So, this chapter is a little longer than the others. Lots going on. The next chapter is in progress and I'm half way done.

Generally, I brush off the comments that pick apart my plot... But let me just put this out there. This is AU. It's not going to follow the original story perfectly. Some stuff is the same, but I've made a lot of changes. It's a little silly to complain that it's different. It's fanfiction. I appreciate comments, but really... Come on guys.

Aside from a few weird comments, you guys are fabulous. I love hearing from you and I'm delighted to share this with you.


The idea of riding on the Hogwarts Express with Remus was a little strange. But, Harry didn't mind it. He'd even insisted that Remus sit with him. The pleased smile on Remus' face was a relief to Harry. Remus had been rather down since Sirius' escape.

Draco joined them in the compartment and sat down with Harry, greeting Remus politely.

"I'm looking forward to your class," Draco told Remus, nodding to Hermione as she stepped into the compartment. "Harry said that you're a great teacher and our previous Defense professors have been terrible."

"I'll certainly do my best," Remus replied with a smile. He watched as Ron and Blaise walked in and settled themselves in their seats. Vince and Greg stopped by to greet them before moving on to a compartment with a bit more room.

Remus couldn't help being rather impressed with Harry. Relationships between Slytherin and Gryffindor had been hostile for a long time. But here was Harry, easily navigating friendships from both houses. Remus was stunned when he heard Draco and Ron discussing chess strategy without a trace of animosity.

The only conflict was between Ron and Hermione. Hermione had gotten a cat over the summer and it seemed intent on eating Scabbers.

The cat, Crookshanks, was actually half kneazle. It looked a bit like a miniature lion with his fluffy plumed tail. It was ginger colored and had orange eyes. Crookshanks was remarkably intelligent and Hermione adored him.

Draco thought the half-kneazle was rather ugly with its squashed face and large pointed ears. But the animal wasn't so bad. Crookshanks seemed to like Draco and Harry well enough. He curled up happily between the two boys, purring loudly.

"We should see what Crookshanks thinks of Orion," Blaise said.

Harry transformed easily. As Orion, he sat down and looked at Crookshanks expectantly.

Crookshanks sniffed Orion briefly but otherwise seemed unfazed. Orion meowed and Crookshanks meowed back. Then Crookshanks curled back up at Orion's side.

"That's it?" Blaise asked, surprised. "I expected more of a reaction."

The others shrugged and resumed chatting while Draco picked Orion up. Orion was certainly a much better looking cat with his perfect fur and luxurious tail.

Then, Draco had an idea. He stood up and reached into his bag that was resting on the luggage rack. He pulled out a small bag and sat back down.

Draco took out a small brush and set the bag aside. Aware that his friends were now staring, Draco held the brush out for Crookshanks to inspect. "May I brush you?" Draco asked politely.

Amazingly, Crookshanks meowed and stood up, watching Draco expectantly. Draco smiled and began carefully brushing the thick ginger fur. Occasionally, he used his hands to apply some sort of cream to the fur. He worked silently while Ron, Blaise and Hermione resumed their conversation.

It didn't take Draco long to tame the wild fur. Crookshanks still wasn't the prettiest cat, but he looked well groomed and cared for.

"He looks amazing," Hermione said, picking her cat up. "And he smells so nice! Thank you Draco!"

"You're welcome," Draco replied, a bit startled that she had used his first name. He turned to Orion. "It's your turn, my pretty boy."

"You know he's not really a cat, right?" Ron asked with a smirk.

Draco rolled his eyes and set about brushing Orion's lovely fur. Orion was far less dignified about it. He purred loudly and rolled into his back to expose his belly. When Draco obliged and brushed his stomach, Orion stretched out luxuriously and nearly fell off the seat.

"You're shameless," Draco laughed, setting Orion in his lap. "Here. This is for you as well." Draco reached into his little bag again and pulled out a dark green collar. Curling vines were stitched into it in shiny silver thread. A silver tag was attached to it with the name Orion etched onto it. Draco carefully put the collar around Orion's neck. "There's a little clip on here that will pop open when you change back."

"That's so sweet," Hermione cooed, kissing Orion's furry face.

"You do remember that it's Harry?" Ron asked impatiently. "You're all making this weird. You're cuddling our friend."

Enjoying Ron's discomfort, Blaise scooped Orion into his arms. "Such a lovely boy," Blaise cooed, nuzzling into the black fur. "What a good kitty."

