First Classes
As he expected most of his professors objected to Nim following him to class, but didn't seem to mind once he told them that he couldn't help that she followed him everywhere but that the experts all seemed to say that should only last a week or two more.
First was Ancient Runes with the fourth years, Katie Bell showed Harry and Hermione the way. When they arrived Marcus Belby, Eddie Carmichael, Cho Chang, Terry Boot, Sue Li, and Padma Patil were already there and made introductions. Susan Bones and Justin Finch-Flechley arrived shortly thereafter.
Finally the slytherins arrived just before the teacher. Millicent Bulstrode, Daphne Greengrass, Draco Malfoy, Theodore Nott, and Blaise Zabini were the names Harry knew. The fourth years he didn't know, and they didn't seem interested in being either friendly or unfriendly. Mostly they seemed to just keep Malfoy in check. That was nice. Or else, Draco just wasn't as mean without his other three tag-alongs to impress.
Then class started and there wasn't time to worry about anything else. Harry found that with all the reading ahead he'd done he could keep up with Hermione, not that he put himself forward. Just that he finished problems about as fast as she did. Theodore Nott on the other hand seemed to be outpacing them all, and that was driving Justin spare.
Harry passed Hermione a note, "do Justin and Theo compete the way Draco and Ron?"
"Yes, obviously," wrote back Hermione, "and I'd have said 'Draco and co' with 'Ron and co,' Anyway they concentrate on academics and trivia the way you concentrate on defence and status."
"Interesting," wrote Harry and went back to trying to keep up.
.
Transfiguration was next. Hermione told him to go on ahead, she'd catch up after stopping by the loo, when she did reappear she had Ron in tow. Harry would never have noticed the cat on the professor's desk as significant, if he hadn't already read the third year text and the survey of transfiguration skills required before attempting the animagus transformation.
Nim, is that Professor McGonagall?
Nim, sat up straighter, and stared in that direction, probably, how bad do you need to be sure?
Not that badly, just wondering.
Then I'd rather stay right here and out of her way. She's scary and annoying.
Harry wrote, "I'm betting the cat on the teacher's desk is Professor McGonagall in animagus form," and passed it to Hermione.
Hermione shrugged and craned her neck to see, then shrugged again and passed the note to Ron.
"Nah," said Ron, "Animagi are rare."
"Yes, but," said Hermione, "Hogwarts professors have a tendency to be ultra-competent or ultra-incompetent, which way would you actually bet on Professor McGonagall?"
"Point," said Ron, and a moment later, "That's what the upper years were gloating about when they saw we had our first transfiguration class today?"
"Seems, logical," said Hermione.
Even expecting it, the change was a surprise.
Ron punched him in the shoulder. So much for offering wagers. So much for guessing right.
.
After lunch was Care of Magical creatures.
Hagrid barely noticed Nim, and definitely didn't notice she wasn't a normal sized cat.
Harry definitely noticed when they started watching the hippogriffs, that their mannerisms were very birdlike. Nim wanted him to steer clear of them, but Hagrid's version of favouritism meant he ended up first in line.
After a brief mental argument, Harry convinced Nim to fade back and let him channel Hedwig and her body language for the time being. Eventually things went well. And then Malfoy happened.
They all saw it coming before Buckbeak even lost patience. But just before the talons fell, Nim erupted out of nowhere and bounced off Malfoy's chest hard enough to knock him on his bum, but collecting a hippogriff talon gash down her side for her trouble. She flipped in the air and landed on all fours facing Buckbeak, ready to attack. Though she restrained herself to a snarl. Buckbeak hissed back, but Nim leaned closer rather than backing away. Which seemed to give Buckbeak the idea he wouldn't win, no matter how much damage he did first.
Malfoy sat up and looked around soon enough to watch the exchange. When Buckbeak galloped off to his herd, Malfoy relaxed and put all his effort into getting air back into his lungs. When he'd gotten several deep breaths he bellowed, "Potter! Why did your maniac cat just. Defend. Me?"
It took Harry a moment to figure out the question, then he shrugged, "Probably because you're my only cousin who doesn't habitually try to kill me."
Malfoy stared at him, "But …" he climbed to his feet.
"Did you just say … Draco's your favourite cousin?" said Zabini.
"Well yeah," said Harry, "Given the competition I guess It's not much of a compliment. And I don't particularly appreciate his criticism of my choice of friends. But yes, favourite cousin."
Nim sneezed.
