The idea I had for this story is Harry just bonding and interacting with different magical beasts. It'll hopefully be fun and/or cute and/or adventurous and if you aren't already familiar with some of these creatures, you'll hopefully learn.
If you could let me know if this is something you're interested in, that would be great so I could update. I have a ton of magical creatures I have in mind, so just let me know so I can gauge the interest.
Niffler
A rodent-like creature with a coat of black, fluffy fur and a long snout akin to that of a platypus. Native to Britain, this creature has a pouch on its belly which can hold far more than what might seem possible (similar to the effects of an Undetectable Extension Charm). Although gentle and even possibly affectionate, the niffler has a rather obsessive affinity with anything shiny, which makes them great treasure hunters but also a potential whirlwind of havoc if kept indoors.
The Forbidden Forest had to be a joke. It just had to be.
That was the only conclusion Harry could come to in the middle of the damned thing. He'd heard Headmaster Dumbledore's warning at the beginning of the year, and instantly, all he could think about was trying to get into the forest. He couldn't help it. Labeling it as forbidden was just asking for every student in the castle to try and enter it.
Somehow, Harry'd escaped his snoozefest of a History of Magic class unseen by anyone else, and here he was. Roaming around an unknown forest that might as well be a maze.
In the half-hour he'd spent delving deep into the forest, he'd counted at least a dozen different types of trees. He'd seen countless snaking roots and fallen pinecones and dead leaves and even random piles of animal poop.
You know what he hadn't seen? Even a semblance of a reason for the forest to be called forbidden. Maybe he wouldn't be able to make his way out of the forest and that was the real reason, but he'd heard from some older years that it was supposed to house dozens of different dangerous creatures. He'd come into the forest because he was curious and inexplicably looking for some potential excitement, and so far all he'd come across was a plain, boring, regular forest.
Okay, so maybe he'd entered the forest because of his slight entrancement with magical creatures. The first book he'd picked up from his pile of school textbooks was Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and he'd been instantly enamored with it. The way Newt Scamander had described all these different creatures had been utterly fascinating, and when Harry'd heard he could potentially find some of these amazing creatures in the forest?
He hadn't hesitated. Especially because he found out he couldn't take Care for Magical Creatures until his third year.
And so here he was, utterly disappointed about the fact that he'd encountered a grand total of zero magical creatures. Honestly, at this point, he was ready to just head back. He was getting kinda hungry and it was at the point where lunch was going to be served soon in the castle
Instead, he found the nearest tree and plopped down at its base. He leaned back against the rough bark and let out a loud sigh.
"Fuck me," he shook his head and smiled vainly. If he died here, whether of starvation or of some unruly monster, hopefully his parents wouldn't kill him too bad.
Unconsciously, his gaze fixed on his left forearm where a pristine, golden watch wrapped around his wrist. His father had given it to him right before he'd gone to Hogwarts. It had been James Potter's watch, and his father's before that, and his father's before that, and so on.
Despite his initial excitement to go to Hogwarts, he missed his family. He still owled them extremely often, of course, but he missed having a place where he felt like he belonged.
He had friends at Hogwarts, of course. But he felt… disconnected. He felt like a lost needle in the middle of a gigantic haystack. Being sorted into Ravenclaw when he was a Potter didn't help, but that wasn't the real problem. The problem was that he had nobody that he felt connected to. No friends he could confidently say would be by his side for the rest of his life.
Hedwig was a plus, but she was a free spirit. While she was affectionate and almost motherly to him when she was around, she mostly roamed around wherever she pleased, and who was Harry to stop her?
It felt like he was going through the motions. Going to class, doing his homework, studying as much as his struggling mind allowed. His parents had said that Hogwarts was one of the most incredible places in the world, and while he'd never argue with them, he wasn't really feeling it a month and a half into his first year.
"It seems you are lost, young one," Harry's head whipped up and scanned the trees in front of him. His body tensed in anticipation. "In more ways than one."
