The only silver lining from their first encounter with a dementor was that no one else had been in their compartment to see what had happened with Harry and Matthew. With the commotion caused by the impromptu boarding, no one was bothered about them and Harry was mightily relieved that the usual Hogwarts rumour mill hadn't got up and running just yet. He didn't need the embarrassment of the rest of the school knowing he'd fainted, even if his friend had done the same. And, if someone as composed and seemingly powerful as Matthew suffered the same way, then surely it wasn't that bad. That's what he was telling himself, anyway. And Hermione, as she constantly fussed with them as they made their way back up to the school. She wouldn't listen to his complaints and Matthew appeared to be enjoying the attention, probably because it was a sign that the slight tension between them had dissipated somewhat.

The Hogwarts feast had started in an unusually dark tone as Professor Dumbledore explained the presence of the dementors. It was nothing that Harry hadn't heard from Arthur Weasley earlier that day, but it was troubling to see just how disturbed the headmaster was by the creatures. His expression had been grave, almost tired, as he talked about them, giving an insight into the hatred he held for the beings. But his demeanour had changed drastically as he introduced Remus Lupin in his new role, confirming that their predictions had been accurate. For some reason, Harry swore that Lupin's eyes had briefly caught his as he stood up. It had happened to him a few times over the years, normally signalling a difficult relationship. He hoped that was something that changed going into his third year at the school.

All three of them had been greatly surprised when Dumbledore informed them that Hagrid would be taking over as the professor of Care of Magical Creatures. It certainly explained why he had gifted Harry that savage book for his birthday, though not why he had chosen to leave out how to safely open it. It wasn't the first time the half giant had forgotten important details (Harry only had to think back to how he hadn't told him how to get through the barrier at King's Cross) but he didn't care about that as he applauded the newly appointed professor along with the rest of Gryffindor House.

One of the other shining lights of their return was that Draco Malfoy hadn't come across their paths so far. They knew that that luck would eventually have to change but it was good to see that perhaps the notorious Slytherin had lost some of his bite over the Summer. After Matthew had publicly embarrassed him, they were sure that he wouldn't be coming anywhere near them for a while. And Harry was certainly aware of the outcry that had stemmed from the Ministry's ransacking of Malfoy Manor; hopefully that kept the blonde snake in the shadows.

Harry wasn't as happy to receive his timetable one morning, signalling the impending return of classes. But he found that he was also excited to try different things, subjects that would challenge him to a higher degree. Obviously, that came with its own apprehension as he wondered whether he would be good enough to complete the classes to a high enough standard. He reminded himself that he had friends to support if he faced difficulty and, if he had managed to succeed in his earlier classes without knowing magic existed for the majority of his life, then he had a good chance of muddling through the new lessons. And it was a comfort to know that, whatever happened, his timetable wasn't going to be as impossibly hectic as Hermione's was.

McGonagall had just waded through the students and handed them their itineraries. Harry was too focused on his, finding out how many disgustingly early starts he'd have to endure this year, whilst Matthew had only given his a passing look. He had a greater interest in Hermione's piece of paper, which she was already annotating and circling (Harry didn't know why). Matthew scrunched his eyebrows together as he snuck a look at her classes, before he promptly snatched it out of her hands. Hermione let out a gasp of annoyance at her friend's behaviour, immediately trying to get it back but Matthew had a knack of keeping it just out of her reach. Harry had looked up by this point, wondering what the commotion was about.

"Hermione," Matthew said. "There's something wrong with your timetable."

"No there isn't," she instantly replied, as if she had been expecting that exact response from him.

"There really is. It says here that you have two classes tomorrow at nine in the morning! How's that going to work out? You can't be in two places at once."

"I've already sorted it with Professor McGonagall. I'm fine."

"It's not about whether you're fine with it. It's a matter of simple logistics! You've taken so many subjects that they don't have enough time in the week to fit them all in. Surely that's a clear sign that you should be getting rid of a couple."