Malfoy came over hands down and back, obviously empty and far enough from his robes that a motion to draw would be obvious. On the other hand, a motion to draw might be a straight line to brandishing.
He stared at Harry, Harry stared back.
What does he want?
"I don't know whether to hug you or punch you," said Malfoy.
Nim sneezed again.
"He doesn't really like hugs," said Hermione. Which perhaps only Hermione knew had become a lie.
"Neither do I, actually," whispered Malfoy and swallowed, "You don't like hand shakes either?"
"Not really," whispered Harry, "only slimy politicians and fans who want to touch a legend try to shake my hand."
"See the boy-who-lived as a talisman, an object of power, not a person?" Malfoy nodded and narrowed his eyes, "and what do you want from a favourite cousin?"
"Keep not trying to kill me would be fine," said Harry.
Malfoy nodded, and kept staring.
What does he want? what does he want?
I don't know.
Then ask.
"Malfoy," said Harry, "What do you want?"
Malfoy started, took a deep breath then looked away. "I want you to call me Draco," said Draco, "unless 'favourite cousin,' really is easier for you."
Harry shrugged, "hmm?"
"As long as you're taking requests, I probably should ask for something like 'looking at members of slytherin house as individual people rather than as golums enchanted to hex you as soon as your back is turned."
Wait you aren't? I was so sure …
Nim sneezed.
Draco looked up and winced, "And get your cat looked after before she dies of infection."
"Huh?" said Harry and turned his head in that direction, which unbalanced her, and she toppled her off his shoulder. It took the combined efforts of Harry, Draco, and Hermione to catch her.
"Will Madam Pomfrey even treat familiars?" said Hermione.
Nim panicked and thrashed feebly.
"She will if I say so," said Draco.
"I think," said Harry, "She's picked up my phobia of the hospital wing."
Draco nodded, "Take her to Master Snape."
"That's even worse."
"No, it's way better," said Draco, "He doesn't have to file paperwork for what he treats, or what potions he dispenses, and his potions are fresher anyway."
"And he hates my guts."
"Nah," said Draco, "he thinks you're wasting your talent, and dragging down your mudblood with you."
"I told you not to call her that!" said Ron drawing his wand.
Draco looked at him like he was stupid, "Have you ever looked up what it really means?"
"It means you think she's not human," muttered Ron.
"No," said Draco, "It means I think she thinks she's better than me, and won't listen to a thing I say, and that she also happens to be a muggleborn."
"Well yeah," said Ron, "she only listens to books."
"I'm right here," said Hermione.
"I'm very aware," said Draco backing up two inches, "is someone going to decide which way we're carrying the kneazle-hero, so we can start moving. Otherwise I'm going to let go and one of you can levitate her wherever in a significantly more dignified manner."
"Given our location," said Hermione, "Hagrid would be the ideal adult to ask for help, except he's still got a class to teach."
"Don't care," said Draco, "it's his fault she got hurt, Hippogriffs aren't third year material."
"It's kind of your fault for ticking off Buckbeak," said Hermione.
Draco shrugged, which made Nim whimper, and Harry wince.
He looked at Draco, "you really think Professor Snape would be best?"
"Definitely," said Draco and narrowed his eyes, "maybe a bit better if I'm the one asking though."
"Alright, fine," said Harry, "Let's go."
Five steps later he called a halt.
"This is not working, can we conjure a stretcher, or levitate her with less motion on the wound?"
"Yeah," said Hermione, "lets put her down, so I can get my wand." So they put her down, gently, wound side up. And Hermione conjured a stretcher. They lifted Nim into it, then Ron levitated it, since his levitation were best on high mass objects. Hermione stayed behind for less than two minutes to get Hagrid's approval for why they were leaving early.
.
In the dungeons Draco led them to Professor Snape's office and knocked.
Professor Snape opened the door and glared at them all, "What's this all about?"
"Can you treat Harry's cat, she just saved my life," said Draco.
Professor Snape raised an eyebrow, stepped around Draco, and winced when he saw the gaping wound in her side. "What did that?"
"Stupid Hagrid's Stupid Hippogriffs!" exploded Draco, "one tried to gut me. She knocked me out of the way, then chased it off, then collapsed, like that."
"Alright," said Professor Snape, "Bring her in and set her down," Pointing to an empty and gleaming potions work bench several inches taller than the ones in the classroom.
Ron obeyed.
And for a little while at least Draco hung back though he kept muttering under his breath about, "The oaf should be sacked, and his pets rendered for dragon-feed."
"Alright," said Professor Snape, casting several diagnostic charms, "To answer the first question, yes I can treat her."