A large man walked out from behind the shroud of darkness that the woods provided. He had shaggy hair and bright, piercing eyes. It wasn't until he was fully in view that Harry realized he wasn't a man at all.
"You're a centaur," he said breathlessly.
"Indeed," the man-horse responded and bowed, his front legs bending him forward. "An astute observation from a student as young as you are."
"I really like magical creatures." Harry admitted. His eyes widened in horror. "Not saying you're a creature, or anything! Just that-"
"There's no need to worry. I am not offended, although I would not say the same for my brethren had they heard that." Harry deflated in relief and nodded vigorously in understanding. "My name is Firenze. May I inquire as to why you are in these woods?"
"Erm. I… got curious?" Harry shrugged. Despite his non-committal answer, Firenze nodded. "And my name's Harry. Harry Potter."
"An understandable reason for one of your kind, Harry Potter," he replied. "If you'd like, I could escort you back to the grounds."
"That'd be great!" He smiled. "Thank you."
"Good. Along the way, you may indulge me as to why Mercury shines bright upon you."
"Sure," he said, even though he had no idea what the centaur was talking about. "Let's-"
A rustling of leaves from Harry's side redirected his attention, and when his eyes located the source of the noise, a pile of dead leaves were left floating a few feet above the ground and a cloud of dirt had puffed up into the air.
Before he could even get up from his position laid back against his tree, a dark shape darted toward him across the forest floor and he couldn't help the rather high-pitched scream that escaped his lungs.
"Ah, hello there." Firenze said calmly and trotted closer. "It seems we have a visitor."
"I realized that!" Harry yelled out. The small, black creature had attached itself to his forearm, and even with him swinging his arm every which way, the small creature still wouldn't budge. "Can you get it off me!?"
"I think if you asked him, he might oblige." Firenze said, that annoyingly calm tone still present. Harry didn't see any other options, so he held his arm high above his head and kept his hand in a fist in case the little thing went after his fingers.
"Fine." Harry grumbled out. "Can you please get off my arm, whatever you are?"
The creature stopped squirming, its arms wrapped around his fist, and shook its head.
"What do you mean no!?" Harry scoffed.
"It's attracted to the gold on your wrist." Firenze noted. "You said you're interested in magical creatures. Perhaps you can identify his species."
Harry suppressed a growl, took a deep breath, and took a moment to truly observe the thing stuck to his arm. The creature was odd-looking, with a flat, tan snout that was kind of like a duck and smooth black fur. It was the size of a hamster and had a long, bare tail the same color as its snout and paws.
"It's a niffler," Harry finally realized, a hint of awe seeping into his voice.
"Correct." Firenze nodded.
"That's why it's attracted to my watch." Harry said, his eyes trained on the small rodent that was still trying to get the watch off his wrist to no avail. In the Fantastic Beasts textbook, Scamander had detailed a rather lively niffler he owned that had actually attempted to rob a muggle bank. Their species was practically single-minded in their goal: obtain any and every shiny object in sight.
The niffler let out a noise that was something between a quack and a squeal. If he was being honest, it was kinda cute.
"It's charmed so that nobody can take it off but the wearer," he said. The niffler transferred his attention from the watch to Harry and gave out the same faux quack. It might've been just Harry, but he looked almost sad.
"This one's quite young. Maybe a few weeks old." Firenze noted. Harry slowly lowered his arm under Firenze's eye. "Where are your parents, young one?"
The niffler made a series of (adorable) noises, consisting of a few quacks, some odd amount of squeals, and even a whine or two. It was all practically nonsense to Harry, but for some odd reason, he felt like he could understand at least the emotions of the niffler. He seemed confused, and maybe even sad, given by the increasing amount of whines toward the end of his conversation with Firenze.
But Harry also could've been completely misinterpreting the entire thing. He wasn't an expert in niffler body language, after all.
"He's orphaned," the centaur finally said. "His parents were eaten by predators, but he was able to escape because he is so small."
"So he's alone?" Harry asked, forehead creasing and eyes softening.
"It appears so."
