or can I leave?"
Fae watched me critically for a moment, then said, "You can go."
I stood and stalked out of the room, some part in the back of my mind noting that Fae looked more tired than I'd ever seen her.
*******
"/What/?!" Draco said, echoing my earlier sentiment. "She can't make you miss Hogsmeade. That's like taking away your birthday!"
I sighed, staring at the top of my four-poster while Draco sat on the edge of his bed with a look of abject horror on his face. "I know, but she won't back down. She won't even give me a decent reason."
"Hmmm..." Draco suddenly looked thoughtful. There was a gleam in his eye that was extremely unsettling, because it meant he was thinking up something that was sure to get us expelled.
"What are you thinking, Draco?" I asked warily.
My friend grinned mischievously. "I think it's time we investigated this."
I groaned. /Good Lord, help us./
*******
A/N: Damn, this was a hard chapter to write. First I was worried because Hagrid wasn't in OotP in the beginning, then I realized it didn't matter since this was my story and I could do whatever the hell I wanted *insert evil cackle here*. Then I had to come up with some sort of creature, which was a lot harder than I thought it'd be. THEN I had to struggle with Hagrid's accent--my deepest apologies for the horrid representation of it. Thank God I don't have to worry about that for a while.
Next chapter: What do Slytherins do on the weekend? What is Draco cooking up? Exactly /how/ illegal is it? Also (maybe) another Defense class.
Gkey: Yes, Blaise is the guy that can see Thestrals. When I was reading that part in OotP I was like, "Hey! That's my Blaise!" But ya know, they still didn't mention his name. Damn them!
Faxton: I couldn't believe who they killed off, either! I mean, couldn't they have killed off Pansy instead? The world would've been a much better and happier place. I agree that Rowling really needs to put in Blaise. Like I was saying to Gkey, the closest thing since the Sorting is in OotP when she mentions a Slytherin boy who can see Thestrals. I don't care what anyone else says, THAT WAS BLAISE! *cough* Anyway, glad you liked the chapter. More Fae soon, I promise!
Porphyrophobic Grape: I agree, spontaniousness does rule. Actually, my stories end up a lot better if I only have a vague idea where I'm going, probably because then I don't have to re-plan everything if I decide to change it. I dunno. The plots always end up a lot more complex than I can believe by the end. Oh well. Thanks for reviewing!
stubbornarse: Wha...? *looks between stubbornarse and meishame, utterly confused* You mean... you're the same person? But... you have two different names! Golly gee, I'm so confused... Right, anyway, I'm glad you like Draco. I love the man, he's so evil.
JeanB: There will be a bit (read: a lot) of questioning of beliefs later on, and it'll probably get pretty angsty. I'm so mean to these characters, it's not even funny. I just hope you guys won't murder me once it happens.
Anywhoo, on with the story!
*******
After four long, grueling days of classes and homework and annoying classmates, Friday had finally arrived. The earth itself seemed to be celebrating. Not only did it stop raining, but the sun rose in all its glory in a clear and cloudless sky. A person couldn't ask for better weather that afternoon as we strolled across the grounds to Hagrid's hut, where Care of Magical Creatures class was held.
"So," Pansy said, shielding her eyes from the blinding sunlight. "What new horror do you think awaits us this time?"
Cassandra snapped her gum loudly. "Something large, fanged, and poisonous, no doubt."
"Knowing Hagrid, it'll probably be illegal, to boot."
"Personally, I think he just likes torturing us," Draco said lazily, skirting around the edge of the lake.
"I second that thought," I said. "I believe Dumbledore may be in on it as well, otherwise we wouldn't have every bloody class with the Gryffindors."
"Too true," said Pansy. "Father always said the old coot was senile, and his letting Hagrid teach only proves it."
"Well, you have to admit that his class is never dull," I mused.
"Only because we spend most of our time fighting for our lives," Cassandra grumbled as we arrived at the shack, making sure to keep a safe distance from the Gryffindors. We may be evil, but we're not suicidal, and judging by the glares we were receiving from Potter's gang, they wouldn't hesitate to hex us senseless if provoked. Draco smirked, finding the situation quite amusing. I caught Granger's eye, grinned, and winked, very much enjoying the way her scowl intensified by several degrees.
All good things must come to an end, however. We had only been there for a few moments before Hagrid appeared from behind his hut, his moleskin coat looking even grungier and shabbier than normal, if that was possible. The giant man rubbed his hands together in anticipation and obvious excitement, a sure sign that someone was bound to get mutilated by the end of class.
"I gotta treat fer yeh out back, only jus' got 'em," Hagrid said eagerly, not noticing the nervous expressions on the students' faces as he led us behind the shack. Much to our surprise, the creatures tethered to the garden fence seemed to be relatively normal. Pulling against their ropes were twenty pitch-black wolves, none of which looked very happy to be tied up.