"Then please do," said Draco, "I'm willing to owe you a favour."
Professor Snape raised an eyebrow, "better to me than to Potter, eh?"
Draco gritted his teeth, after several seconds he muttered, "I'd rather not discuss it right now."
Professor Snape gave a single nod and flourished his wand towards a shelf, summoning several a vials of potion. A bottle of salve, and several other things.
He placed them out on the desk in a row like ingredients for a potion.
"All of you, clear out already," said Professor Snape, and without waiting to see if they would obey, he turned his wand on Nim again. They backed away to give him space to work, but no one moved toward the door.
First he cast the shaving charm, causing the hair to fall off all the way around the wound. He levitated all that away, and siphoned away the blood, and other things, then he chanted something that seemed intermittently six, seven, or eight syllables long. Harry couldn't make it out, but it seemed to clean layer after layer of flesh. Then he applied a liberal splash of one potion. And a different chant to close the flesh layer by layer. And a different potion. And a different chant to close the muscle and skin. He sighed and stepped back and glared at the wall for several more seconds, then he turned and looked around. And pinched the bridge of his nose for several seconds, before handing the last vial to Harry. "Two drops by mouth morning and evening, unless six drops in the morning is easier for both of you. But I suspect she won't be up to fighting you for days if not weeks." He handed over the bottle of salve, "apply this once a day or whenever you notice she's licked it all off, whichever is more often. It will keep the wound from re-opening, keep infection and scarring down, et cetera."
"Yes, Professor," said Harry, "for how long? Until they run out?"
Professor winced, "No, for eighteen days should be sufficient, though keep at it for twenty-one to be safe."
Harry nodded, "alright. And it's safe for her to lick the ointment off?"
"Yes, might induce a bit of diarrhoea, which under the circumstances wouldn't exactly be bad for her recovery, but might make her more uncomfortable."
Harry winced, and nodded.
"Alright, clear out. I'll let you know when she wakes up."
Harry shook his head, "I don't think that would be wise, she's not really ready to let me out of her sight, I'd rather not find out how she'd react waking up without me around."
Snape stared at him, then nodded, "You may sit and watch over her for half an hour if you wish, but I doubt she'll wake, all you'll do is keep from raising suspicion why you're missing from your other class. Or you can just levitate her up to supper now. She'll probably wake in the next three hours, and be slow for a day or two. After that she might or might not tire easily. Plan ahead for how to carry her somewhere other than on your shoulder, until her muscles heal the rest of the way and regain their previous stamina."
"Alright," said Harry, "Thank you, sir."
"I have better things to do than supervise you supervising your cat's sleep, like prepare for tonight's detentions. Don't take or break anything, I know where you sleep."
"Yes, sir," said Harry.
Professor Snape sneered and left.
Harry perched on the workstation stool.
Draco stepped up beside him and sighed.
Harry looked at him and realised he was watching him fade into view and focus.
"Should I ask how long you've known how to do that?"
"Disillusionment Charm?" said Draco, "since last year, it's second level, but rarely taught."
Also we didn't use the second level defence book last year.
"Hmm," said Harry, trying to memorise that name so he could look it up later.
"How long have you known we are cousins?" said Draco.
"About a month," said Harry.
"Who told you?" said Draco.
"No one," said Harry, "I heard something weird about Sirius Black and went looking for his family tree. Found out all kinds of things Binns never covers."
"Well yeah," said Draco, "He hardly covers anything from when he was alive or after."
Harry shrugged.
"If I'd introduced myself as your third cousin when we first time, would it have helped?"
Harry shrugged, and thought back, then snickered, "No, like I said, my other cousin tried to kill me regularly, even back then."
Draco nodded, "I've got another cousin. Another one of your third cousins. She's … well Mum doesn't speak to them because her Dad is a muggleborn. But my Dad … has different ideas about what constitutes honour, and what constitutes merit. And he says she seems like she will be worth knowing in a year or two."
"Start over and use more names," said Harry.
"My aunt Andromeda was disowned, for marrying a muggleborn. Her daughter, my cousin, is exactly as distantly related from you as I am."
"Ah."
"She was Hufflepuff's seventh year prefect our first year."
"I was barely aware of any students that were outside both my year and house until … that horrible duelling club meeting last year."
"Don't remind me…" said Draco, "wait you inherited Parceltongue from your Mom, right?"
"Don't know," said Harry.
"Hmm," said Draco, "and animal handling from your Dad?"