"I've already told you that I'm not going to restrict myself just because it isn't the typical choice."

"There's a reason why it isn't the typical choice and that's because it's borderline idiotic."

Harry gritted his teeth, knowing that was one of the worst things he could have said. Hermione gave a sharp laugh in response. "So you're calling me an idiot now?"

"For not thinking about yourself? Quite possibly. You'll run yourself into the ground after a few weeks of this. I'm trying to avoid that eventuality. I'm trying to look out for you since you won't do that."

"It's nice to see how much you actually doubt my dedication and skill."

Matthew stood up from the bench, sent a withering look in Hermione's direction, and walked away without saying another word. Her steely expression softened into something sadder as she watched him depart, all of the fight leaving her body. Harry glumly spooned some porridge into his mouth, not knowing whose side to take in this argument. Matthew had just been wanting the best for her. Hermione had just been wanting the freedom to make her own decisions.

"Why have you two been snapping at each other more often recently?" he risked asking. The last thing he wanted to do was have her ire directed on him next, but it was something that had been troubling him.

Hermione sighed before answering. "I can't explain it. Not yet. Not when I don't have all the answers."

"What does that even mean?"

"I'm sorry, Harry. I should go too. As Matthew pointed out, I've got a lot of work to contend with and I should be getting a head start on that."

He didn't get a chance to say anything else or try to get her to elaborate on her cryptic answer. It seemed she hadn't taken a page out of Matthew's book when it came to dodging tricky questions. It only left Harry feeling more frustrated with them both. He didn't see Matthew for the rest of the day and had no idea where he could have possibly gone. He checked every nook and cranny of the library, every hidden alcove in the Gryffindor common room, but had had no luck. Hermione, on the other hand, was so engrossed with her work that she hadn't stopped to remotely acknowledge his presence. He'd chosen to sit with Neville Longbottom instead, watching a surprisingly violent game of wizard's chess, wondering if his two friends needed their heads knocking together like the two pawns he'd just watched crumple off the board.

xxxxxxxxxx

Matthew was sitting in his armchair (because it definitely was his chair) the following morning, watching the flames in the fireplace battle against one another. It was early, with the sun only just joining him in greeting the day. He hadn't been able to sleep, not that he did much of that anyway. He'd been shaken by the experience on the train, facing the Dementor. He'd been forced to contend with memories he liked to keep hidden away. And, with playing on his mind, he'd taken that frustration out on Hermione. He'd lost too many people to see her do this to herself. The issue was that he had no way of articulating that difficulty without properly opening up to his friends, and that was dangerous. That left him vulnerable. He just knew that he couldn't stand having this animosity between them any longer.

He played with the edge of a wrapped object, his heart thundering as he thought about what lay hidden. His fingers drummed against it whilst he considered whether to hide it away again. Even though it wasn't a lot, it felt big to Matthew. He knew that he couldn't come out and say it. That would take a bravery he didn't have when it came to things like this. This was a way of doing what was needed which was slightly less terrifying. Only slightly though, which was apparent by the way his palms began to sweat when a familiar face made her way down the stairs. He did his best to keep his eyes off her, he really did. But the more he thought about not looking at her, the more his brain made him do exactly the opposite. It didn't appear to put Hermione off as she headed over to him. Matthew was relieved to see that she was at least willing to be near him. He had half expected her to walk out without a passing glance, yet there she was, standing in front of him, seemingly working up the courage to do something.

"I'm sorry," they both said at the same time. They shared a quick smile.

"There's no need to apologise." Again, they said the same thing. Again, they shared an awkward smile.

Matthew held out his hands. "Perhaps you should go first."

Hermione had been fearful of that. She wasn't good at this, expressing her emotions. It was much easier to write things down or find yourself in a book. She could write essays upon essays concerning all the questions she had to ask him and yet none of them would escape her lips. "I got a bit defensive yesterday."

