Chapter Three - Kneasles and Fights
A week later, Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked down the long passageways of Hogwarts. The late summer heat still lingered, coming in with the sunbeams through the windows.
"Do we have to go to the library?" Ron groaned.
"Yes," Hermione started to lecture, "We have Astronomy homework. Or did you forget?"
Ron flushed red and studied his moving feet on the floor. "Can't we go to the Common Room?"
"Well, it surely doesn't have the books we need."
Harry sighed, detecting a possible argument. Instead Ron just grumbled and looked out the windows. A few students were outside, enjoying the last few long days of summer. Hermione turned to Harry, thoughtfully.
"So, Harry," said Hermione, "how's the Quidditch Captainship going?"
"All right, I guess, " he answered, slightly distracted, " tryouts are next Friday evening."
" Do you think we'll have a pretty decent team this year?" Ron asked, excited.
"Yeah, we've got you keeping and your sister is one of our Chasers. And I'm Seeker so we only need two more Chasers and two Beaters."
"Is there anyone interested in those places?" said Hermione.
"No one really for Chasers, so I've heard. But two fifth year girls were interested in being Beaters. We'll have to see who shows up for tryouts."
"Well, at least someone is interested," Hermione replied.
There were a few moments of silence as the three students strolled in the direction of the library. Harry thought about a ton of things, trying to get them straightened. Sirius, Voldemort, the strange new girl. As they entered the library, there were few people in it. They huddled together behind a shelf of books, they whispering back and forth.
A Hufflepuff girl pointed. "Look at that!"
"What's going on?" Harry asked as he pushed his way through the crowd of students.
"I heard she has a ton of O.W.L.s..." a Gryffindor first year marveled.
Harry and his other two friends finally made it to the front of the small crowd. They saw a young girl sitting by herself behind a large stack of books. A pair of glasses sat on the top book.
"That's Evangeline," Harry observed.
"A ton of O.W.L.s, humph," Hermione grumbled.
She marched toward Evangeline as if to challenge her. Ron and Harry ran after her. As they approached the table where Evangeline was seated, what that other students were looking at became clear. In front of Evangeline was a miniature solar system, complete with the sun and other stars and such. The trio watched in wonder as the planets moved in their orbits around the sparkling sun. Evangeline followed the path of Saturn with her left index finger. She rested the side of her face on her right hand. A brown striped cat with a cream colored coat snoozed on the table.
"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed, causing the cat to jump, "what are you doing?"
Evangeline looked up startled. She put her glasses back on her face and smiled at the three of them. She blushed. The cat stretched and began to spat at the moving planets.
"Oh, hello," said Evangeline, "I was just working on my Astronomy."
She looked down at her solar system and tapped her cat on the head.
"No, Hercules."
Her hand ran through the system, causing it to evaporate. Harry and Ron dropped their jaws, and Hermione looked somewhat jealous. Hermione opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted when Harry and Ron plopped on either side of Evangeline.
"What kind of magic do they teach in the States?" Ron wondered.
"How did you do that?" Harry asked.
Evangeline blushed and didn't answer. Hermione sat and took up one of Evangeline's books, Beyond the Grave. Evangeline fiddled with a piece parchment.
"Umm . . . well I actually taught myself most of the magic I know."
"Blimey! Really?" said Ron.
"Well, yeah," she replied, "some of it I don't remember learning."
Ron gazed from Evangeline, to her stack of books, to Hermione. "She's worse than you are, Hermione."
She let out a simple "Humph!" and continued to read. Harry glanced at the book titles. Many of them caught his eye. They included titles like Lost Souls and Trapped in Darkness: Escape from Purgatory. He opened one of them to a marked page causing the marker to flitter to the table. He realizes that it was a photo.
"Who is this?" he asked, passing Evangeline the picture.
"Oh . . . " Evangeline said, slightly surprised. "That's my mother."
Ron and Hermione looked over her shoulder. The photograph smiled and waved. It looked slightly embarrassed.
"She's very pretty. I see a resemblance," Ron said, looking at Evangeline.
Evangeline blushed again and sighed. She debated whether or not to tell the story. She decided to. She had never fully told anyone what happened.
"She was killed last year. She was a Muggle, but she absolutely loved the wizarding world. She would always yell at my older brother and I for playing Qudditch in the house. I think it was because she was jealous." The Ravenclaw laughed and then sighed, sadly. "I never really got to say goodbye to her. I was at school when it happened." She bit her lip.