"Er... Hagrid?" asked Potter, eyeing the creatures apprehensively. "What are those things?"
"They're called Bane Wolves," Hagrid said, as though that explained everything. "Now, who knows what Bane Wolves are known fer?"
To the complete and utter shock of everyone present, Granger's hand shot up instantly. "Bane Wolves, also known as Hellhounds, are often found where large battles are fought," she said. "It was long believed that they fed off the souls of the dead or carried the souls into the after-life. Even though this theory was disproved over a century ago, they are still considered to be atrociously bad luck."
Hagrid beamed at Granger as the rest of the class exchanged horrified glances. "Good, ten points teh Gryffindor." To the dismay of the class, he untied one of the leashes from the fence and dragged the attached wolf uncomfortably close, causing several to back away from its snapping jaws. "All right, bein' as it's yer firs' day an' all, yeh won' be able to 'andle 'em just yet," Hagrid said, sounding disappointed, even though many students were sighing in relief. "So today I'll jus' show yeh what makes a Bane Wolf differ'nt than a normal one. Yeh see 'is eyes?"
We obligingly examined the struggling wolf more closely. Some gasped as they realized the creature had pure white eyes. No iris, no pupil, just white. Far more unsettling than its appearance was the sense that it could see something we couldn't. I shuddered slightly as the wolf's opaque eyes rested on me for a moment, leaving the distinct impression that it was looking /through/ me instead of at me.
"People say they kin see auras. Tha's why their eyes're that way," Hagrid explained. "But if yeh get 'em real angry, their eyes'll turn red. Once that happens, yeh probably won' be livin' much longer." Several students gulped nervously.
The rest of the period was spent learning minor differences that made a Bane Wolf recognizable from a normal one, most of which you'd need to have the wolves standing side-by-side to notice. You can imagine how useful that knowledge would be.
"I don't get it, though," Draco said as we made our way back up to the castle. "If people thought those things brought their souls to the after- life, why were they afraid of them? I'd be a lot more worried if they /didn't/ show up."
I smiled. "Legend has it that sometimes Bane Wolves would attack soldiers during battle. The whole pack would go after one person and tear them to shreds, effectively eating him alive, their eyes glowing red."
Draco frowned. "What does that have to do with the after-life?"
"Oh /honestly/, Draco. Do try to use your brain once and a while," I said, shaking my head. "People thought they were minions of the devil, there to drag the man to his eternal damnation."
"Ohhhh, I get it," Draco said with sudden comprehension. "That's why they're called Hellhounds."
"Exactly," I said as we climbed the stairs into the Entrance Hall. "I can't imagine why Dumbledore would let Hagrid have those things around students, though. You'd think it'd be awfully dangerous."
"Yeah, well, you'd think it'd be dangerous having a half-giant for a teacher, but that doesn't stop Dumbledore," Draco said wryly.
"Well, /I/ think it's a crime that oaf is allowed around people at all, much less teaching," said Pansy in her most haughty voice. I'd forgotten she was even there. "He's a danger to us all with those monsters he has us learning about."
"I don't remember you being in this conversation, Pansy," I said irritably.
Pansy glared. "I don't remember caring. Oh wait, that's right; I don't!"
"Well, good for you, but that doesn't change the fact that you should shut up," I snapped.
"Both of you shut up," said Draco, clearly annoyed. "You're giving me a headache."
Pansy huffed, but said nothing as we approached the doors to the Great Hall. Leaning against the wall beside the entrance was Fae, looking unusually tense as she scanned the mass of students heading for dinner. Upon spotting me, she beckoned me over. Damn her..
I split off from the group ("Might as well see what the old bat wants.") and waded through the sea of bodies to stand beside Fae, not bothering to hide my aggravation. "What?"
Instead of answering, Fae leaned uncomfortably close to me. "Come to my office after dinner." She said this so quietly, I almost didn't catch it over the clamor of hundreds of talkative students. "I need to talk to you."
Before I could ask her what was going on, she'd disappeared down some obscure passageway. I stared after her for a moment, thoroughly confused and a little nervous. What was that all about?
*******
An hour later, I was standing anxiously outside Fae's office, seriously considering throwing myself down a flight of stairs so I could avoid this meeting. Whatever Fae wanted to talk to me about, I was quite sure it wasn't pleasant.
I was still there a few moments later when the door suddenly opened, revealing a surprised and slightly amused Fae. "It's a lot easier to be let in if you knock, you know," she said, stepping aside so I could enter.