"Well, so did I so we're even."

"It's just…school has always been what I'm best at. I wouldn't make any friends but I would ace every single test. Perhaps because I didn't have friends, the tests became more vital to me. Succeeding was all I had. And, even though it's different here, I still feel sometimes that I have to prove myself, which is why I'm pushing myself so hard."

"At what cost though?"

Hermione frowned, finally choosing to take a seat next to him. Matthew instinctively turned to face her, their legs brushing together. "Maybe I didn't think there wouldn't be any cost."

"Then you're not being as intelligent as you usually are. If you put too much on your plate, you're going to drop the entire thing." He gave her a searching look. "Please…if you're going to continue doing this…then at least remember you have people to help balance that plate. Don't push them away."

She looked at the floor as she nodded her head. She knew there was another reason why she was pushing him away in particular. They were alone now. Would she get a better chance to get him to explain himself? "Matthew…" Hermione paused, her brow furrowing as she acknowledged the present by his side for the first time. "What's that?"

"A birthday present."

"Whose birthday is it?"

"Yours."

She was even more confused now. "Not for a few days."

"I know. And I expect you to save opening it until then too."

Hermione was sure she was getting a headache as he handed over the surprisingly heavy object. "Then why are you giving it to me now?" Did anything he did ever make sense though? She reckoned he enjoyed doing this to her.

Matthew drummed his fingers against the arm of the chair. "Have I upset you?"

She was taken aback by the sudden gear change. "What are you talking about?"

"Have I done something to annoy you? Because there's been this…tension…when you look at me at times. Not all the time. Sometimes, it goes back to normal and I can kid myself that everything is okay between us. But then it'll show up out of the blue. Pretty much since I woke up from the basilisk attack. Did something happen whilst I was indisposed? Between you and Harry?"

Even the mere suggestion brought a blush to her cheeks. "Of course not!" She could tell he was waiting for her to elaborate. "I asked you once to be more open with me. And I feel that you've tried, at least a little bit. But I know there's a lot more that you're refusing to share and, every time I look at you, I'm reminded of that. I try…I really try…to tell myself that I don't have the right to demand answers…but I want them. That's who I am."

She was holding the present with both her hands and watched silently as he brought his to cover them. "I know. And I'm trying."

"What is this, Matthew?"

"Me. Giving in. When I really shouldn't but when have I ever listened to the rules?" He moved away, standing up, distancing himself from the conversation as if it was becoming too dangerous. "But that's for your birthday and I'm not going to spoil any of the surprises. Now, how about some breakfast? Because we caused a scene in the Hall yesterday and I reckon we should rectify that." He held out his arm expectantly and she couldn't help but take it.

Harry was very much relieved to see that they had patched things up when he found them for breakfast, at least because it meant he could distract himself from the start of lessons by talking to them peacefully. They all had arithmancy together, which was more of an introductory session to ease them into the new subject. Harry had been fully aware of how bored his friends had appeared during the class, probably because they had already read everything Professor Vector was telling them, but he had found it incredibly useful and interesting. He came out of the class thinking he could have a go at it, if nothing else, and he took that as a win.

He and Matthew had a free period afterwards, which they spent doing absolutely nothing (they felt they deserved a break once in a while). Hermione was supposed to be with them according to her busy timetable and yet she had disappeared for the hour. They considered waiting for her in the common room before they made the trek to Hagrid's Hut for their Care of Magical Creatures lesson but, when she still didn't show her face, they went off without her. The sky was cloudy and grey as they walked outside, but the rain was holding off. Still, Harry clutched his cloak tight to his chest as he battled against the growing breeze. Neither of them knew what to expect from Hagrid's first exploration into teaching, but their hopes of it running smoothly were dampened at the sight of the Slytherins joining the forming group.