Hermione, looking pitiful, said, "That explains the books . . ."
Evangeline looked surprised and fiddled with the piece of parchment again.
"What do you mean?" Ron asked, confused.
"Ever since it happened I've tried to . . . to prove her existence after her death. I know it's silly, but I thought maybe she'd send me some kind of sign...I dunno . . . it's stupid." Evangeline explained, sighing once again.
"If you find out a way, let me know." Harry replied, bitterly.
Hermione gave him a sympathetic look and turned as someone approached. Hercules hissed and raised his fur. Evangeline spun around to face Malfoy, and Ron said a few things that made the picture of Evangeline's silently scold him.
"Now what was that song the Muggle Brits sang? Ah yes!" Malfoy asked, and then began singing Yankee Doodle.
"Of course, Draco, right?" Evangeline answered. "I've been meaning to show you something. You're Slytherin Seeker, correct?"
"Yeah," he sneered, "What's it to you?"
"Never had much luck with that Snitch, I've been told," she laughed and shook her head.
Evangeline reached under the table and pulled out a book: Complete Idiot's Guide to Playing Quidditch. Malfoy turned a bright shade of red and shot her a killing glare.
Harry laughed. "Sounds fitting!"
Ron snorted. Malfoy spun around to him.
"Shut it, Weasley!" Malfoy yelled, "At least I'm not infested with fleas!"
Ron stood but didn't move when he caught Hermione's scowl. He sat again without a problem. Malfoy stared over Evangeline's shoulder and laughed demonically.
"I knew your name sounded familiar, Forrest. She was your mother," he said, pointing to the photo, "A good for nothing Muggle that the DeathEaters destroyed last year."
Hermione gasped, as Evangeline clinched her fists.
"What?" said Harry.
"Yes, it's true," Evangeline answered, "Voldemort's followers killed my mother . . . "
Ron shuttered. "Can you please not say that name?"
"Personally," Malfoy began, "I think they had the right idea. Muggles are good for nothing. All they do is interrupt our lives and produce Mudbloods like Granger."
Ron jumped up again, but Harry held him back.
"I think, Yank," Malfoy said," given the chance, I would have done her in myself. Absolutely disgusting, Muggles."
Hermione started to protest but was cut off by Evangeline. Evangeline stood rather quickly and punched Malfoy square in the nose. He let out a yell and recoiled by covering his nose. The library went silent. The Ravenclaw student pulled her wand from within her robes. Malfoy scrambled backward, hitting a library table. He removed his hands from his nose. Blood ran from it into his mouth.
"I tink nu brnoke ny node!" he choked out.
Evangeline approached him, sticking her face in his.
"Don't worry, Draco," she whispered, "if another rotten word about my mother or Miss Granger comes out of your absolutely disgusting face, a broken bloody nose will be the least of your concerns. You know. . . I don't care for you much."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood with looks of shock on their faces. Evangeline tapped Malfoy's nose with her wand. The blood dried up, and his nose straightened. Malfoy grabbed for his wand.
"I hope you know I am a prefect!"
"I don't care if you're the Muggle prime minister! You don't talk about Muggles that way!"
Malfoy raised his wand above his head. Dumbledore entered the library and looked disapprovingly above his half moon glasses. He shook his head.
"Now, now, Mr. Malfoy, Miss Forrest."
Malfoy hid his wand behind his back like a child hiding something from its mother.
"We need to have a small conversation in my office," said Dumbledore. "Come, follow me."
Evangeline exchanged a nervous glare with Malfoy. They followed Dumbledore out of the library. They entered Dumbledore's office. Evangeline looked about nervously at the painting of witches and wizards. She spotted Annie and that Pierce girl.
"Well," Dumbledore chuckled, "I am surprised that the four of you cannot get along."
"I'm not. Those two are nasty, vile, and Muggle hating!" Evangeline said, pointing to Malfoy and Cassandra.
"We are not! We--" Cassandra yelled.
"Our families," Malfoy interrupted, "give great donations to charity and the Ministry of Magic."
"Who cares how rich you are? It won't protect you when you insult Muggles!" Annie screamed.
Dumbledore raised a slender finger, and his office became quiet. "I am not asking you to become bosom companions. All that I ask for is an open lack of hostilities. So that means, Miss Pierce, stop sicking your kneasles on the Ravenclaws. Mr. Malfoy, try not to hex anyone and watch your attitude. Miss Forrest, no fist fights. And Miss Snyder, watch your mouth. Agreed?"