"From what I hear, flying from my Dad."
Draco waved that away, "excellent balance and duelling awareness is House of Black, I bet even the Weasley has that, though not as strong as you or I."
"He does fly fairly well," agreed Harry, "But yeah, not quite the same."
A moment of silence.
"What are Malfoys known for?"
"Depends on who you ask," said Draco, "mainly political acumen, though different people will present that different ways. From my experience it's about reading people's characters, and knowing how to present truths in ways that different people will understand and remember better, reading trends and seeing how to position oneself in relation to them to maximise effectiveness. Have you heard of body surfing?"
"Only in theory," said Harry.
"Same idea, except instead of using your own buoyancy and weight and shape, and the wave's shape and motion. Or like sailing using the shape you present to the water and to the air to propel yourself. You're using your status and the philosophy you can present to the system as changes sweep through it, to propel yourself where you want to go, or strengthen or weaken or direct the changes how you want them to go."
"Slimy politicians," said Harry.
"There's a difference between applying greasing or breaks to the wheels, and destroying the whole machinery." Said Draco, "there's also a difference between abandoning it because it's irreparable, and abandoning it because there is no status to be gained by fixing it."
"I don't think I care."
"Someday you will," said Draco, "anyway, what I wanted to say is that you're very hard to read, and unusually strong willed. I had you pegged for Ravenclaw or Slytherin, that first day. And Hufflepuff on the train, and for about half way through first year, then you went gryffindor for a while. Last year was just a strobe. This year you seemed plain slytherin again when I saw you in Diagon, and really mixed again on the train, and here you've been varying wildly between ravenclaw and gryffindor, meanwhile your cat has been slytherin-ravenclaw. Until this afternoon when your cat flashed full hufflepuff and … why does your cat even have enough personality to show up as political?"
"Good question," said Harry, "How does Hedwig look?"
"Who's Hedwig?"
"My owl."
Draco closed his eyes, "I've seen you on the train with the cage often enough… I don't think I've ever noticed an owl in it. In the owlery … yours is the white spotted one?"
"Yeah."
"Hufflepuff, usually, though she'll fade different in sync with you."
You have a weirdly impressive memory if you can tell that without ever seeing us together.
Harry nodded, "She's been a stabilising influence for as long as I've had her."
Draco nodded, "But that's not the point. The point is, without identifying a colour scheme, I can't even begin to parse out the landscape. And when I try to influence you, normally you shrug it off, I can lead Weasley around by the nose when I feel like it. I can't make you do anything, only fix you doing a thing you would do if you'd thought of it by reminding you that it is an option."
"You say that like it's a bad thing," said Harry.
"Well it is," said Draco, "I can't help you if you're going to do the same thing regardless of what I advise."
Harry snorted.
"Do you even want my help?"
"I don't remember ever asking you for it," said Harry, "I mean other than today, if that even counts, when I said Snape wouldn't help me unless you asked."
"Granted," said Draco, "The question is, why you wouldn't want my help? Everyone wants my help."
"Just like we all want Hermione's insight into our homework?"
Draco blinked, "What?"
"She seems convinced that we should, it's … really annoying unless you haven't started yet and all she can do is give a free additional lecture on the topic, or a free lecture on keeping up with your homework, which isn't helpful. OR you've already finished and she can help you with spelling and presentation. Anywhere in between and … well I want to do as much as I can myself before I get that much help."
Draco tipped his head to the side, "Interesting."
"From talking to her Mom, I think her family traits have to do with arithmancy, reading, and planning."
"A family trait about reading, rather than a motivation texture about learning?" said Draco, "that's how she acts kind of ravenclaw but looks completely not. I shall have to meditate and continue to observe. Too bad she's not taking arithmancy, if that's what her family magic should be in."
Harry shrugged, "I wouldn't worry too much, she's got the third and fourth year books for it, and has read them, and I think now she's working through them again, doing the problem sets."
Draco widened his eyes, "without a teacher? Wow. She's either got more guts or more hubris than I thought."
"It could happen," agreed Harry.
.
The next day Professor Snape watched Harry eagle eyed, as he carried Nim in a conjured box padded with some of Dudley's cast offs. Harry left her by his work station and set up as much as he dared before Professor Snape made final partner rearrangements. Hermione joined him a moment later.
Professor Snape didn't interfere, but he did watch.
Part way through the lesson someone must have generated some fairly weird fumes, Harry started hallucinating. Luckily Snape cast a shield charm and glared at him, then stalked partway across the room and vanished something.