Harry thought he did well to ignore them as they headed straight to the front, where Hagrid was waiting for them in his giant moleskin overcoat. He was beaming proudly and gave them a little wave, even if it wasn't the most professional of things to do. Fang was by his side and appeared to want to say hello too, though he remained obediently sat by his owner's side. Harry scanned the pumpkin patch, wondering what they could possibly be doing. With Hagrid's track record, it was probably best to not even try to predict what he'd conjure up.

"Have I missed anything?" a breathless voice asked them from behind.

Harry jumped, whilst Matthew clutched his chest in fright. "Hermione! What have I told you about sneaking up like that? Dear me, you're light on your feet! Where have you been?"

Hermione shrugged at the question. "I had my first divination lesson."

Harry noticed how she struggled to maintain eye contact. "But wasn't that clashing with arithmancy on your timetable?"

"I told you that I had it sorted, didn't I?"

Matthew looked perplexed and, for some reason, he began to sniff her out of the blue. It was one of the strangest things he'd done, and that was saying something. "There's something off about you."

"You're always so full of compliments. You really know how to treat a girl well," Hermione huffed, taking a step back.

Harry looked past her and noticed some of the other Gryffindor girls whispering in hushed tones, gossiping about something. When Lavender Brown, a girl he had never spoken to because he doubted they shared anything in common, pointed in Hermione's direction, he became even more intrigued. He nudged Matthew to make him notice it too, and that was when Hermione picked up on the odd behaviour.

"Did something happen in the divination class?" Harry asked.

"It's nothing really. It's nonsense." Again, she wasn't convincing. Matthew gave her a pointed look and her shoulders sagged. "You're getting your wish. I'm freeing up my timetable because I'm dropping divination as soon as I can find Professor McGonagall."

This was certainly a change in character for her. Harry wondered what the pair had been discussing before he'd found them that morning if she'd drastically shifted from her stubborn viewpoint. But, when he glanced at Matthew, he appeared to be just as surprised by the revelation. Hermione, meanwhile, was ploughing on with an explanation, as if she needed to justify her change of heart.

"The entire subject is so far-fetched and unfounded that I felt like I was wasting my time, which I've never thought in a class. And that Professor Trelawney…how she's in a job, I'll never know. A charlatan, if you ask you. All she does is make things up and expects us to believe that she's some all powerful being." She was seething, her chest rapidly rising and falling.

"Did something happen to you?" Matthew wondered.

"I suspect she always picks a target every year but…she claimed to see a Grim in my tea leaves, which is supposedly some omen of death. So, as you can imagine, everyone in the class has overreacted and expects me to keel over at any moment."

"You are feeling okay though, right?" Matthew placed the back of his hand on her forehead as if to check her temperature.

She swatted it away. "Of course I am! Because it's as far from scientific fact as feasibly possible."

"I remember someone incredibly intelligent mentioning how stupid and pointless divination is. And how you elected to ignore said incredibly intelligent person."

"Why do you think I was so hesitant to tell you about this? I knew you'd be incredibly smug."

"What's a Grim supposed to look like?" Harry asked. Right now, he was thankful that he'd chosen not to take that class.

"A black dog, because of course it has to be as foreboding as possible, otherwise you wouldn't elicit the same dramatic response."

Hermione was ready to continue with her tirade but Hagrid banged a stick against the wooden fence to get their attention, forcing her to bite her tongue for the time being. They had no doubt that it wouldn't be the last they heard of her distaste for the subject. But supporting their giant friend was something they could be a lot more positive about.

"Right, everyone!" Hagrid bellowed. "Nice to see you all made it! I thought I'd begin this year with something truly special and exciting!"

"Are you resigning?" Malfoy offered from the back of the group, making Hagrid's smile falter. Yet, the professor was saved from having to respond when the tree Malfoy was standing under suddenly had all of its apples tumbling from the branches, landing heavily on top of him. He began to shout in dismay, whilst other Slytherins screamed in surprise. The thing that confused Hermione the most was that she was sure the tree had no apples when she'd seen it earlier, and it was definitely too late in the year for them to be growing to such an extent. Matthew tapped his nose beside her and it suddenly made sense, though she had more questions than ever.

