Magical Origins

Author Notes: Over Fifty Chapters and Still Going Strong. My best story yet! Thanks to all my readers, who have been supporting me!

Year 4: Mad-Eye

Harry woke up the next morning with his mind feeling refreshed. Memories of Dumbledore's announcement reenters his mind as he smiles at the thought of what the year was going to bring.

The door burst open with Blaise walking in.

"Professor Snape wants everyone in the common room now. He has an announcement." Blaise said.

Harry knew at once it was serious and quickly jumps in the shower before he puts on his best robes. He walks into the Common Room and notices a first year sitting in his seat.

"Up firstie, that's my seat," Harry said as he walks up to him.

The first year sneers at him.

"I like this seat, I'm going to take it. You can handle for second best." He replies.

Harry whips out his wand, and the first year found himself on the ground, moaning in pain.

"Lesson one in Slytherin, respect your betters," Harry said as he sits down.

"My father will hear of this." The boy snarls as he gets up.

"Mister Potter, causing trouble?" Snape said as he watches the whole affair.

The boy paled the moment he heard the name.

"Of course not, Professor. The firstie broke an iron rule in Slytherin. That's all." Harry replies, calmly.

"Indeed. Young Mister Baddock. If you do not respect your peers in the House of Slytherin, then you will find your stay in this house very unwelcome. In the House of Slytherin, you earn your way in this house, not buy your way. Now, since everyone is here, I have an announcement I must give you all. One, I'm sure you already know but must hear regardless." Snape paused as he lets his word take effect. "Hogwarts has been given the honor to host the Triwizard Tournament. As you were told last night, you must be on your best behavior at all times while we host and have the honor of two schools as guests. During their time here, you will behave, or I will personally see to it that you are out of Hogwarts before you can say 'unfair,' is that understood."

Everyone nods their heads.

"Good, now, enjoy your day and do not get into trouble," Snape said as he turns and walks out the room.

Harry gets up and decides to get some breakfast.

"It's unfair, we should all have a shot at the tournament," Draco said, complaining loudly as he sits down.

"Why would you enter? You really don't need the gold. If anyone needs the gold, it's Weasley." Harry said.

The others laugh at Harry's remark.

"I want to bring honor to the Malfoy name. If I enter, then the Malfoy name would have been respected. Plus, I want to rub it in Weasley's face." Draco said.

The others laugh again.

It was no secret that Ron Weasley would have been furious if Slytherin had a champion for the Triwizard Tournament.

Snape walked down their table, handing their timetables.

"What do we have today?" Draco asks, not bothering to look at his.

"Double Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures," Harry replies as he looks at his.

"That oaf is still teaching classes?" Draco cried out.

"Seems so," Harry stated calmly.

"They can't expect us to work out in this weather." Draco cried out in horror.

"You could skip class, but you know how well that will end up," Harry said in amusement.

"Don't be a baby, Draco," Daphne said as she eats some eggs off her plate. She eats with an amused look in her eye.

The Slytherins laugh and joke as they ate breakfast.

When the time for classes came, they went to Herbology. It wasn't so bad, though Ron Weasley was in a foul mood for a strange reason. Harry figured it was because he couldn't enter the Triwizard Tournament. A thousand galleons would have given Weasley some decent robes to replace the ones he wore with noticeable patches, stains, and holes in them. As well as becoming Triwizard Champion, he would allow him a certain level of fame that would help him get any job he wanted.

The itinerary for the class today seemed to include collecting resin from each respective group pot of Venomous Tentacula. It was strange collecting the pus looking sap. Yet no one did as well as Neville, who always did remarkably well in Herbology.

"Well done, Longbottom, full marks as usual." Professor Sprout said.

The bell rang, and all the fourth years went to their elective classes. With most heading to Hagrid's Hut for Care of Magical Creatures.

"Gather around, we're going to have a yearlong project for us," Hagrid said in a cheerful tone. "Blasted Ended Skrewts!" Hagrid said happily as he points to several crates.

"Eurgh!" Lavender Brown said as she looks inside.

Harry looked inside and had to agree with the gossip queen's opinion. They look like huge maggots out of someone's nightmare. Nearly six inches long and two inches wide. And there were hundreds of them. An overpowering smell of bad fish and rotten eggs filled the air around them.

"Only just hatched!" Hagrid said proudly. "You'll be able to raise them yourselves."

"Why would we want to?" Draco sneers. "I mean, what do they even do?"

Hagrid seems to be lost for words for a moment before he responds.

"That's the lesson Malfoy. You're feeding them today. They're hungry, so I suspect…"

Harry took a step back, as did most of the class. None of them look like they wanted to get near those things. Harry was also warned by Lily, that Hagrid had a tendency to favor dangerous creatures most wouldn't go near. Even she didn't look like she wanted to get near them.

"Come on, don't be afraid. We're only looking after them," Hagrid said in a somewhat cheerful tone.

Harry says nothing as he grabs his bag and walks back up the castle. The Slytherins followed suit. As did half the Gryffindors. Harry was sure those Skrewts were illegal to have. Instead, Harry headed to an early lunch and piled his plate with lamb chops.

"That oaf should be fired. Forcing us to raise illegal creatures is not why I signed up for that class." Draco said as he sits down.

