Thanks for all the reviews, everyone! A special shout-out to timydamonkey on this, the belated day of our five year friendship anniversary!
This is a pretty short chapter...but worry not there's loads more where this came from!
Chapter Five
A schedule was quickly set up, when the boys all got up for classes, Bane would remain fast asleep behind the closed curtains of Harry's bed-otherwise he'd whine about the sunlight being in his face when he wanted to sleep. Then Wolfsbane would remain in the dormitory the entire time Harry was in classes, and then Wolfsbane would be with Harry in the common room, except during dinner when he would go back up to the dorm and wait for Harry to return again. Harry would also take the dog for walks in the afternoons or evening to get some of his energy out.
To Ron's displeasure, Scabbers seemed to be getting worse…probably from stress. Crookshanks was often found batting at the bars of the cage, terrorizing the poor thing into an alarming frenzy. Wolfsbane would often stare at Scabbers for long periods of time, until the rat stopped trying to escape and simply lay on the bottom of the cage, chest rapidly rising and falling in panic.
Ron now thought the cage was an excellent idea if it kept the two "evil" beasts from getting to Scabbers.
The classes this year seemed to be progressing rather well, and Harry had been hearing great things about Professor Lupin's teaching abilities. When the time for their first defense class came all the third years were very excited, and their excitement only increased when they discovered they'd be having a practical lesson.
Harry stood with Ron and Hermione and watched with rapt attention as all his classmates fought the boggart and Harry felt his excitement level rising as it became closer and closer to his turn.
Then Professor Lupin jumped in front of him and ended the class, and then he asked Harry to stay behind. How could a lesson go so well and end so badly?
Harry sulked while all of his classmates filed out of the classroom acting like it was the best lesson they'd ever had…Harry just wished he could've taken part.
"Harry," Professor Lupin said once everyone was gone.
"Why didn't you let me have a go?" Harry demanded, angrily.
Professor Lupin looked startled for a moment before sheepishly replying, "Well, you've seen a lot of bad things in your life, Harry. You seem to be a really tough kid as well. I can't imagine what your worst fear would be, and if it's enough to scare you then it will certainly terrify your classmates."
Harry solemnly thought this over and then confided with a shudder, "I think I'd be most scared of Dementors…"
Professor Lupin looked shocked at the admission and then said thoughtfully, "I can see how they would be so frightening to you, and whatever it was they made you see was clearly terrible enough to make you pass out."
Harry crossed his arms and shivered, feeling cold and desolate just from talking about them.
Professor Lupin studied him for a moment and then asked, "Would you like for me to teach you how to defend yourself from them?"
Harry started and looked up at the professor in shock, "You would do that?"
"Certainly," Professor Lupin replied cheerfully. "It's my job to teach students how to defend themselves from dangerous creatures."
Harry beamed.
Then a frown crossed Professor Lupin's face and he said, "Now, about why I held you after class…"
Harry blinked and shrunk away from him, sensing he wouldn't like the topic.
"I'm worried about you," the man explained, "I'm not so sure that it's a good idea for you to have your dog, Wolfsbane, I think that you should maybe have some of the professors check and make sure that he's safe."
Harry was completely shocked and replied, "He's completely safe! He's never hurt anyone!"
Professor Lupin frowned a little at that and then tried again, "Some dogs, like some people aren't all that they seem, sometimes…"
Harry was frowning deeply and he said, "Well, if Wolfsbane ever tries to hurt anyone, you'll be the first person I tell, okay."
Harry then slung his bag over his shoulder and hurried out of the room.
"He held me after class to tell me that Bane was dangerous!" Harry told Ron and Hermione indignantly. "It's completely ridiculous!"
They were walking around the lake for Wolfsbane's afternoon constitutional. Harry was very frustrated over not being allowed to participate in defense class and then having Professor Lupin talk bad about his dog.
"I mean, yeah, most other dogs are horrible," Harry admitted, "but Wolfsbane isn't. He's never tried to attack me or anyone else."
Hermione looked really surprised, "You don't like dogs?"
Harry shook his head firmly, "They're dangerous, they can take whole chunks out of a person! My Aunt Marge has dogs that chase me around and bite me and won't let go! And remember what that three-headed dog did to Snape first year!"
"What about Fang?" Hermione demanded.
"Fang's a good dog," Harry admitted, "he's kind of scary because of his size, but he's really good-natured."
"Wolfsbane's a big dog too," Ron pointed out, his tone teasing.
"And he scared me to death when I first saw him," Harry told them, sheepishly, "I thought he was going to attack me!"
"And now he's sleeping in your bed," Hermione laughed.
Harry grinned when he realized how funny all of this sounded.
"Well, maybe I just don't like certain dogs," Harry decided.
"I think Professor Lupin just isn't a dog person," Hermione told Harry, "so take everything he says with a grain of salt. Don't let him get you in a bad mood…and he was probably right to keep you from going at the boggart, I know I certainly never want to see a dementor again!"
The three of them shuddered.
After their walk, they returned to Gryffindor tower and were faced with Fred and George who looked frantic.
"Remember the first night back when we came into your room with that sheet of parchment?"
"Yeah," Ron replied slowly looking incredibly confused.
"Have you seen that piece of parchment?"
"How am I supposed to tell it from any other parchment in the whole tower?" Ron demanded in frustration.
Fred and George shared twin looks of apprehension.
"What about you, Harry?"
Harry shook his head.
Dejected Fred and George headed upstairs, presumably to their dorm to look for the parchment once more.
"Bonkers," Ron declared. "Totally off their rockers."