"I hate all of you," Ron said flatly.

Harry returned to his human form, catching the collar as it fell off. He grinned at Ron as he returned to his seat. Crookshanks jumped into his lap and curled up.

Draco smiled and put his grooming supplies back into the bag. It was, perhaps, a little odd for him to have grooming supplies for someone that wasn't really a cat. But, Harry didn't seem to mind Draco indulging in the experience of caring for a pet.

The rain beat down on the windows as the students talked quietly and Remus drifted off to sleep. He was still recovering from the most recent full moon. Of course, only Draco and Ron were aware that Remus was a werewolf. They hadn't found it necessary to let their other friends know. It was a touchy subject for Remus, and Harry wanted to respect his privacy.

Suddenly, the train shuddered and began to slow.

"Why are we stopping?" Hermione asked. "We can't be there yet."

The train gave another shudder and the lights flickered. The temperature dropped drastically.

Draco pressed closer to Harry, his breath coming out in little white puffs. "What's happening?" Draco whispered fearfully.

The compartment door slid open slowly as a long-fingered hand with gray, scabbed skin curled around the frame. A creature in a long ragged cloak hovered in the door way, it's breathing making a rattling sound with each inhalation. The compartment was too dim to see anything of its face aside from the gaping hole where a mouth should have been.

The creature shifted closer, and a sense of hopelessness swept over Harry. Fear gripped him and the sound of screaming filled his mind as he blacked out.

"Harry!" Draco cried out in alarm, catching hold of Harry's limp body. "Professor Lupin!"

Remus jolted upright and then whipped out his wand when he saw the creature. He used an unfamiliar charm and a bright white light lit up the compartment, driving the creature out.

Remus sighed and then turned to look at Harry. "He'll be alright," he assured the other students. "Just give him a moment."

Draco sighed in relief when Harry's eyes fluttered open. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Harry sat up gingerly looking around at his friends. Remus handed Harry some chocolate before passing some to the others. "What was that?" Harry asked.

"It was a Dementor," Remus explained, giving Harry's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "They guard Azkaban. It was searching the train for Sirius Black. Now I'm going to have a word with the driver. Eat the chocolate. You'll feel better." He stepped through the door and walked away.

Harry bit into the chocolate, feeling rather embarrassed. "Did any of you pass out?" he asked uncomfortably.

They all shook their heads. "I felt weird though," Ron said with a frown. "Like I'd never be cheerful again."

Harry thought for a moment. "Before I blacked out, I heard something," he said. "A woman... screaming."

"No one was screaming," Hermione said, looking concerned.

"Don't worry about it," Draco said soothingly, urging Harry to take another bite of chocolate. "We just encountered a creature that sucks the happiness out of the room. You were bound to feel a bit off."

"But I'm the only one in here that fainted," Harry muttered. Draco sighed, wanting to reassure his friend.

"Professor Lupin didn't seem concerned," Blaise said reasonably. "So don't let it bother you. I imagine it effects everyone differently. You killed a giant snake with a sword. Nobody here is going to judge you," he said with a smile.

Harry returned the smile reluctantly. As the train began moving again, he relaxed. The warm, comforting weight of Draco leaning against him was soothing and he was able to stop thinking about the dementor for a little while.


At the Welcome Feast, Dumbledore announced that Hogwarts would play host to the dementors until Sirius Black was captured. Harry groaned and buried his face in his hands. Hopefully those awful creatures wouldn't get close to the students. It would be humiliating to be fainting on a regular basis.

"Don't worry Potter," Marcus said quietly. "They won't let the dementors get too close. It'll be a great year."

It was Marcus Flint's final year. He was surely hoping to win the the Quidditch Cup again for his last year as Captain. It was such a normal thing to think about. Much better than worrying over an escaped murderer.

After dinner Harry, Draco and Blaise went to their dorm. Their belongings had been placed by their beds already. Blaise left to take a shower, leaving Harry and Draco alone for the moment.

Draco sat down on Harry's bed, where Harry was stretched out on his back. Harry turned his head to look up at Draco with a little smile. "Are you worried?" Draco asked quietly.

"A bit," Harry sighed. "A man that my parents trusted betrayed them to Voldemort and now he's escaped and might want to kill me. It's just-" Harry swallowed hard. "It's awful. And poor Moony is having a hard time with it. I'm just tired of people wanting to kill me. It's ridiculous."