"Who stayed?" Harry asks in amusement.

"I'm willing to bet no one stayed," Daphne said as she sits down next to Harry.

"What do you got next?" Blaise asks.

"Inscription," Harry said.

"How is it?" Blaise asks.

"I like it. Not sure what we'll be starting soon, but we'll it's been challenging for me." Harry said.

Skipping Care of Magical Creatures meant they had lots of free time.

At that moment, owl post arrived carrying the Daily Prophet.

Draco quickly read and grew a large grin on his face.

"Hey, Weasley, Weasley!" Draco shouted as he approaches Ron Weasley.

"What Malfoy?" Ron snaps.

"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!" Draco said as he holds up the Daily Prophet. "Listen to this… Further Mistakes at the Ministry of Magic. It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles is not yet at an end. Writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its' witches, the Ministry of Magic was plunged into a fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office.' Draco paused as he looks up at Ron, almost as if he was trying hard not to burst out from laughing.

"They can't even get his name right. By the dogs, your family has really sunken so low, your father isn't even worth being mention in the papers properly." Malfoy said. Ron shook with anger as he looks at Malfoy. Malfoy returns to the article and continues to read, letting everyone in the Great Hall listen to him.

"And look, Weasley, there's a picture!" Draco said the moment he finished. He holds up the pictures of his parents in front of their house. "A picture of your parents in front of your house. If you can, call that a house. Your mother could really lose the weight, couldn't she?" Draco thundered.

Ron began to shake with anger.

Lily grabs the back of Ron's robes to stop him from launching himself at Malfoy.

"Back off, Malfoy or I'll burn you to a crisp," Lily said as she slowly drags Ron, with the help of Dean, away from Malfoy.

"You've stayed with the Weasley before, haven't you, Morris! Tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it the picture?" Malfoy asks with a bit of a laugh.

"You would know from your mother, Malfoy!" Lily snaps. Dean had to hold Ron in a restraining style as he was flapping his arms wildly as he attempted to throw himself at Malfoy.

"What are you talking about?" Malfoy said.

"That look on her face. Like she's been sniffing dung. As she always looks like that, or was it because she was with you?" Lily asks.

Malfoy's face burns red in anger.

"Don't you dare talk about my mother, Morris!" Draco snarled.

"Then keep your fat mouth shut!" Lily snaps back.

Lily turns to pull Ron to the Gryffindor side.

Draco seemed to have come up with a new strategy with dealing with Lily. He pulls out his wand and fires a hex at Lily, narrowly missing her. Lily reacted immediately. She turns around and releases her wand from her holster and raises it as Malfoy releases his second hex.

A shield appeared in front of Lily before anyone could do anything. The next thing that happened, Malfoy appeared as a white swirl, and standing in Malfoy's place was a white ferret. The ferret stands on its hind legs as if it was suddenly confusing.

"Oh no, you don't laddie!" Moody's voice shouted in the Great Hall. He limps forward with his wand out. His voice and presence caused everyone to become still as statues.

"Did he get you?" Moody growled out to Lily.

"No, he missed…"

"LEAVE IT!" Moody roared.

"Leave what?" Lily asks in confusion.

"Not you, him," Moody growled, jerking his hand over his shoulder, his thumb towards Crabbe, who was on the verge of picking up the ferret. Moody turns around and begins to walk towards the petrified trio. The ferret gave a squeak and takes off in the direction of the dungeons.

"Oh no, you don't!" Moody said as he points his wand at the ferret, with a jerk the ferret flew in the air and with a jerk downwards, fell straight down onto the stone floor with a loud smack. Moody jerked his wand up, and the ferret flew upwards again before he jerks his wand down, and the ferret hits the ground hard with another loud smack. The ferret let out several squeaks as if it was trying to say it was in pain.

"Professor Moody!" Professor McGonagall said as she drops her books at the sight before her. "What are you doing?" She demands.

"Teaching," Moody said simply.

"Teach - is that a student?!" Professor McGonagall asks in horror.

"Technically, it's a ferret," Moody said.

Professor McGonagall whips out her wand, and with a flick, the white ferret swirls into Draco Malfoy.

Draco gets up and looks around. He spots Moody, who looks at him with a hard look.

"My father will hear about this!" Malfoy shrieks.

"Is that a threat?" Moody said as he limps forward. "That was a threat!" Moody said with an almost deranged smile.

Malfoy backs away in fear.

"Alastor!" Professor McGonagall said. "We never use transfiguration as a form of punishment. Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that."

"He may have mentioned it," Moody mutters.

"We give detention, or speak to the Head of House of the offender." Professor McGonagall said.

"When my father hears…"

"I know your father, boy! You go ahead and tell him that Mad-Eye is keeping his eye on you. Now, your Head of House would be Snape, wouldn't it?"

Malfoy said nothing as he looks at Moody in horror.

"Another old friend! I've been meaning to speak to old Snape for a while now. Come on, you." Moody growled as he grabs Malfoy by his arm and marches him down to the dungeons.

Harry said nothing as he watches the whole affair.

His fourth year was looking to be very exciting.


Author Notes: I hope everyone enjoys the chapter. I'll be slowing the updates for a bit. I've caught up to where I'm needed. I'll still keep this story updated. Please R&R