"Come on, Theo, including muggle riddles is a great way to expand the door's repertoire, and it would cut down on the likelihood of someone already knowing the answer!"
Pausing at the base of the stairs, the other boy shot a glare at Harry. "I hear you. I understand your logic. But when we're coming back late from the library and close to breaking curfew and getting in trouble, the last thing I want to have to consider is why the chicken crossed the road."
"No, that's the joke, the riddle is-"
"Harry."
"Look, if you really want me to drop it I will, but-"
"Harry."
"What?" Cottoning on to Theo's wide-eyed stare, Harry finally turned, and saw Neville being hurried up the hall towards them by Madam Hooch. It was all too easy to spot the chubby boy's tears, as well as the way he held his left forearm close to his chest.
"Pardon us, boys," the flying instructor said as they approached the staircase. "I have to get Mister Longbottom to the infirmary-"
"Can we help, please?" Harry interrupted, already moving to walk alongside Neville. The other boy looked grateful to see him, at least, even if the grey-haired woman was not.
"It wouldn't be any trouble," Theo added, when it looked like she was about to shoo them off. "And I'm sure your other students need to be reassured - Slytherin and Gryffindor today, right ma'am?"
Hooch's face twisted, but she nodded. "Right, off you go, straight there with no stops - I'll be back to check on you later, Longbottom."
When he nodded with a quiet whimper, the woman spun on her heels and took off. Harry and Theo arranged themselves on either side of their friend to help him up the stairs.
"I take the school broomsticks are just as unruly as the rumors say?" Theo tried to joke once they were back on a level floor. Harry snorted, and Neville grimaced.
"I don't know what happened," the latter boy mumbled. "It- it wouldn't listen to me, and kept getting higher, and I panicked! Th-then I crashed into the castle wall, and a tower, and a statue-"
"Blimey, and only your wrist got hurt?" Harry asked as his eyebrows shot upwards.
"When I f-fell."
"Ouch. Well, at least we know you won't be trying out for the Quidditch team any time soon. Shame, too, I know Auntie Min's getting rather desperate to find a new Seeker..."
That joke, at least, got a brief laugh out of the injured boy.
-N5WW-
The Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff introductory flying lesson went much smoother, at least. Theo had to holler at his friend to slow down when Harry practically teleported up into the air, but aside from that, there were no dramatic injuries or accidents for students to gossip about.
"I know full well you're a bloody natural on a boom," the boy complained when they were headed off to dinner that evening, "But save the theatrics for Quidditch try-outs next year, alright?"
Harry just grinned, utterly unrepentant.
-N5WW-
After the surprise birthday party they threw for her, Hermione seemed, thankfully, to be getting on a bit better with her housemates - still a bookworm, still the first one to send her hand up with the answer to a teacher's question, but also a bit more willing to participate in general conversations and not attempt to take charge of them.
At the same time, she approached Harry and Theo to ask if she could join their study group, which included the two of them, Ron and Neville, Blaise, and another Slytherin student: the very large, quiet, and slightly scary Millicent Bulstrode.
"The other girls tease her," Blaise had said upfront, when first asked the other boys if he could bring Millicent to their weekly meeting in a library study alcove. "And Bulstrode's the sort to think up some brilliant comebacks, but only after the fact." Theo, who'd known the girl from pureblood social gatherings for years, also vouched for her, which was good enough for Harry.
At her first attendance, Hermione greeted the boys she knew, thanked Blaise for the letter opener he'd gotten for her, and even worked up the courage to ask Millicent if she had any pets.
"My cat. Tufty," the other girl said. "Biggest, fluffiest bastard you ever saw."
That study session was, inevitably, derailed by a long conversation between her, Harry, and Theo about their various cats, Hermione and Neville paying close attention while Ron and Blaise jumped ship in favor of a round of chess.
-N5WW-
"What do you suppose the Headmaster's hiding up there, anyway?"
Theo looked up from where he was pulling out his textbooks for the following day, to see Harry laying on the floor on his side, legs turned upwards and leaning against the side of his bed. "Hiding up where?"
"The third floor corridor. The one he told everybody was forbidden at the start of the year unless they 'wish to die a most painful death'."
"I haven't the foggiest. Why are you bringing this up now? We've got that Astronomy quiz tomorrow to worry about, I'd say that's a better topic of conversation at the moment."
Harry shrugged. "Just curious, I suppose."
His friend stared at him, eyes narrowed. "I seem to recall there's a muggle saying about curiosity being bad for cats, which I am very much inclined to say applies to you as well - lazing about in all manner of positions, how are you comfortable like that?"
"In point of fact, the full saying is claims that curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back," the other boy said, smirking. "Care to do a bit of exploring with me this weekend, Theo?"
"No. No, I would not. But since you don't seem to have a ruddy ounce of common sense, I suppose I'm going to have to, just to keep you from needing to be resurrected."
-N5WW-
Harry liked to think that, despite his affinity for cats, he could still get along with most other animals, dogs included. He always paused by people walking their pets to ask if he could give them a pat, and usually got wagging tails and happy barks in return.
That was not the case with the Cerberus.
Theo had opened the door with a quiet Alohamora, but Harry was the one to stick his head inside. He froze when the growling started, and nearly fell backwards into his friend when one massive head snapped in his direction. "Close the door, close the door close it close it close it-!"
The door slammed shut. Muted snarls could still be heard from the other side. Harry and Theo stared at each other with wide eyes.
And behind them, a cat meowed.