Chapter 8: Jitries
"So now you're a teacher, just like that?" Hermione asked, snapping her fingers. Sirius decided to let the rest of the class be free time, so naturally the trio had gone to his desk to get the details.
"It was far from that easy, Hermione," Sirius laughed, "But to save you a long story, yes. I'm really not made for the job, but Albus seemed to think it'd be a good experience."
"For you?" Harry asked, a little lost.
"Who knows?" Sirius shrugged, "As long as I have a job, I couldn't care less."
"So what is the class about?" Hermione asked, undoubtedly eager to get an early start on notes.
"Basically we explore different career opportunities and such, trying to help you guys decide what you're going to do after Hogwarts."
"Why would you want to be a teacher, of all things?" Ron said, looking as if the very idea was a large pile of dragon dung. A very large pile. "I plan on getting out of here and staying out."
"Well, I decided to do it because of what I'd been through. I slept through Prep class because the teacher was so boring, and I missed a lot of stuff I could have used. I figure if I make this class fun, you guys might actually learn something."
"But don't you think it a little…unwise to let it be so…free?" Hermione said, clearly trying to find a nice way of saying, "Are you out of your mind?!"
"Why?" Sirius shrugged, far from catching her drift. "Freedom is a good thing. All of you will have to be independent one day, so why not start early?"
The trio looked at each other, trying not to laugh. Oh yes, they were so dependent upon their teachers.
"I think you underestimate us, Sirius," Harry smiled.
"Really? Well, naturally I don't mean you three," Sirius said, toying with an inkwell, "I mean, you've been through a lot for your age. It's the others that need freedom."
Harry shook his head. "Giving a class freedom, Sirius, is like making friends with a snake: sure it might work for a while, but in the end you get bit."
The inkwell fell from Sirius' hands, smashing against the ground and flinging bits of glass and black ink everywhere. Sirius didn't seem to notice. He was staring at Harry as if he'd just sworn his allegiance to Voldemort.
"Sirius? You all right?" Harry asked, a little worried.
"F-fine," Sirius murmured, giving his head a shake but that look of horror still there, "It just slipped. C-could you three clean it up? I've got to…talk to someone."
Before they could answer, he hurried out the door.
"Now what was that about?" Ron asked.
"I dunno. Was it what I said?"
"Maybe he finally realized what he was getting himself into," Hermione said, pulling out her wand and cleaning up the mess.
"No. That wasn't it… I wish people would tell me things," Harry said, frowning slightly.
"Not me." Ron shook his head. "Ignorance is bliss, as they say."
"So that explains your constant cheerful mood," Hermione said, smiling.
"You'd think she'd be nicer to me," Ron shrugged, looking at Harry, "But it just seems to get worse every day. I don't know why I put up with her."
Hermione's smile got bigger and she stood on tiptoe, whispering something into Ron's ear. Whatever it was, Ron smiled broadly. "Ah, now I remember," he said.
Harry's jaw went a little slack. "Sometimes I wish you guys had never found out you liked each other."
A few baby talk moments and a bell later, Harry headed quickly for the Great Hall, having left Ron and Hermione behind to follow whenever they could tear their eyes away from each other.
"Hey, Harry."
Harry turned around to find James Bell standing by the Great Hall doors that he had so recently walked through.
"Oh, hi, James," he said with a smile, turning back and heading for the Gryffindor table.
"Um, Harry?" James asked, hurrying after him, "Could…could I sit with you?"
"Oh… Well, why don't you want to sit with the other Hufflepuffs?"
"I always sat with Katie for lunch," he answered quietly, watching his hands twisting nervously.
"Oh, sure. I'd be happy for the company." Harry smiled.
James brightened instantly, looking as if Harry was his new best friend. They grabbed some food, sitting down and saving enough spots for the rest.
"So, how was your summer?"
"Good. Interesting," James added with a smile, "Katie was very busy. She got a job at Highland Architecture. Right now she's just sorting owl mail and stuff, but she hopes to be an architect someday. She has so many models and prototypes around the house, it's driving Trisha mad."
"Trisha?" Harry asked.
"Trisha's my step-mum. She's not Katie's real mum either. Katie's from my dad's first marriage, I'm from the second, and Trisha's his third."
Harry nodded, trying to act as if the news hadn't surprised him in the least.
"Who do we have here?" Azar had just appeared behind them, trying to get a good look at James. "Oh, it's mini-Bell!"
James smiled awkwardly, unsure if he was supposed to take it as a joke or an insult.