Draco layed down next to Harry, turning his head to look at his friend. "It'll be alright Harry," he said softly. "There are a lot of people here that just want you to be happy and safe."

Harry stilled as his eyes met Draco's. They were together all the time, but Harry was abruptly aware of how very close they were at that moment. Had Draco always been so... pretty? His gray eyes looked silver when the light hit them properly. His skin was pale but healthy, and there was a faint pink along his cheeks at that moment. When Draco wasn't being sarcastic or scowling, he looked rather sweet.

"Harry?" Draco asked, his face growing a bit redder. "Is everything alright?"

Apparently, Harry had been staring a bit too long. "Sorry," Harry said sheepishly. "You have really pretty eyes." He bit his lip, thinking that it was a really stupid thing to blurt out to your best mate. Who does that?

But Draco looked rather pleased. "Thank you," he responded with a shy little smile, his eyes staying on Harry's face. "I love your eyes. They're the most beautiful shade of green that I've ever seen."

Vince and Greg walked into the room. They glanced over at Harry and Draco and smiled. "I've got some Honeydukes chocolate," Greg informed them.

Draco hummed in approval of chocolate. Greg grinned and opened his trunk. He pulled out a bag that was bulging from its contents. He grabbed a handful and tossed it, making the sweets rain down on Draco and Harry.

"Thanks," Harry chuckled. He opened a chocolate frog and bit into it before it could escape his grasp. The chocolate melted on his tongue and Harry closed his eyes in bliss. A quiet giggle made him snap his eyes open.

Draco was smirking at him. "Are you enjoying that?" Draco teased. "Should we give you a moment alone with your chocolate frog?"

"Shut up," Harry muttered, giving Draco a playful shove. They both laughed.

"What are you doing?" Blaise asked, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. He was dressed for bed and setting a bag of toiletries in his trunk.

"Late night snack," Vince said, holding up a peppermint humbug.

"No, I meant those two," Blaise said impatiently, motioning toward Draco and Harry. "I leave for a few minutes and these two are spooning."

"We're not!" Draco objected, his face flushing.

"No," Harry groaned. "I'm too tired for shrieking."

"I'm not shrieking," Draco snapped. Seeing Harry's teasing grin, he rolled his eyes. "Go take a shower, you tosser."

Harry laughed and got his things to take to the shower. Draco got up and got dressed for bed, preferring to shower in the mornings. He used a spell to clean his teeth and flopped onto his bed tiredly.

"So..." Blaise began casually. "That was adorable."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Draco responded with a huff.

"He was talking about you and Harry cuddling," Greg said helpfully. Vince snickered.

"We were not cuddling!" Draco cried, thoroughly embarrassed. "We were just talking."

"Then why was your face so red?" Vince questioned.

"He- I-" Draco bit his lip, looking up at the ceiling. "He said my eyes are pretty."

Blaise smiled, giving Vince and Greg a look to forestall further teasing. "That's a good thing then," Blaise said lightly.

Draco nodded, his eyelids growing heavy. It had been such a long day and tiring day.

Draco slipped between his sheets and closed his eyes with a yawn. He couldn't get the memory of Harry's face, so close to his own, out of his head. Draco's whole body felt warm at the memory.

When Harry returned to the room, Draco was sounds asleep with a smile on his lips.


"Mate, what happened to you?" Ron asked incredulously, looking Harry over.

"What do you mean?" Draco asked indignantly. "He looks great."

Harry sighed quietly, wishing that they could just go have breakfast. Ron was only drawing more attention to Harry's appearance.

Draco had insisted that Harry needed to look more respectable since he was representing Slytherin. Blaise had agreed, and the two of them had set about fixing Harry's tie and cajoling him into tucking his shirt in properly. They did what they could with Harry's wild hair. It was still messy, but it looked more intentional.

So, Harry was walking to breakfast looking sharp and neat. He thought he looked good, but now he was feeling rather self-conscious.

"You look so handsome Harry," Hermione said, reaching out to squeeze his hand.

"Thanks," Harry murmured, blushing.

"But why?" Ron asked.

"It's our first day of classes," Draco replied impatiently. "We're putting our best foot forward. Harry looks neat and tidy. It makes a good impression. In fact..." He paused and looked Ron over. Then he gave Blaise a knowing look.

"Right," Blaise said with a little nod. "We need a moment." He seized Ron's arm and led him away with Draco close behind.