Harry sighed and looked at the niffler. It was sitting on his forearm now, its front paws gripping the face of his watch. Funnily enough, the niffler was gently gnawing on the rim of the face.
Hesitantly, he reached out with his free hand and lightly glided his index finger across the niffler's back. The creature chittered and leaned into his touch. Despite everything, Harry laughed. Overlooking the whole obsessed with shiny objects quirk, it was kinda cute.
"I can't give you the watch," Harry reached into the pocket of his robes. "But I have some coins if you'd like."
He extracted his fist from his pocket and revealed the contents of his palm to be seven sickles and a single galleon. It wasn't much, but… hey, the niffler had lost his parents. He wanted to help the little guy any way he could, so if he wanted shiny things, he could have them.
Immediately, the niffler's head perked up from his watch. Harry couldn't suppress the light giggle that escaped him when the creature did a double take, as if he was making sure Harry was really letting him have the coins. After a quick nod from him, the niffler gladly scooped up the coins and deposited them in a pouch on its belly that he hadn't even noticed before.
After Harry softly scratched the top of the niffler's head, the creature quickly flitted up his arm and once at his shoulder, leaped onto the top of his head.
"Er…" Harry cleared his throat and stilled cautiously. "What is he doing?"
"I don't think I've seen this before." Firenze said, his head now tilted in interest.
"What?" He asked, confused. The niffler tittered happily and Harry suddenly felt an odd sensation in his chest. Where his heart was, he felt a warm glow burn inside him. It wasn't uncomfortable, not really. It was just… a little odd. "What the bloody hell just happened?
"He's bonded with you."
"And I don't get a say?" Harry lifted his arms up in exasperation. He was suddenly reminded of his conversation with Ollivander. "What am I, a wand?"
"In a bond between creature and man, there must be consent and agreement between both parties." Firenze stated. Before Harry could even open his mouth to argue, the centaur shook his head. "You may not have consciously taken part in the bond, but your magic and your soul did. As did the niffler's."
Harry frowned in thought. He reached up with both hands and lightly grasped the niffler by its body. The little guy didn't struggle at all when he lowered him to his eye level. In fact, he bumped his snout against Harry's nose and gave out a delighted squeal.
"What now?" Harry sighed. "You said we're bonded? What does that mean?"
"You're not wholly dependent on each other, but you both benefit from often being around one another." Firenze said.
"So-" Harry stared at the smiling niffler in his hands. "I… own him now?"
"If you want to own him." Firenze said.
"I mean, not really." Harry admitted. The niffler squirmed just a little in his hands and whined. "Having a niffler as a pet just doesn't feel right. Couldn't we like… be friends, or something? If we're bonded, shouldn't we be equals?"
Firenze studied him for a moment before he nodded and smiled for the first time they'd met, "Well said, young one. I wish more of your kind shared that sentiment."
"Thank you." Harry smiled back. His thoughts trailed to bringing the niffler back to the castle, and suddenly a dozen questions popped into his head. "What am I supposed to do with him? I read that nifflers can turn an entire house into disarray because of how much they desire shiny objects."
"Well, this one seemed satiated when you gave him only a couple of coins, did he not?" Firenze raised an eyebrow. "He is young, and thus impressionable. I doubt you can fully erase their species' desire as it is innate, but you are bonded with him now. He will take some of your desires as his own, and if you raise him right, perhaps he might not be so troublesome."
"Alright." Harry nodded and took a deep breath. "You said you could lead me back?"
"Indeed," the centaur nodded. "Follow me, and I'll lead you to the edge near Hagrid's place of dwelling."
"Thank you," he replied gratefully. Hesitantly, he set the niffler down on his shoulder. The feeling of the rodent-like animal's claws on his shoulder didn't really hurt and was only slightly uncomfortable
"Of course." Firenze began walking. "Once you get to the castle, I advise you to tell your head of house or even the headmaster about what has happened. You should, as well, most definitely think of a name for your new friend."
"Right! I completely forgot about that." Harry pursed his lips and tilted his head towards the niffler on his shoulder. A sickle now sat between his two front paws and he was spinning it playfully. "You mentioned Mercury before, right?"