Everyone agreed reluctantly to the temporary peace settlement. Evangeline and Annie left quickly to class. Malfoy turned to Cassandra after they had exited the office.
"Your cat?!"
"She's really a big sweetheart," Cassandra said, defending her kneasle.
"Yes, that's why Professor Snape calls her 'SheDevil.' What is that things name?"
"The Evil Spawn of the Devil Minion... "
Gryffindor and Syltherin students crossed the lawn at Hogwarts, in the direction of Hagrid's hut. The day was still warm, though the sun staring to set. Harry excitedly approached Hagrid.
"Well, Hagrid, what are we doing?" he asked.
"Yes," Ron interjected, "and does it have anything to do with Blast-Ended Skrewts?"
"Nah, we're doin' kneasles," Hagrid answered.
"Kneasles. . . aren't they cats?"
Malfoy's gang advanced on Harry. "So," he sneered," what murderous beasts are we playing with today?"
His gang giggled.
"Well, really," Hagrid responded, " I've never known of a murderous kneasle."
He reached down with a large hand and opened a cage. A flame red cat-looking animal stalks out and blinks its amber eyes. Cassandra gasped.
"Oh, poor baby! Come here Battosai!"
The kneasle jumped into her arms.
"Miss Pierce allowed us to see her kneasle... Evil Spawn of the Devil Minion... " said Hagrid, looking at a piece of parchment.
"She's also known as Battosai and SheDevil," Hagrid continued, "an' she's just had a litter of kittens."
Hagrid coaxed a small fluffy white kneasle out of the cage. The kitten stared at the group with large purple eyes, swaying its spit tail.
"Split inta groups an' look at the differ'nces between a cat an' a kneasle."
"Strange name," Malfoy told Cassandra.
"Well I didn't name her . . . "
Harry, Ron, and Hermione pet the white kitten. It yawned and spat at Ron's sleeve.
"Well, the tail's different," Harry noticed.
"How d'yeh like the kneasles?" Hagrid asked.
Ron sighed. "I don't know, it's not actively trying to kill me."
"Ron!" Hermione yelled.
"I like it," Harry told Hagrid, "Does he have a name?"
"He's called Satoru," Cassandra answered.
The kitten sat proudly and started to purr.
"Rather nicer name than Battosai, eh?" Malfoy remarked.
"The Japanese wizard who owns the father named them, didn't 'e?" Hagrid wondered.
"Yes," Cassandra said, annoyed. "All except for that one."
She pointed to a scrawny scarlet kitten with violet eyes. It looked sleepy as it sat at several Gryffindors' feet.
"I named him," she said.
"Probably Devil Mutant of the Shadow Spawn," Harry muttered, causing the Gryffindors to laugh.
"Actually, he's called Enishi," Malfoy replied.
Enishi escaped the cooing Gryffindors and jumped into Malfoy's arms.
"So," said Ron, "what exactly is the point of these things?"
"I'm glad yeh asked,"Hagrid said, "kneasles are used fer several things. Firstly, they make good pets, as yeh can see." The animals purred, as students petted them. "An' these creatures are used ta warn agains' danger. Fer example, Harry, Hermione come up 'ere."
Harry and Hermione stepped forward anxiously.
"Take our yer wands. Hermione, begin a spell on Harry," Hagrid instructed.
Hermione took out her wand. Harry looked nervously at Ron who laughed.
"Sorry, Harry . . . " Hermione said, as she started a spell.
"Hey! This isn't fair!" Harry yelled.
The Sytherins burst into laughter. A few of Harry's classmates did too.
"Don' worry, " Hagrid reassured.
All the kneasle let out high-pitched scream-like noises. The pupils and Hagrid covered their ears. Hermione dropped her wand. As soon as she did the animals stopped shrieking.
"See, they can tell when someone's in danger. Er . . . we're almos' outta time. Miss Pierce, could yeh bring yer kneasles back up 'ere?"
The furry creatures climbed obediently back into the cage. Cassandra reluctantly placed her Battosai in and latched the door.
"Fer yer 'omework, please write down ten things tha' are diff'ernt abou' a kneasle when yeh think of a cat."
As the students left to go to dinner, Malfoy stopped Cassandra.
"I thought I'd never say this but that git's lesson was actually interesting."
"I hope he lets my babies out every now and then. The poor things," Cassandra said.
Harry rolled his eyes while Ron mocked Cassandra behind her back. Hermione just shook her head and looked up kneasles in her textbook.
"Boys..."