Chapter Five

A/N: I STILL OWN NOTHING!

Simba tired of hearing Harry rant about that ferrety looking boy from the sorting—he called him Malfoy—and went down to the Common Room. It'd been around a week since they came to Hogwarts and everyone was used to seeing him by now. The bossy, bushy haired girl was sitting in the corner.

"Hello there," Hermione Granger said with a smile. "You really shouldn't be here you know. I'm sure it's against the rules to have lions as pets."

Simba flicked his ears in annoyance. Why was everyone so convinced that he was a pet? He could talk for crying out loud!

"Are you alright?" Simba asked, as there were water marks on her cheeks. "You look…not happy."

"I'm alright," Hermione Granger said firmly but Simba could see that she was upset. Looking at her book, Simba smirked at her and took it. "Oi! Give that back!"

Simba ran around the room with the book in his mouth, causing Hermione Granger to force herself to take a break from studying so that she could get it back.

"Gotcha!" Hermione Granger said smugly as she took her book back. Simba had taken care not to leave any drool or teeth marks, remembering the one time she'd cursed another student for befouling a book.

"Sorry," Simba said; not looking sorry in the least. "But I wanted to play with someone who looked friendly and I didn't trust those two red mane boys."

He flicked his tail in the direction of the twins. Hermione Granger smiled though when Simba said she looked friendly. "I wish some of the other students would realize that," she said sadly.

"You've got me," Simba said with a smile. Hey, if Harry wouldn't befriend her; he would. She didn't seem so bad once you got past the bossiness.

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It seemed that just having one friend improved Hermione just a bit. She was still crazy about rules and homework but it didn't irritate Simba as much. Harry and Ron was another story.

They would ignore her and be completely rude to her; just like the other students. Simba sighed. He'd talked to Harry but his brother completely ignored him.

"Not so brave when you've got your little friends down here with you," Harry sneered and Simba saw that Malfoy was over at their table.

"Wizard duel—midnight," the ferret sneered. "Be there."

He left and Harry turned to Ron. "What's a Wizard's Duel?"

Simba groaned and covered his eyes with his paws.

"Excuse me?" Hermione Granger asked.

"Can't a bloke eat in peace around here?" Ron muttered. Hermione looked hurt.

"Hey Hermione," Simba said and then realized that he'd not gotten her scent. It helped when he had to deal with all the students. Breathing in deeply, he smelt grass, reminding him of the Pride Lands.

"And it's really none of your business," Harry said rudely. Simba blinked; apparently he'd missed the entire conversation. Sighing, he went up to the Common Room and jumped on a couch. He was tired.

Simba woke up to Hermione having a silent argument with Ron and Harry.

"What's going on?" Simba asked.

"Nothing Simba. Go back to sleep," Harry said and Simba frowned again. This was the second time his brother had dismissed him and he didn't really like it. Hopping down from the sofa, he joined the trio.

"If either of you get us caught…" Ron hissed. Simba rolled his eyes; he was a lion. He could manage a dark hallway better than a human. They entered the Trophy Room and no one was there.

"He's late," Ron said. "Maybe he's chickened out?"

Simba heard a slight shuffling by the corner and tugged on Harry's robe.

"What?" Harry asked and then froze. The noise had become loud enough for Harry's hearing to hear it too. "Run!" he mouthed. They made it all the way to the third floor and through a locked door until they were sure that they'd lost him.

"Thanks Simba," Harry smiled but Simba's eyes were like dinner plates. "Simba?"

Harry turned around and saw a giant three headed dog.

"TURN AROUND AND RUN!" Simba yelled, already on his way out. Harry and the others weren't far behind him, but Simba didn't look away until he was at the Fat Lady.

"Where have you all been?" she asked.

"Never mind that," Harry panted. "Pig snout!"

The door swung open and Simba passed out into a heap by the door.

"What do they think they're doing?" Ron asked. "Keeping a thing like that? Locked up in a school?"

"You don't use your eyes do you?" Hermione snapped. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"

"I wasn't looking at its feet!" Ron cried. "I was a bit more preoccupied with its heads! Or maybe you didn't notice? THERE WERE THREE!"

"It was standing on a trap door, which means it wasn't there by accident." Hermione snapped. "It's guarding something."

"Guarding something?" Harry asked.

"That's right," she nodded. "Now, if you two don't mind, I'm going to bed. Before either of you come up with another cleaver idea to get us killed. Or worse, expelled."

"She needs to sort out her priorities, right Simba?" Harry asked but Simba was fast asleep at the spot he had passed out in.

The next few weeks were full of exciting things. Err….exciting for Harry. Simba really didn't know why his brother was so excited for a broom of all things. Now a nice juicy wildebeest. That would be good.

"This is Halloween!" Ron grinned in the dorm that morning. Simba shook his head. He honestly didn't understand humans. Professor McGonagall had class today so Simba decided to walk down to Hagrid's. Maybe he'd meet up with Desdemona again.

"Hello young lion," Desdemona said as soon as he entered the forest. "I thought I'd be seeing you again."

"Hello Desdemona," Simba smiled. "I needed an intellectual conversation. Sometimes humans just confuse me."

"They confuse us all young lion," Desdemona nodded. "They confuse us all."

Simba spent a couple of hours talking to Desdemona, and left feeling slightly homesick. He missed all the animals of the Pride Lands, even if he knew he could never go back.

"She's a nightmare, honestly," he heard Ron say to the group of boys he roomed with. "No wonder she hasn't got any friends!"

Simba watched as Hermione walked passed, tears streaming down her face.

"I think she heard you," Harry said softly and Simba rolled his eyes. Of course she heard him! Simba ran after Hermione, wanting to see if she was alright. He followed her scent all the way to a room with white objects and green wood.

"Hermione?" Simba called, pawing at the door. "Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine," Hermione sobbed. Simba curled up by the door, not wanting to leave the girl in this state. She was a member of his pride, whether she realized it or not. A few hours later, Simba heard the ground thud. A giant, grayish…thing was standing in front of the door wielding a club.

"HERMIONE, MOVE!" Simba roared as the thing raised its club. Judging by the screams, Hermione took his advice. Just then, Harry and Ron ran into the room. Harry proved he'd been spending way too much time with the humans when he jumped on the thing.

"DO SOMETHING!" Harry cried as the thing tried to take his head off.

"WHAT?" Ron asked back.

"ANYTHING!" Harry replied. Simba watched as Ron pulled out his wand. "HURRY UP!"

"Swish and flick!" Hermione reminded him.

"Windguardium Leviosa!" Ron cried and the club seemed to float in midair. "Cool," Ron said with a small smile. The club knocked the thing out by landing on its head. Simba tugged Harry out of the thing's path.

"Is it…dead?" Hermione asked.

"Just knocked out," Harry replied. Just then, a swarm of teachers appeared.

"Explain yourselves, both of you!" McGonagall cried and the boys stared to say something.

"It's my fault Professor!" Hermione interjected.

Simba tuned out the lie, as he was trying to get the scents of the other teachers. The greasy haired one smelt of ash while the twitchy one…he smelt disgusting.

"Simba, are you alright?" Harry asked. Everyone turned to him, and if lions could blush he would have.

"The troll," was all he said and it seemed a good lie. His nose was more powerful than theirs and if they could smell it….

They all went back to the Common Room, where Hermione smiled at them all. "Thank you for saving me," she said softly.

They all went to go get food after that. Simba sighed. At least they were friends. Now, to claim some chicken before Ron ate it all.