"I did."
"Wasn't he a god? And a thief, too?"
"If the legends are to be believed." Firenze looked back at him purposefully. Harry paused for only a moment.
"Then I'll name him Mercury. Or Merc, for short." Harry shrugged. He didn't have much experience in naming animals, as Hedwig was his only other instance. Even then, though, his parents had helped him name her.
Still, he felt like he did a decent enough job when the niffler let out a delighted squeal and Firenze smiled before looking back along the path they were headed.
"It seems Mercury approves."
Harry beamed with happiness. Maybe this was what he needed. A chance encounter in a forbidden forest and a new friend. One that would hopefully be with him for years to come.
He brushed the niffler's back and his finger glided across the soft fur. Mercury looked up at him and - even though it looked a little weird with his snout - smiled up at him.
"Welcome to the family, buddy."
"So, to be clear, you will take full responsibility for any and all damage the niffler may cause? Everything it may steal? "
"Yes sir." Harry nodded stiffly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mercury perched on his shoulder, imitating his nod rather vigorously.
Professor Flitwick's scrutinizing gaze swapped between the two of them. In the middle of the Ravenclaw Head's office, Harry made sure he stood ramrod straight with his chip up and his hands folded in front of him, like his parents had taught him to whenever he needed to be polite. The part-goblin's stare was less intimidating due to the fact that he was significantly shorter than him.
"Because this is such a rare occurrence, I would normally contact our Care for Magical Creatures Professor. However, he recently decided to retire, so I'll have to refer to Headmaster Dumbledore." Flitwick said. Then, the edge of his lips twitched. "However, if I had to make an educated guess, I'd say he'll agree to this arrangement."
"Really?" Harry perked up and his eyes widened in surprise. To be fully honest, he half-expected that he would be forced to part with the little niffler, something he didn't think he'd be able to do at this point.
"Really." Flitwick confirmed with a full smile. "Magical bonds between animals and humans are not uncommon. Normally, said animals aren't innately magical, but it hasn't been unheard of for this to happen. What you have with the niffler on your shoulder is special and should never be broken, especially by external forces."
"Thank you, professor." Harry nodded gratefully. "Are there any rules I should abide by?"
"Try to limit his exposure to the public where he might be less likely to resist his natural urge." Flitwick said. "Once you believe him to be sufficiently trained, start small and build up. As far as I know, nifflers generally aren't able to shake their attraction to anything shiny, but there isn't exactly precedence for this, so let's hope for the best!"
"Yes sir!" Harry mock saluted. He couldn't help but be infected by his head of house's attitude, and apparently neither could Mercury if his loud honk was to be believed.
"Now, I do believe that you don't have much time before lunch ends and your afternoon classes begin." Flitwick glanced at the clock behind his desk. "Remember to ask Professor Sprout for your niffler's food later tonight and every Friday after classes. Have a good day!"
"I will, professor!" Harry exited Flitwick's office with a wave. "Thank you!"
Harry quickly hustled his way through the Hogwarts corridors, being cautious enough to not disturb Mercury who was still latched onto his shoulder. He was utterly starving and had to be quick if he wanted to return to his dorm, drop off Mercury, and then run back to the Great Hall for his midday meal.
He got some odd looks as he jogged throughout the halls, probably having to do with the fact that he had a rodent where you normally wouldn't find one. At some point, he came across a group of Slytherins in his year, and the look of Draco Malfoy as he ran past was so absurd he couldn't help but laugh.
"Is that a niffler on your shoulder, Potter?" Draco asked, the combination of disgust and confusion not exactly flattering his facial expression.
"Astute observation, Draco." Harry mocked with a cackle, not even bothering to stop his stride. "Did you also just notice you have blonde hair and the same complexion as the Bloody Baron?"
"I do not!" Malfoy hotly retorted, his scream faded into the large Hogwarts hallways and was even funnier due to the fact that Harry had already rounded the corner.
