Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling... nor am I flying ferret

Chapter Eight Fantastic Flying Ferret

Harry dragged his feet to his next to the next to Defence Against the Dark Arts, cursing over the fact he actually had to apologise to Draco Malfoy. He slipped past the sniggering Slytherins and found himself a seat at the back of the class. Ron followed him looking completely sympathetic and Hermione didn't look at all like her

normal smug self.

Snape entered from the back room, his dark eyes immediately searched out Harry. Harry despite himself sat up a little straighter, but blinked his eyes as innocently as he could.

Leering in distaste Snape called the rest of the class in, which comprised mostly of the Slytherins.

Malfoy swaggered in with his dumb lap dogs following his heels (apologises to Sirius). Draco turned to look at Harry smirking, his grey eyes full of disdain and laughter.

Ashamed of what he knew what was coming, Harry turned his face away and looked particularly interested in Ron's closed book. Ron however pleased himself by staring maliciously in Draco's direction… Draco's smirked wider and bared his teeth. "Mudblood lover," he sneered raising his blonde eyebrows in Hermione's direction.

Harry didn't know how Hermione could sit there starting at the front of the class and pretending that she had not heard what Draco had called. He felt his fists clench but before he could do anything, Ron had tried to drive of his lap to rip Malfoy into small strips. Unfortunately for Ron (and fortunately for Malfoy), Hermione caught him in mid leap and Draco remained unscathed.

"Mister Weasley," Snape jeered from the front, "Twenty five points from Gryffindor… and detention."

Ron sent a look that said daggers first at Hermione then at Snape. He sat down huffily and contented himself imagining ripping Draco Malfoy into tiny winnie bits… It was thoroughly entertaining.

Snape called the class to order, he wasn't a teacher that needed to, mainly because most of the students were petrified of him. He called the roll in his normal monotone voice, his eyes glued on Harry the whole time.

When Snape had finished the roll, he rolled the parchment carefully and placed it slowly in the draw of the desk. "I believe one of our number has something to say."

Harry sighed heavily and stood in his place and appreciated the looks of utter sympathy and moral support from the Gryffindors. Turning his head, Harry lifted his chin proudly and looked Malfoy in the eye. Malfoy was practically jumping up and down in his seat in excitement.

'Damn it!' Harry thought, 'I am not going to let little rich kid get away with this!'

Clearing his throat, Harry gazed surreally around the classroom before fixing Malfoy with an innocent stare. "Firstly I apologise to the class for the disruption in the pervious lesson and disturbing your right to learn. I understand that my reaction to Malfoy's taunting was inappropriate." Harry allowed himself a pause and a small smile creep onto his lips. "Secondly Draco I apologise to you for actually hitting you…"

Malfoy made a show of accepting the apology with a smirk. Harry returned Draco's leer and connected instantly with his nemesis' mind. He stepped inside without any trouble. Although the very thought of being in Malfoy's mind disgust him, Harry swallowed his apprehension he forced himself to stay.

'If you step out of line Malfoy again, you will get more than a bean thrown at you.'

Draco upon feeling this yelped like an injured dog and fell backwards off his chair and fell with a cluttered. The class snickered (well the Gryffindors did) but Harry forced himself to look completely shocked. As Crabbe and Goyle helped Malfoy to his feet Harry thought of adding more to his threat.

'If you ever call Hermione – or any other student for that matter – a mudblood again, I will rip you to shreds and decorate the Gryffindor mantle piece in our common room with your intestines. Understand?'

Malfoy whimpered and stumbled back on the floor. For the briefest moments Malfoy looked at Harry bewildered. Harry bared his teeth threateningly and jeered at Malfoy so that only he could see the threat.

"Mister Malfoy could you please take a seat?" Snape demanded from the front, clearly annoyed by Malfoy's display. His dark eyes scanned the class and spotted Harry, who was still standing and looked only mildly amused compared to the rest of the class. Narrowing his eyes Snape suspected something was happening under his nose, but he could not put his finger on it. "Potter, take your seat." Harry complied willingly, his emerald eyes stared up at Snape waiting for the next instruction as if he could not wait to begin the lesson.

Standing by his desk, Snape leaned forward and paused before speaking. The whole class unwittingly also sat on the edge of their chairs waiting eagerly for Snape's next words.

"As no doubt many of you." Snape looked in Malfoy's direction. "Know that the dementors of Azakaban have left their posts and have joined the dark lord."

The class was momentarily filled with whispers. Harry glanced in horror in Hermione and Ron's direction. When had this happened? How long had the Order known and not told him? Deducing from the twin looks of surprise on Hermione's and Ron's face, that they knew nothing of this, Harry looked to the front to hear more.