"Do we need to wait here?" Greg asked. "Or can we go eat."

Harry smiled. "Let's go eat," he said lightly. "See you in a later," he told Hermione as he headed toward the Slytherin table with Vince and Greg loyally trailing after him.

Harry chatted comfortably with Vince and Greg as he began to eat his breakfast. Just as they were finishing, Draco and Blaise got to the table and started on their own meals. They appeared suspiciously smug.

"Alright, what have you done?" Harry asked warily.

"You'll see," Draco said dismissively. He reached out and brushed some lint off of Harry's robes, his eyes bright with amusement.

As they made their way to their first class, they met up with Hermione and Ron again. But, Ron had clearly been subjected to Draco and Blaise's fashion sense. His shirt and tie were tidy and his robes, despite being hand-me-downs, were perfectly fastened and seemed to fit him better.

"Nice," Harry commented with a grin.

"Does it look alright?" Ron asked, reaching up to touch his hair only to have Draco slap his hand away.

"All of you look fantastic," Hermione assured, including Vince and Greg in the compliment.

"Of course we do," Draco said confidently. He turned to Harry and Ron. "Now that you two no longer look like ruffians, we're going to class."

Ron huffed in irritation and embarrassment and march away with Hermione trailing after him.

"That was really nice of you," Harry told Draco and Blaise. "I think..." He peered them suspiciously.

"We're all friends here," Blaise said with a shrug, his innocent tone not fooling Harry at all.

"And he's hilarious when he's uncomfortable," Draco added with a smirk.

"You're awful," Harry chided them while Vince and Greg laughed.

The third year Slytherins had Charms first, and then Divination. The climbed a spiral staircase to the Divination classroom and found that it didn't look much like a classroom. It looked a bit like an old, overcrowded teashop. There were twenty small tables in the room, surrounded by dusty armchairs and fat poufs for everyone to sit in. The lamps were all draped with dark red scarves, lighting the room in dim crimson. The smell of incense was oddly strong, making Harry's eyes water a little.

Harry, Draco and Blaise crowded around a little table together. Pansy hastily dropped into a pouf next to Draco, forcing Vince and Greg to sit at a table nearby.

Professor Trelawney stepped into the room and swept her face across the room. She wore glasses that made her eyes look enormous. A gauzy shawl was draped over her shoulders and she wore a good number of bangles and rings. Several thin chains and beads hung from her neck. Harry thought she looked a bit mad.

"She looks like an insect," Blaise muttered out the corner of his mouth.

"God, that's tacky," Draco muttered quietly. "My eyes are actually hurting from looking at her."

"I think that's the incense," Harry whispered, shaking with suppressed mirth.

Trelawney started the class by outlining the topics they'd be learning through the semester. She punctuated her own commentary by making bizarre or vague predictions about various students in the classroom. Blaise was struggling to contain his laughter.

That day they were reading tea leaves. They each drank from a teacup and then traded cups with someone at the table. Draco barely gave Harry enough time to finish his tea before he snatched the cup away. Draco really didn't want to read Pansy's tea leaves.

Harry peered at the leaves left in Draco's cup. It seemed rather stupid but, Harry was there to learn. So, he grabbed his copy of Unfogging the Future and began comparing the illustrations to the soggy lump of tea leaves.

"Er- I see... an acorn," Harry said hesitantly. "Maybe..." He peered at his book. "A windfall, unexpected gold."

"That's stupid," Blaise muttered, barely sparing a glance for Pansy's cup. "Draco's already a rich sod. The Malfoy's have more money than they know what to do with."

Draco shrugged, pursing his lips and staring down into Harry's cup. "It's a sheep," he declared, setting the cup down.

Harry and Blaise snorted. "A sheep?" Harry spluttered. "What does that mean?"

"No idea," Draco said, flipping through his book.

Blaise leaned over to peer in Harry's cup. "That's a bear," he said.

"Don't be an idiot," Draco said waving Blaise away. "It's clearly a- Huh... Is that donkey?" Pansy giggled at that.

Harry bit his lip and tried to look studious as Trelawney approached their table. She took Harry teacup and gazed into the tea leaves.

"The falcon... you have a deadly enemy," Trelawney informed Harry.

"Well yeah," Blaise muttered, rolling his eyes.

Trelawney rotated the cup anti-clockwise. "The skull... danger in your path."