"Yep, it's James. He'll be joining us for lunch."
"Oh how perfectly spiffing," Azar said, in a voice that sounded like royalty, as she hopped on, then over the table to sit across from Harry, "I do enjoy greeting—whoops, silly me. Eating new people."
James glanced at Harry with wide eyes.
"You'll get used to it," he said in a feigned whisper.
"Or you'll have a psychotic episode," Azar put in casually, "Just like poor Delia. She started to think she was a cat. Shame they had to take her away; she was really starting to get interesting." Azar sighed, taking a bite of her food.
Harry chuckled. James was mortified.
"Hey Harry, why'd you hurry off like that?" Ron asked, coming up and sitting next to Azar, Hermione taking her place next to him.
"Sorry, Ron, but I wanted to leave before the snogging began," Harry smiled.
"Oh, okay," Ron said with a nod, "Hey, who's the kid?"
"James Bell. You remember him, right? Katie's brother?"
"Oh yeah, hey James," Ron replied, though it was clear by the look on his face that he was still trying to figure out if he'd seen James before.
"Well, well, aren't we the happy family?"
Draco stood behind Harry, his arms folded and a smirk on his face, though his eyes held the look of an abandoned child.
"Hello, Draco," Harry said as affably as possible, "Want to join us for lunch?"
"I don't think so, Potter. I sit with my own kind. Besides, I see you've already found someone to fill my seat," Draco said, looking loathsomely at James, "I guess you really must have had a poor opinion of me, for my replacement to be a Hufflepuff."
James stared down at his food, fiddling aimlessly with a fork and going a little red in the face. Everyone was silent, unsure of how to get around this without things getting ugly. Suddenly Hermione stood up sharply from her seat, her face like someone who was preparing to go into battle.
"Look, Draco, I know things in your life haven't been the smoothest of sailing right now, but that's no reason to turn your back on everyone. Or to put others down."
"Isn't it?"
Hermione's frown deepened. "No, it isn't. All of us have been through hard times; that's life. Things will change, and then you'll just regret all you said and did while you were angry at the world. You're hurting everyone, you most of all."
"Yeah?" Draco scoffed, "Well send me an owl about it and see if I care."
Hermione was livid. "Draco, grow up!" she yelled, going red in the face, "I'm sick of this! We're trying our best, okay? We're being as kind and caring as humanly possible, but you insist on acting like a… arse!"
"Well, maybe if I hadn't been abandoned in the first place, I wouldn't feel this way!" Draco yelled back, teeth gritted, "I might as well not have existed for all you cared! 'Oh, we made Draco our friend, so now we can ignore him 'cause he's gonna like us no matter what.' That's not how it works! Despite popular belief, I do have feelings! Unlike some people!"
With that, he stormed off and out of the hall. Hermione sat down in a huff, staring daggers at no one in particular, then jolting up as quickly as she had sat.
"I can't stand that boy! I'm going to Care of Magical Creatures early!" she exclaimed, heading for the door.
Ron looked at his unfinished plate of food, then to Hermione's retreating figure. He hastily got up and went after her, deciding this was a little more important than an empty stomach.
"I think I'll go to class now, too," Harry said to Azar and James, "See you two later."
Harry hurried out, catching up with Ron and Hermione right outside.
"The nerve of him!" Hermione ranted, "We try and try and try, and he just doesn't even care! Someone needs to give him a good knock upside the head!"
"I volunteer," Ron said jokingly.
Hermione gave him an exasperated look, but there was no mistaking the slight upturning of the corners of her mouth.
"Let's move onto another topic," Harry said, "Like what we're doing in class today."
"That's not much help, considering we have it with him."
"And with Professor Lamina," Ron said, making a face, "She's so boring, I almost wish we were going to History of Magic."
Hagrid's hut was clearly visible now and Harry saw a familiar figure working beside it. But it definitely wasn't Professor Lamina.
All three of them recognized the form at the same time and tore off running for it. The man didn't hear them as they came up, keeping his back to them.
"All right there, Hagrid?" Harry asked, poorly trying to contain a grin.
Hagrid turned around, and when he saw his company, his eyes crinkled in a smile. "Come here, yeh three!" he laughed, sweeping the whole group up in his arms.
A very jovial embrace and a few bruised ribs later, they pulled apart, still beaming.
"So how was a year with the giants, Hagrid?" Hermione asked as they headed around Hagrid's hut to the back.