"What did he vanish?" said Hermione.
"I think a colourless hallucinatory gas," said Harry.
"What did you see?"
"Black robes," said Harry, "and red robes fighting."
"Death eaters and aurors?" said Hermione.
"Maybe?" said Harry, "black robes are very popular."
"The topic of this class is potions, not fashion," drawled Professor Snape, "Please stay focused on the topic at hand."
But after that Professor Snape mostly kept his attention on where the fumes might have come from, not on Harry.
Hermione and Harry finished before everyone else except Draco/Nott and Davis/Greengrass.
When Harry took the potion up to be graded he muttered, "what do you already know about our new hunter of werewolves and other dark creatures?"
"What do you already know?" countered Professor Snape crossing his arms.
"How he smells," said Harry, "how it stands to reason that someone with a job like that might get unlucky from time to time."
Professor Snape sneered.
"That he dresses how Lockhart should have dressed if he wanted us to believe his exploits were not just true, but consistent."
Professor Snape nodded, "very good Potter, keep your eyes open, and you may yet learn how to stay out of trouble."
"I still have attend class," muttered Harry.
"Do you?" said Professor Snape, "Are you sure?"
Harry sighed and stalked away.
.
The Boggart
[A/N: If you don't realise that the boggart chapter automatically has a trigger warning, well … here's your trigger warning, feel free to skip to the next chapter.]
In defence they had another extremely exciting introduction: a practical with a boggart. Except the defence professor, thanks to the experience on the train, decided to show favourites the opposite of Hagrid. He told Harry to let the others go first and if he really wanted he could stay after class to face his boggart alone with Professor Lupin.
Harry wasn't sure if he should feel offended or embarrassed that his first impression to the new professor was being helpless. And/or that he'd offer out of class time before Harry even asked. After Lockhart's detention to answer fan mail, it was enough to make one paranoid.
On the other hand he'd announced the meeting in front of the whole class, to he couldn't be planning on anything untoward yet, right?
So just a chance for recognisance for both of them.
There was no way Harry was going to turn that down, if the only price was being a little late for Tea.
Hermione and Ron tried to stay with him, but Professor Lupin told them to at least go out into the corridor to wait.
When the door was closed, Harry did as he was told and levitated the handle to the wardrobe door until it clicked open. The shadows expanded out of it, and after only a moment of indistinct swirling, dropped to the floor in the shape of an oversized owl cage with trussed up Nim dangling limply inside, around that were the runes of a ritual circle of some sort, a bullwhip still wrapped around Nim's torso and her intestines and other viscera dangling out to pool on the floor around a silver dagger.
Harry looked away and tried not to vomit, luckily it had been over an hour since lunch.
"This doesn't look like any dark ritual I've ever heard of," said the defence professor, "what exactly do you have planned for that cat?" he glanced to Nim still on the stretcher Hermione had conjured. And Draco had helped him rig with a more balanced carry handle.
"Keep her away from dementors and hippogriffs mostly," said Harry, "this is a strange mix up of the things she dreamed on the train when they were around."
"Oh dear," said Professor Lupin, "And you didn't see anything of your own?"
Harry shook his head and raised a finger to the ceiling.
Professor Lupin looked up and finally saw the flashes of green against the ceiling and heard the voices arguing about Harry's fate.
"You-know-who," hissed Professor Lupin. When the voices resumed again from the beginning, he gave a sharp nod, with whisper of "James and Lily." After another repeat he turned to Harry and said, "most people can't remember back that far, but strong emotions can make a memory stick deeper."
"And dementors can bring back things you can't normally remember?" said Harry.
"True," said Professor Lupin, then sighed, "are you ready to try the counter charm?"
"Yeah," said Harry.
"Alright, think of the shape you want to force it into. You know the incantation."
Harry imagined Nim facing down Buckbeak, then changed it further into Nim chasing the much bigger Buckbeak around in circles.
Professor Lupin was confused for several seconds, then began to laugh, Harry soon joined him. And the boggart fled back into the wardrobe.
"Well done, Harry."
.
"So, What was yours, mate?" said Ron as they made their way to the great hall.
"Nim, tortured to death," said Harry, "I turned it into Nim chasing Buckbeak around in circles."
"I thought you liked Buckbeak," said Hermione.
"I respected him," said Harry, "I try to respect everything. Flying was interesting."
"Not to imply I'm glad that Nim got hurt, because I'm not," said Hermione, "but I'm just as happy that she provided an excuse for me to give that a miss."
.
{End Chapter 4}