"Er... right. I'll remember that next time," I said as Fae closed the door behind me. I took a seat in front of her desk, noting that this office was almost identical to the one at her manor. There was the same collection of blades arranged on the wall, each overlaid with silver for maximum effect. Against another wall was a bookcase stuffed with dozens and dozens of tomes on the Dark Arts and dark creatures, some falling apart with age and use. On still more shelves, there were odds and ends: a few photographs, a jar half-full of fangs, the jawbone of a werewolf she'd had a particularly hard time killing. I suppose it was kind of creepy, but she has entire wings of her manor that are devoted to various weapons and creatures, so this was nothing.
Fae settled herself into the wooden chair across from me, her sapphire eyes studying me. I fought the urge to fidget, but it was a rather pointless effort. Something in Fae's gaze unnerved me to no end. "So," I said. "What did you want to talk to me about?"
My feeling of dread increased as Fae leaned forward, regarding me seriously. "I'm going to have to ask you to not go to Hogsmeade this year."
This wasn't exactly what I'd been expecting. "What?! Why?"
"It's too risky," she said. "With Voldemort back, I'm not taking any chances."
"Why? It wasn't too risky when Sirius Black broke into the castle in third year, why should it be now?" I asked, trying to keep my voice even while my mind screamed 'What the hell is going on here?!' "Besides, I'm a Slytherin. Why should he attack me, of all people?"
Fae rubbed her eyes tiredly. "Blaise, you have to realize that, outside of Hogwarts, which House you're in doesn't really matter."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," I said impatiently. "But the fact still remains that most of You-Know-Who's supporters are Slytherins, so naturally he's not as likely to go after them."
"Yes, but there are other reasons... other dangers that I'm not willing to put you in," she answered with an oddly distant expression.
"Like?"
Fae sighed. "I'm not entitled to share that information with you at this time."
"Oh, what the /hell/?" I cried, not caring I was being undignified. "You're not /entitled/? What, do you work for bloody MI-6 now?"
"If I was, would I tell you?"
I vaguely noticed my nails were digging into the armrest of the chair. "Damn it all..." I muttered, then attempted to regain my composure. "Is there anything else you're entitled to tell me, or can I leave?"
Fae watched me critically for a moment, then said, "You can go."
I stood and stalked out of the room, some part in the back of my mind noting that Fae looked more tired than I'd ever seen her.
*******
"/What/?!" Draco said, echoing my earlier sentiment. "She can't make you miss Hogsmeade. That's like taking away your birthday!"
I sighed, staring at the top of my four-poster while Draco sat on the edge of his bed with a look of abject horror on his face. "I know, but she won't back down. She won't even give me a decent reason."
"Hmmm..." Draco suddenly looked thoughtful. There was a gleam in his eye that was extremely unsettling, because it meant he was thinking up something that was sure to get us expelled.
"What are you thinking, Draco?" I asked warily.
My friend grinned mischievously. "I think it's time we investigated this."
I groaned. /Good Lord, help us./
*******
A/N: Damn, this was a hard chapter to write. First I was worried because Hagrid wasn't in OotP in the beginning, then I realized it didn't matter since this was my story and I could do whatever the hell I wanted *insert evil cackle here*. Then I had to come up with some sort of creature, which was a lot harder than I thought it'd be. THEN I had to struggle with Hagrid's accent--my deepest apologies for the horrid representation of it. Thank God I don't have to worry about that for a while.
Next chapter: What do Slytherins do on the weekend? What is Draco cooking up? Exactly /how/ illegal is it? Also (maybe) another Defense class.
Gkey: Yes, Blaise is the guy that can see Thestrals. When I was reading that part in OotP I was like, "Hey! That's my Blaise!" But ya know, they still didn't mention his name. Damn them!
Faxton: I couldn't believe who they killed off, either! I mean, couldn't they have killed off Pansy instead? The world would've been a much better and happier place. I agree that Rowling really needs to put in Blaise. Like I was saying to Gkey, the closest thing since the Sorting is in OotP when she mentions a Slytherin boy who can see Thestrals. I don't care what anyone else says, THAT WAS BLAISE! *cough* Anyway, glad you liked the chapter. More Fae soon, I promise!
Porphyrophobic Grape: I agree, spontaniousness does rule. Actually, my stories end up a lot better if I only have a vague idea where I'm going, probably because then I don't have to re-plan everything if I decide to change it. I dunno. The plots always end up a lot more complex than I can believe by the end. Oh well. Thanks for reviewing!
stubbornarse: Wha...? *looks between stubbornarse and meishame, utterly confused* You mean... you're the same person? But... you have two different names! Golly gee, I'm so confused... Right, anyway, I'm glad you like Draco. I love the man, he's so evil.
JeanB: There will be a bit (read: a lot) of questioning of beliefs later on, and it'll probably get pretty angsty. I'm so mean to these characters, it's not even funny. I just hope you guys won't murder me once it happens.