"It is the wish of the headmaster for all the students to learn how to defend themselves against a dementor attack… I know some of you already have some skill…"

The class exchanged worried looks. This could not be good.

Snape pulled his long wand from his robes and slowly descending the stairs to walk among the students as he continued his speak. "There is one spell that can be used in defence…"

Harry fazed out as Snape continued his speech through the particulars of the patronus and the charm in which it is formed. Dementors out of Azakaban…that would be how Malfoy was in the past with him….The situation was much worse than possible dementor attacks, Snape had forgotten to mention the Death Eater escapees. He shivered and then shook himself.

Snape had walked the whole perimeter of the class and had ended back up the front. He had his wand raised. "Expecto Patronum!" A silvery shadow burst from Snape's wand and flew over the head of the gasping students.

Harry craned his neck around interested to see what form Snape's patronus took. Hanging perched, upside down high up in the dragon skeleton was a little silver creature with large annoyed looking eyes. It screeched and flew back to Snape… disappearing in mid air.

A bat! Harry almost laughed with satisfaction. Snape's patronus was a bat!

"Now…" Snape said dramatically to the overawed class. "It's your turn. Form a line. Potter you first."

Harry walked to the front calmly, raised his wand and called clearly, "Expecto Patronum…"

Instead of bursting from his wand tip, the stag patronus staggered forward. His great crowned head, bent forward. With an effort the stag raised his regal head and pranced on the spot. Harry could see that Prongs was still hurt from the 'Prince of Darkness' attack… Turning his head proudly to survey the students, Prongs stepped forward with pathetic limp and gazed at Harry with large crystal eyes.

Harry reached out his hand and touched the tip of Prongs' nose. The silver rippled around him for a moment. "I'm sorry…" he whispered before his patronus melted away like thaw on a spring day.

"Ha… Pathetic!" Draco Malfoy said from his corner. Harry didn't have the guts to look at him. Something was wrong with his patronus and he didn't know how to fix it. Why didn't Salazar Slytherin tell him?

Snape upon seeing the strange condition of the great silver stag narrowed his eyes so that they were like slits. He heard Malfoy's comment behind him, although he chose to ignore it. He watched as Harry raised his hand to the patronus and his wand fall useless to his side as the silver spectre disappeared and then trudged miserably to the back of the line. Something strange had happened… and he wouldn't rest until he found out exactly what.

"Granger you next."

Hermione cast a comforting look at Harry and stepped forward. "Expecto Patronum…"

A little furry otter tumbled around the classroom cheerfully chatting to itself.

"Stupid mudblood…"

Harry did something then that he never contemplated in this life. With the aid of a wand he willed Malfoy to turn into a blonde ferret. Just like what Mad-Eye did when his nemesis had attacked him with his back turned.

Harry started when Malfoy actually did turn into a little ferret with a loud pop. Grabbe and Goyle squealed in surprise making the whole class start with surprise. Snape turned around and saw the ferret; he opened his mouth to say something but no words came forth.

Without warning the ferret was levitated into the air. Its little stubby legs running like air madly as if to fight against the invisible force that had taken over control.

The Gryffindors were trying hard to stop their laughter; Harry grinned and looked at Snape. Snape caught his glance into his eyes and saw the humour and amusement practically bubbling in Harry's expression. He looked helpless back at the little ferret suspended in mid air, his arms loosely at his sides. His class was out of his control and he had no idea how Malfoy had been changed into a ferret without a spoken spell and who was holding him in mid air without the aide of a wand.

Very slowly ferret Malfoy turned about in three-sixties, gradually getting faster and faster.

The Gryffindors were now on the floor holding their sides with laughter. Hermione's patronus, who had decided to stay behind. Sat up on its hind legs, cocked its head to one side questioningly. It gave a gleeful chatterer and started to jump up and down, clapping its paws as the ferret began to zoom around the room… its blonde tail streaming out from behind it!

Harry feeling particularly malicious allowed 'Super-Malfoy' zoom into the blackboard at the front.

SMACK!

The ferret seemed to pause for a moment as its nose crunched on the blackboard. Then very slowly slid down the board, and hit the floor. When the class looked over the desk a near unconscious Malfoy was slumped on the carpet.

Hermione's little patronus chattering the whole way jumped from desk to desk, and upon reaching the teacher's desk jumped down on top of Malfoy and did a little victory dance. Jumping up and down excitedly, clapping his little furry paws… with very distinctive laughter.

It was one of those lessons that would become legendary in Hogwarts history!

Sorry boys and girls the chapter has to end here... I'm laughing to hard to do anymore!

God I laughed so hard doing this chapter... I told those who were concerned about Harry's apology to Malfoy I would enjoy writing it!

Thanks Janine for egging me to do this... (I didn't need much encouragement...) I love humiliating Draco!