Up until this point, the Slytherins seemed largely unfazed by Trelawney's predictions. Now, the were glancing between Harry and his unfortunate teacup.

Trelawney rotated the teacup again, gasped and then let out a dramatic scream. It startled Pansy so badly that she dropped Blaise's teacup.

"What?" Draco snapped, glaring impatiently. He didn't care that he was being rude. He had no interest in her theatrics.

Trelawney dropped into a chair, setting the cup down and clasping her hands to her chest. She was staring at Harry with wide eyes. "My dear, you have the Grim," she informed him. She looked a bit offended by his puzzled look. "The Grim," she repeated impatiently. "It's a giant spectral dog. It is an omen of death!"

Most of the Slytherins looked distinctly rattled. Vince and Greg watched Harry with an anxious expressions. Even Blaise looked quite unsettled. Draco managed to keep his expression neutral, but he reached for Harry's hand under the table and gave it a squeeze.

Harry hadn't really thought much of Trelawney's predictions. But there was something that made Harry's heart pound with fear: Sirius Black was an animagus. He could turn into a big black dog.


Harry walked into Transfiguration feeling a bit queasy. He took a seat next to Draco, smiling faintly as Ron and Hermione came into the room.

The class was oddly subdued, especially for a class full of Slytherins and Gryffindors. Professor McGonagall ended up halting her lecture an animagi and asking her students what was wrong.

"We had Divination today," Blaise said helpfully.

"Ah," McGonagall said, nodding in understanding. "And which of you will be dying this year?"

The third years blinked in surprise.

"Me," Harry answered.

McGonagall sighed, giving Harry a patient look. "Sibyll Trelawney has predicted the death if at least one student every year," she informed them. "Not one of those people had died yet. This seems to be her favorite way of greeting a new class. Welcome to third year," she added dryly.

Several of the students laughed, finally relaxing. Harry smiled slightly, suddenly feeling much better. Draco gave him a little nudge with one elbow, offering a slight smile.

"Now, going back to more important things," McGonagall said, redirecting their attention. "I was talking about Animagi." She transformed into a silver tabby, prompting the class to applaud appreciatively.

Harry smiled to himself. This was one topic he already knew fairly well. Most of his classmates weren't aware that he was an animagus and he preferred it that way for the time being.

After lunch, the third year Slytherins and Gryffindors went outside and toward the edge of the forest for Care of Magical Creatures. Hagrid had been made the professor since that last teacher had retired. Harry wasn't sure if he should be excited or nervous about Hagrid teaching, so he settled for a mixture of both. Hagrid was a good friend, but his idea of what was safe was rather different from other people.

Harry's hope that class would go well faltered when Hagrid expressed surprised that none of them had been able to open their copy of Monster Book of Monsters. Draco looked like he rather wanted to hex Hagrid when they were instructed to stroke the spine of the growling books.

Hagrid then brought out five strange looking creatures. They had the bodies, hind legs and tails of horses. But the front legs, wings and heads looked like giant eagles.

After telling the students that hippogriffs were proud and that insulting one might be the last thing you ever do, Hagrid asked for volunteers. Understandably, nobody really wanted to get any closer. But, Harry really wanted to encourage Hagrid, so volunteered.

Harry carefully followed Hagrid's instructions to bow to the selected hippogriff, Buckbeak. Buckbeak stared at Harry for a long moment before sinking into a bow as well. Harry moved closer slowly and reached out to pet Buckbeak with a small smile of relief.

Until Hagrid mentioned riding Buckbeak. That didn't sound like a good idea at all.

Draco watched anxiously as Harry was helped onto Buckbeak's back. Buckbeak immediately opened his wings and gave them a mighty flap, lifting into the air. Draco kept his hands clenched at his sides to resist the impulse to cover his eyes. What if Harry fell?

Buckbeak landed after just a few minutes, and Harry climbed back down to the ground gratefully. He enjoyed flying, but he much preferred it on a broom.

The other students moved closer, grouping around the hippogriffs and bowing. Draco, Blaise, Vince and Craig were with Buckbeak while Harry stood back and observed. Draco looked quite pleased when Buckbeak bowed to him.

"His feathers are so soft," Draco noted, grinning when Buckbeak closed his eyes and leaned into Draco's hand.

"It's a bit ugly," Vince commented quietly.