"Weren't too bad. A lil' hard at firs', 'cause o' them being a bit gruff, but they soon took a shine ter me an' things're pleasan'. Blimey, yeh three look so diff'ren'! I migh' have been gone fer five years fer how yeh've grown."
"We're so glad you're back, Hagrid," Hermione said.
"Yeah, I don't think I could've taken another year with that lame Lamina," Ron added.
"So what are we doing in class today?"
Hagrid's face brightened even more. "Well, I s'pose it dun matter if I spoil the surprise," he said happily, heading for ten crates within the paddock, "I got 'em while I was in Norway."
A little apprehensively, the trio followed him.
"Yeh might wan' ter be a lil' quiet. They may be asleep," Hagrid warned, gently lifting off one of the lids.
For a while, the three friends stayed back, each unwilling to be the first to peer inside. It wasn't until Hagrid beckoned them forward that they finally plucked up enough courage to look.
"They're adorable!" Hermione exclaimed in a whisper.
Hagrid smiled appreciatively. Inside the crate, along with straw padding and four bowls for food and water, were two creatures a little larger than normal housecats. Their long fur was a rich earth brown, and grew in even longer and thicker patches on their feet. Long ears lay back on their sleeping heads. Their noses were long and pointed, tipped slightly downward.
One of them was curled in a tight ball, but the other was sprawled out, its legs twitching every once in a while as if it was trying to run in its sleep. Either its body was very short, or its legs were very long. Its feet were definitely too big for its body, and its tail was short and stubby, almost nonexistent, like that of a hamster.
"What are they called, Hagrid?" Hermione asked, her voice in a quiet awe.
"Jitries. Sweet creatures, most o' the time. And great trackers. Better 'en any bloodhound. And if they get frighterned, they can disapparate." Hagrid beamed, as if showing off his clever son. "Mind you, the furthest any of 'em has done so was abou' fifty meters, but it's still somethin'. Yeh'll get in pairs and have one jitry between yeh. It'll be a project fer the whole year."
"Can we pet them?" Hermione asked anxiously.
" 'Course you can. Jest be gentle."
"Hey there, little guy," Ron said amiably, reaching down to pet the one whose legs were twitching.
After a few nudges, it woke up. It was plain that it still felt like sleeping. With a growl, its paw lunged forward, claws out. Ron gave a yell, falling backward.
"It nearly took my hand off!"
"Loyal as anything, jitries," Hagrid chuckled, "But never annoy them when they're sleepin'. They're more nigh' creatures, so they sleep most o' the day."
"You might want to wake them up before class then, Hagrid, or a couple of people will get a nasty shock," Harry smiled.
"I guess I can assume from that statement that it's back to the old getting-mauled-by-monsters Care of Magical Creatures," a lazy voice drawled from nearby.
Draco leaned against the side of the hut, watching them lazily. Hermione's face hardened instantly. She reached into the crate, picking up the jitry that was curled up in a ball. Its bright green eyes opened lazily and it gave a wide yawn, showing a small mouth of pointed teeth and a pink tongue.
"Careful, Draco, or I might sick this thing on you," she said, somewhere between joking and being utterly serious.
"That thing?" he laughed, "That's nothing but a teddy bear wannabe."
He walked over to the crate and reached in to pick up the other jitry. Apparently it still wanted to sleep.
"Blimey, they're quick!" Draco said, pinching a spot on his hand to stop the bleeding where the jitry's claw had dug in.
By then the rest of the class was beginning to arrive, and Hagrid soon started. He explained the project and told the class what he'd just told Harry, Ron, and Hermione about jitries.
"Righ' then! Pair off!"
There was a good deal of shuffling and chatter as the class partnered up. Ron and Hermione were a pair, same with Seamus and Dean, and, much to Harry's surprise, Neville and Lavender. Harry soon realized that there was no one left to partner up with but…
"Harry, you an' Draco pair off an' we'll get this started."
A little sulkily, Draco trudged over to Harry, his eyes narrowed. Hagrid passed out colored collars to each group. Their first job was to put this on their jitry so as they could tell them apart. This was a far harder task then it seemed, for jitries seemed to like being collared as much as they liked being woken in the day.
"Hurry, Draco! I can't hold him much longer!"
"I can't very well do it with his legs flinging about like that, now can I?!"
There was a sudden pop! and the jitry disappeared from Harry's grasp and re-emerged about five feet away.
"Grab him!" Harry yelled at Draco.