"Well, that were a bit strange, weren't it?" Hagrid shouted out, trying his best to hide his smirk behind his bushy beard. "If some of you make sure that Malfoy hasn't damaged his pride too much, the rest of you can come with me."

Hagrid beckoned for them to head towards the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. Harry and his friends led the entourage, though still looked upon the outcropping of trees in trepidation. All they'd heard about it had been frankly terrifying and they were thankful that they'd never needed to step inside it. But Hagrid didn't look out of place whatsoever, not even when he was leading an odd looking creature towards them. It seemed to be part horse and part eagle, two animals Harry never would have considered putting together. It trotted regally by Hagrid's side as he yanked gently on the chain, tying it to a sturdy post and chucking the remains of something into its expectant beak.

"A hippogriff!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Exactly! Uh…ten points to Gryffindor…I think that's how it works."

"If I were her, I wouldn't be standing so close to that thing," Lavender Brown murmured quietly, though loud enough to make it obvious that she actually wanted to be overheard. "Not after the tragic news Professor Trelawney told her earlier."

Hermione stiffened in response to the comment. Her two boys stood closer to her sides, a show of solidarity. She was rather surprised that Matthew was holding his tongue, given his past behaviour. Hagrid appeared to be oblivious to the hidden meaning to the words.

"Ah, there's nothing to be too afraid about hippogriffs, as long as you treat them right! They're incredibly proud creatures, and are quick to be offended. I'd watch your tongue when you're around one, otherwise you might not have a tongue for long!" He chuckled to himself, expecting the class to do the same, but they looked even more nervous than ever. "Right then…who wants to go first?"

No one moved. Matthew, using his walking stick, gently nudged Harry, who stumbled under the light pressure. He glared back at his friend but it was already too late. He'd been spotted.

"Ah, Harry! I knew I could count on you! Before you come any closer, I need to give you a few rules. The hippogriff always makes the first move. You walk towards it, bow, and wait. If it likes the look of you and bows, you can go ahead and touch it. If not, get your running shoes on. It's all about politeness, see?"

Hagrid fed the creature again, keeping it content. "This is Buckbeak. It's good to know his name cos it adds a bit of familiarity, do you know what I mean? So…take a few steps forward, nice and slow…that's it…now remember what I told you and you should be fine."

Harry didn't particularly like the heavy lifting that the 'should' was doing, but he did as instructed. He bowed deeply and then looked up, waiting for something to happen. When Buckbeak didn't move straight away, he feared that he'd done something wrong. Hagrid looked nervous too as he got ready to encourage Harry to step back, only for the hippogriff to lower itself onto its front knees in what had to be considered a bow in return. Harry gaped at the sight. A few people clapped behind him and he was scared that it would disturb the animal, but its steely gaze remained focused on him.

"Well done, Harry! You know something…I reckon he might let you ride him now."

Harry blanched. This was more than he bargained for but Hagrid was soon practically lifting him up and placing him on the back of Buckbeak, who lifted himself back up to full height once he was settled. Settled was probably the wrong word as Harry had no idea where to put his hands, since the entire back of the creature was covered in feathers. He was forced to hug the animal tightly as its giant wings began to flap. The last time he'd flown, it had been whilst chasing flying keys in pursuit of an assailant that would end up being Lord Voldemort. This was, initially, just as terrifying as the creature picked up speed, eventually lifting off from the ground. Harry didn't understand how an animal so big could fly but, when he was able to squeeze an eye open, it was clear to see from the height he was at that it was definitely possible.

As they circled the forest below, Harry began to feel more relaxed. He could see his classmates below, some of them waving, some still picking apples off Draco Malfoy. And Harry began to laugh. He patted Buckbeak softly, enjoying the feel of the wind catching in his hair, and wondered if he could stay up amongst the clouds forever.