Buckbeak reared up angrily and Draco hastily shoved Vince away. In the next moment, he cried out in pain when Buckbeak's talons slashed through his robes and cut into his arm. He stumbled back as Hagrid rushed to get in front of Buckbeak.

Hagrid calmed the hippogriff while Harry used his own robes to press over Draco's wounds. "It was the first pass at of the lesson Vince!" Harry growled. "You don't insult a hippogriff."

"I'm sorry," Vince mumbled his face oddly pale. "I'm so sorry Draco."

"He needs to go to the hospital wing," Hermione said calmly. "Madam Pomfrey can fix him right up."

"I'm the teacher, I'll do it," Hagrid declared scooping Draco up into his arms, making Draco yelp.

"It got my arm, not my legs!" Draco cried indignantly. "Put me down this instant."

Hagrid set him down with a little frown, but keep put one hand on Draco's shoulder. "Class dismissed," Hagrid said gruffly, leading Draco away.

"Poor Draco," Harry sighed, picking up his bag and Draco's.

"Harry, I'm really sorry," Vince said, looking quite miserable. "It was stupid of me to say that."

Harry patted Vince's arm, feeling a bit guilty about snapping at him. Vince wouldn't do something hurt Draco on purpose. "It's alright Vince," Harry assured him. "I was just worried about Draco, and I got upset. I know it was an accident."

"Come on," Blaise said lightly, nodding toward the castle.

The other students were already making their way across the grounds. Neville, Dean and Seamus paused to ask if Draco had been hurt badly. Harry honestly wasn't sure how bad the wound was. He hadn't wanted to look to closely at Draco's turn flesh, focusing on trying to stop all the bleeding instead. And there had been a shocking amount in blood.

"That was a horrible thing to happen in our first day of classes," Ron muttered, grasping Harry's arm and guiding him toward the castle. "He'll be fine," he told Harry firmly.

"I know," Harry agreed. "There was just so much blood."

"I'm just afraid that this looks really bad on Hagrid," Hermione fretted, wringing her hands. "Do you think he'll get into trouble?"

"But it was an accident," Greg blurted out, glancing at Vince.

"I know," Hermione responded patiently. "But Hagrid is responsible for the class. He chose to bring a very temperamental creature to our first class. That probably wasn't the best plan."

Harry sighed heavily. Hagrid was just trying to make his first class enjoyable. Hopefully, he wouldn't get into trouble.

Harry didn't see Draco until just after dinner. The blond entered the common room with Harry's robes in his arms.

Harry and Blaise had been helping Crabbe and Goyle with their Transfiguration homework. But they stopped what they were doing to focus on Draco.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked, getting up to approach Draco.

Draco nodded tiredly. He pushed up the right sleeve of his robe to reveal his forearm, wrapped in bandages. "I have to keep this on for a few days to make sure the wound heals completely," Draco explained. "It's to prevent infection. Some of the muscle and tendons were torn too."

"That must have hurt something fierce," Blaise said, cringing at the idea.

"It was awful," Draco agreed. "I nearly passed out from the pain before we got to the hospital wing. But, it's much better now. Just burns a little sometimes. Madam Pomfrey wanted to keep me in the hospital wing, but I really didn't want that."

"Well, we can help you with your homework," Harry offered. "It might hurt to write."

Draco beamed at him, making Harry's insides feel oddly warm. It was such a lovely happy smile.

Draco was urged into a comfortable arm chair with his arm propped up on a pillow. It wasn't necessary, but he was happy to allow Harry to pamper him a bit.

Soon enough, their homework was complete and Vince and Greg were happy to have understood it. Harry and Blaise had been decent teachers.

Harry carefully rolled up the parchment that he'd put Draco's homework on and slid it into Draco's bag. "You look tired," Harry said.

"Exhausted," Draco admitted quietly. He bit his lip, looking around at his friends. "My father came to the school," he told them hesitantly.

"Why?" Blaise asked stiffly.

"My parents had to be notified because of the severity of the injury," Draco said, looking down at his bandaged arm. "I told my father what happened and that I'm fine... He's furious. He's going to report this to the board of directors."

"Hagrid could get fired," Harry said, worry creasing his brow.

"I'm so sorry Harry," Draco murmured. "I tried to smooth things over. Father is... He seems really determined."

"It's not your fault," Harry replied. "We'll just have to be there for Hagrid and hope for the best."