Harry couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he raced up the spiral staircase that led to the Ravenclaw common room's entrance. Whether his sense of euphoria was from his interaction with Draco or his newly made friend or even a combination of the two, he didn't care. He couldn't remember being this happy in his month plus at Hogwarts.
After he went through the hassle of answering the eagle's riddle and climbing the small flight of stairs to his room, he quickly posited Mercury on his bed and made sure the niffler was looking at him before he spoke.
"I'm gonna go eat and attend my classes, so I won't be back for a few hours, okay?" He looked at Mercury, who simply chittered in response. "I'll take that as a yes. Don't mess with anybody's belongings, okay? If you haven't stolen anything by the time I'm back, I might reward you with something shiny, got it?"
Mercury bounced once on Harry's soft, navy blue bed covers and quacked. Harry shook his head and let out a breathy chuckle.
"Alright. Be good, Merc. I'll be back soon." Harry said. He backed up toward the dormitory's entrance. With one last meaningful look, he closed the door shut behind him and started his way back down toward the Great Hall.
The rest of the day was just like the others. Rather uneventful and sometimes boring. However, classes usually didn't seem so monotonous. Usually they could hold his attention well enough simply because magic was naturally interesting. Today, it felt like he was itching to leave practically when he first sat down at every class.
The root of the cause was obvious.
When classes ended and he had done a sufficient amount (possibly less) of studying, Harry rushed his way through dinner, barely eating half a portion of chicken and rice, and then practically sprinted back to his dorm.
He opened the door to his dorm and…
Nothing.
He half-expected the whole room to be in disarray, clothes thrown across the room and drapes shredded and random personal items spread across the floor.
Instead, the dorm looked exactly the same as it had when he had left earlier in the afternoon. Suspicious, to say the least. Especially because Mercury was nowhere to be found.
"Merc?" Harry called out hesitantly, now slightly worried for the little niffler. "Mercury?"
A deep, hollow sound came from near his bed where Harry had put Mercury hours before.
Hesitantly, Harry slowly walked towards his bed, doing his best to make as little noise as possible. When he got to the foot of his bed, he quickly flattened to the floor to look under his bed.
Nothing.
"Where the hell?" Harry sighed and pushed himself back up.
Another noise sounded closer to him, a thunk that came from the side of his bed near his nightstand. Immediately, Harry's eyes turned towards the trunk that lay on the dormitory's floor.
He slowly took the step towards his trunk and peered down to the lid, finally noticing that the clasps had been undone. He lifted the lid of the trunk and, lo and behold, Mercury. Sat down on one of Harry's shirts, the niffler froze midway through stuffing a Knut into his belly pouch.
"Merlin." Harry breathed out unbelievably. He chuckled and shook his head. "Put everything back, Merc. Right now."
The niffler let out a tiny whine, but conceded without further complaint. All sorts of coins and other objects that Harry didn't really classify as valuable were extracted from his pouch and back into his trunk.
"You're going to be a handful, aren't you?" Harry smiled down at the niffler once everything seemed back in place. He wouldn't be too surprised if Mercury had kept a couple items, but to be honest, he didn't really care. "Well, at least you didn't wreck the entire first year dorms. I guess that means you get a reward."
Harry looked back toward the entrance of the dorm just to check and make sure nobody was near before he reached into the deepest part of his robes. When his hand revealed itself again, a polished bronze goblet accompanied it. One of the hundreds of identical cups that sat along the Hogwarts dining tables. With so many to account for, nobody would care if only one was gone, right?
"Don't tell anyone I stole it, alright?" Harry winked at the niffler and tossed it down. With a delighted honk, Mercury opened his pouch and the goblet disappeared inside. "There's no way I don't get in trouble because of you."
So, what did you guys think? This story's kinda inspired by the relative idea of Pokemon, where both creature/humans can live normally with the creature or Pokemon or whatever just integrated in day to day tasks. It's a cool concept that I wanted to toy with for fun.
As I said before, if you wanna see more or have any suggestions, please let me know. This is the most experimental piece of writing I've done, so feedback is much appreciated.