Draco dived forward, but with another pop! the jintry was gone and back by Harry's side. Harry quickly grabbed hold of its hind legs. It tried to turn around, confused, but couldn't squirm out.
"Collar now, Draco!"
Draco rushed forward and managed to buckle the collar on before the jitry disappeared. When he popped up again, he began to scratch furiously at it, disapparating now and again as if hoping the collar might be left behind.
"Well," Draco smiled, flicking the dirt off his robes, "that was fun."
He and Harry grinned at each other a moment, then Draco stiffened his face back into the angry look he had been wearing the whole day. He walked off, not wanting to have anything more to do with Harry Potter. Harry sighed, looking around. Apparently everyone else was having as rough a time as he and Draco had. When class finally ended, everyone was a little worn out and some were thoroughly annoyed.
"Those things are ruthless," Ron groaned, massaging his backside where he had landed after tripping in his attempt to keep hold of his jitry.
"How was being partners with Draco?"
"Okay, until he remembered he was supposed to hate me. If he doesn't get over this, it'll be a very long year."
Apparently Hermione had forgotten she was angry with Draco. She sighed, saying "I wish the Revero Detinu spell did give us the ability to speak mentally to each other. Then I could talk to Draco. I feel so awful about everything…"
That night, Harry and Ron sat in a corner of the common room, talking. Hermione had gone off early to bed.
"Her birthday's coming up real soon," Ron said without enthusiasm.
Harry nodded silently.
"We're going to do something for it, of course, but with all this going on… I just know she wouldn't be completely happy."
"Then there's only one thing we can do," Harry said.
Ron nodded, but his face looked like that of a soldier going to fight a battle he couldn't win.
~*~*~
A/N: *ducks tomatoes* Okay, I know the where-Hagrid-was-all-this-time excuse was weak to say the least, but I'd written myself into a corner and had to find a way out. Sorry! Please forgive me!
Also, don't go trying to look 'jitry' up in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, because I made them up. I don't have the book, so I had to wing it. ^_^
Well, my one goal this weekend was to finish and post this chapter! Hurray, I actually did it! *grin* So what if it's very, very late Saturday night? (or early Sunday morning, if you see it that way. ^_^)
Thank you everyone who reviewed! I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart!
Sandrine Black: ^_^ Yeah, I found out more than once that the consequences of checking "Just in" right when I should be getting off results in me not getting off. Thank you!
MIDNIGHT: Thanks!
SuNnY GuRL: Thanks!
Super saya-jin Gotan: *laugh* Naw, that pun can never be overused! ^_^ Thanks!
Jeanne: Heehee, thanks. More about Prep class later, when it starts more.
Kelly: To err is human. *grin* "Does Malfoy like Azar?" Hm…maybe, maybe not. ^_^ Yah, I guess this means a new chapter is going up in your story, eh? *claps happily* Thanks!
abbey: *grin* Thank you!
Allison: *grins* Girl, you are too funny. And very good knowing it was Sirius. I wasn't positive myself who it should be until I posted it. ^_^ Thanks! And I hope this is enough to get you to post! Draco was smiling sincerely for a while there! And I promise that next chapter there will be a lot more attempts at re-binding the friendship! *gets on knees, pleading* You're making us all suffer!
Nallen Riddle: You'll find out… ^_^ Thanks!
Moon Warrior: *grins* Naw, you're not being idiotic. If anyone guesses the reason, I'll give 'em fifty bucks. (Yeah, good luck holding me to it. ^-^) *laughs* Thanks, MW! PS- I'd love to see an update from you anytime soon… ^-^
Ottilchen: Thanks! Draco and Herm… I shan't say nothing 'til you say please. ^_^ And I'll definitely have more of those two things. ^_^
yerbroham: Well, I emailed you about this, right? (Crikey, it has been a while since I posted.) Thanks so much for the reviews!!!
Princess: Thank you!
Lupin's Niece AJ: lol. ^_^ Thanks!
summersun: Thanks!
sweets: Thanks! Hope you had a nice trip. Hehe, I'm gonna have fun writing more Prep class scenes. ^_^
Julia: Thanks! And yes, Percy's coming into the picture soon again. lol. ^_^
limasaiv: Thanks! And we find out next chapter why Draco was late. (Hopefully I'll be quicker in writing that one than I was with this.)
Okay, I'm going to try to really get the momentum of this fic going now, so hopefully I'll get things done quicker. ^-^ Thanks, you all!
Be excellent to each other!
-Ady