In potions class the next day, Harry partnered with Draco and prepared all the ingredients for their potion. Harry wasn't as proficient in potions, but he read the instructions carefully and followed Draco's directions. When Snape paused to look into their cauldron, he gave Harry a short, terse nod of approval.

Neville was struggling. Hermione had to stop him from adding the wrong ingredient repeatedly. When Snape swept over to their table, Neville's hands shook and he hastily tossed two rat spleens into the cauldron.

Hermione groaned.

"Does anything penetrate that though skull of yours?" Snape growled. "I stated quite clearly that one rat spleen was needed. Your idiocy is going to kill someone."

Neville was trembling and looked ready to burst into tears.

"At the end of class, we'll test this potion on your toad to see what happens," Snape said coldly. "Perhaps that will encourage you to do it properly."

Snape moved away and Neville turned to Hermione with wide eyes. "Help me," he whispered fearfully.

Draco kept an eye on Neville and Hermione's progress while continuing to guide Harry's brewing. After a few moments, Hermione frowned and peered up at the blackboard where Snape had written the instructions.

"Granger," Draco hissed. When she turned around, he handed her some daisy roots. "Slice those up and put them in the cauldron. Stir five times anti-clockwise."

Hermione's grim expression faded and she thanked Draco with a nod. She hurried to do as instructed. Draco was gratified by her lack of hesitation. It was a show of trust. She trusted Draco's abilities in potions, and she trusted him not to sabatoge her work. It was nice that she had such faith in him.

"Such a show-off," Harry teased quietly. "Brewing two potions at once."

"All while barely lifting a finger," Draco laughed softly.

The potion was tested on Trevor the toad, but it had been properly corrected. Trevor was turned into a tadpole and then returned to normal with the antidote.

At the end of class, they began heading toward Defense Against the Dark Arts. They were all eager to see Professor Lupin at work.

"Wait, where's Hermione?" Ron asked, looking around. "She was right behind me."

"Where'd she go?" Harry asked, looking around. "There she is," he said, spotting running toward them.

"How'd you do that?" Ron asked. "You were right here, and then you weren't."

"What?" Hermione asked, looking baffled. "Oh- I had to go back for something."

Ron eyed her suspiciously, but didn't argue.

"What's up?" Draco asked him quietly as they continued down the hall.

"It's just weird," Ron whispered, glancing back at Hermione. "She's taking more classes than anyone. Some of them overlap. How s that even possible? And she just pops up everywhere."

Draco frowned thoughtfully. How was Hermione taking so many classes? He'd known that her schedule was full, but he hasn't given it much thought. But Ron was with her a lot more.

He set those thoughts aside as they walked into the classroom. Professor Lupin greeted them and immediately instructed them to set their bags aside because they'd only need their wands.

So this was a practical lesson. The only time they'd had a practical Defense lesson was when Lockhart had set loose a bunch of pixies. But Harry and his friends knew that Lupin was clever and it was sure to be a good lesson.

Remus led his students down the hall, glad to see that they all looked eager. He led them right to the staff room and ushered them inside. Snape was sitting in an arm chair, watching the third years as they filed in.

"I don't care to watch this," Snape drawled rising and moving toward the door. He paused in front of Remus. "Perhaps nobody has warned you, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I'd advise you not to trust him with anything difficult unless Miss Granger is going to be hissing instructions in his ear."

Remus frowned. That was no way to talk about a student. "Actually, I was hoping to have Neville help me," he said calmly. "I'm sure he'll do an admirable job."

Snape sneered and then left the room, closing the door with a snap.

"Now then," Remus said, turning to face his students. "What we have today is a boggart. We discovered it in this wardrobe yesterday, and I asked the staff to leave it so you would have a chance to take care of it today."

The wardrobe wobbled, banging against the wall.

"So what is a boggart?" Professor Lupin asked.

"It's a shape shifter," Hermione answered eagerly. "It takes the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

"Exactly," Lupin nodded. "Do this boggart is sitting in darkness and hasn't yet assumed a form. He does not yet know will frighten the person on the other side of the door. This means we have an advantage. Do you know what it is Harry?"

Hermione was bouncing on the balls of her feet with her hand in the air. Harry gave her a wary look while Blaise and Draco snorted.

"Er- It won't know what shape to be," Harry answered slowly, finding Hermione very distracting. "There's a lot of us here."

"Precisely," Lupin nodded. "It's best to have company with you when you're dealing with a boggart, so you can confuse it. But what really finishes a boggart is laughter. We're going to force it to take the shape of something amusing."

Lupin taught them the incantation and then gave Neville instructions. The wardrobe opened and the boggart stepped out, looking exactly like Professor Snape. Anger surged through Remus. There was something wrong if a teacher was a student's boggart. He might have overlooked it, if Snape hadn't spoken so meanly about Neville in front of the whole class.

"Riddikulus!" Neville cried, pointing his wand at boggart-Snape. It stumbled and then suddenly it was dressed in feminine green robes with a large hat that had a very ugly bird on it. It was also clutching a red hand bag.

Neville giggled and the other students laughed. At Lupin's command, they lined up and took turns taking on the boggart.

Harry bit his lip, wondering what the boggart would become for him. Voldemort had been his first thought, but now his mind was focusing on the dementor on the train.

Just as it became Harry's turn, Remus leapt in front of him, drawing the boggarts attention before it could shift for Harry. A white orb was now suspended in the air. "Riddikulus," Remus said. Now the boggart was a cockroach. "Alright Neville, finish it off."

Neville stepped forward again and boggart-Snape reappeared. "Riddikulus!" Neville shouted, determined. Everyone caught a glimpse of Snape in a dress again before Neville burst into laughter. The boggart exploded into wisps of smoke and disappeared.

"Wonderful!" Remus cried, thumping Neville on the back. "Well done everyone. Class is dismissed."

The students began to file out of the room. Harry took the opportunity to approach Remus while his friends waited at the door. "Why didn't you let me face the boggart?" Harry asked with a frown.

"I'm sorry Harry," Remus responded, squeezing Harry's shoulder. "I thought it might take the shape of Voldemort. Or Sirius," he added softly.

"I did think of Voldemort," Harry admitted. "And then I remembered the dementor..."

"Well, one might suggest that means that you're greatest fear is fear itself," Remus responded. "That's very wise."

"It doesn't feel wise," Harry grumbled.

Remus chuckled and hugged Harry briefly. "Enjoy the rest of your day son," he murmured.

Harry smiled brightly. "See you later Moony," he said, returning to his friends.


"It's unacceptable Albus," Remus snapped.

Dumbledore's eyes widened in surprise. Remus rarely snapped at anyone. "I wasn't saying that it was acceptable," Dumbledore said calmly.

"No, you're just making excuses for him," Remus growled impatiently. "I know that you trust him. To an extent, I trust him as well. But when a student's boggart turns into one of his teachers, there's a problem."

Minerva sat in one corner of Dumbledore's office, sipping tea. She'd encouraged Remus to come to Dumbledore as for his concerns. He was doing splendidly. It was about time somebody pushed the issue of Snape's treatment of the children. She wished that she had known. She had thought he was merely strict and favored his Slytherins.

"Mr. Longbottom is quite timid," Dumbledore murmured, stopping himself from saying anymore at Remus' glare.

"It's more than that and you know it," Remus said coldly. "Neville is terrified. And I might have just brushed it off had Severus not belittled Neville to me in front of the boy's classmates."

Remus took in a deep breath to calm himself. It wouldn't do any good to rant and lose his temper. "Severus is damn brilliant with potions," he said steadily. "But he's shit with children. This isn't about a school rivalry. I don't hold the past against him though I'm sure he despises me. That's fine. I'm sure I deserve it. But Neville is just a child and he will never excel with the level of anxiety and fear that he's showing."

"Severus has expressed concern over the safety of the other students," Dumbledore mentioned cautiously. "Potions accidents can be dangerous."

"Agreed," Remus nodded. "And maybe Neville isn't good at potions. But Severus is making it worse by scaring the poor child."

"Children can be cruel," Minerva spoke up. "They taunt and tease each other all the time. The students shouldn't have to endure the same from their professors." She gave the headmaster a stern look. "Reign him in Albus. I know it's bound to be an unpleasant conversation, but it needs to be done. We cannot ignore this."

Dumbledore sighed heavily and nodded. "Of course," he agreed solemnly. "I will speak with Severus. I appreciate you looking after our students," he told Remus.

Remus nodded stiffly and left the office. Minerva followed him out, patting his shoulder. "You're a good man, Remus," she said, pride creeping into her voice. "Albus seems a little blind when it comes to Severus. But he'll set it right now."

"I hope so," Remus sighed.