Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC Bailey and any alterations to the original storyline plot her presence creates to various readers amusement everywhere across the globe.
A Dog's Purpose Is Strange Magic Chapter 17
The events that occurred in this transgression were pushed aside when a trolley carrying an array of candy and other treats for the enjoyment of the students was pushed by a kindly-looking old lady.
"Anything off the trolley, dears," inquired the elderly trolley lady pushing the cart down the corridor.
Not wanting to miss anything now that he had funds burning a hole in his pocket to spend Harry bought two helpings of every single treat laid out on the cart. He had more than enough money on hand that he could easily afford it. When Harry reentered the compartment with his arms bulging with parcels of an assortment of candy Ron stared at him.
Bailey sniffed curiously at the food as Harry tipped it onto an empty seat.
"Hungry, are you," asked Ron.
"Starving," said Harry, immediately unwrapping a pumpkin pasty and taking a bite out of it. Bailey moved in hoping to get a small nibble, but Harry gently pushed her head away. "Sorry, Bailey, you can't have any."
Harry didn't know if any of this was safe for her consumption. So it's better to be safe than sorry.
Ron pulled out a lumpy package from his coat unwrapping it from the plastic.
Disappointed, Ron mumbled "She always forgets I don't like corned beef."
Bailey found that hard to believe. She didn't understand why Ron didn't have a taste for the meat where she liked it. So when Harry offered to share his food with Ron and he jumped at the opportunity Bailey was given the sandwiches for lunch. She enjoyed them immensely and they were gone within seconds with Bailey licking crumbs from the fabric of the seat.
Harry was mighty curious about the snacks and Ron was all too accommodating in answering all of the questions lined up for him. The Chocolate Frogs were obviously one of his favorites with him saying that he collected the cards that came with the sweet. The first one Harry got was of the current Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. He flipped it over to read the description and when he turned it back over he was astonished to find Dumbledore's face had vanished from his frame. Ron explained it wasn't anything to be overly concerned about. Apparently, in the magical world, the pictures in any type of format always were mobile. Harry then informed Ron that the Muggle community had the complete opposite and it was his turn to be surprised.
Bailey sat at the window looking out at the countryside that was becoming wilder as the boys played a game with a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Ron warned ahead of time that when they say every flavor it meant every flavor. He wasn't exaggerating in that regard. Harry ended up tasting toast, coconut, baked beans, strawberries, curry, grass, coffee, and pepper before he lost his nerve. Personally, Bailey thought this quite brave of his since Ron wasn't shy about telling them his brother George had bitten into a booger-flavored one once in passing.
Near the end of their game, there was a knock on the door of the compartment and a round-faced, bit pudgy, boy stuck his head in teary-eyed.
"Sorry, but have you seen a toad?"
Ron and Harry shook their heads.
"I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me," wailed the boy, devastated.
"He'll turn up," reassured Harry.
"Yes. Well if you see him…," said the boy, miserably, closing the door to check the other cars.
Shrugging, offhandedly, Ron said "Don't know why he's so bothered. If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk."
The rat mentioned was dozing in a carrier Ron had for him. Initially, Ron had wanted to lay Scabbers on his lap, but Bailey was having none of it so he had to compromise.
"I don't know. I'd be pretty upset if I lost Bailey," said Harry, understandably, massaging one of Bailey's paws.
Bailey moaned in pleasure thumping her tail happily on the cushions of the seat.
"You're lucky. Now with Scabbers, he might have died and you wouldn't know the difference. I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work," said Ron, moodily, withdrawing a very battered hand-me-down wand to demonstrate the spell.
Before Ron could do so they were interrupted by the compartment door opening again revealing the boy who'd misplaced his toad along with someone new. A girl the same age as the boys with bushy brown hair, rather large front teeth, and was already wearing her Hogwarts robes where others were still in casual clothing.
"Have you seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said, bossily.
Bailey outright didn't like this one.
Spotting the wand in Ron's hand, she said "Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."
Without a by your leave, the girl went to take a seat only to find Bailey taking up the space she wanted.
Hands on hips, the girl said "Could you get up, please."
Bailey laid her head down on her front paws releasing a huff ignoring her.
"Move," said the girl.
She was gonna have to resign herself to standing because Bailey wasn't about to budge.
"You're not going to get Bailey to get up," said Harry.
The girl sighed turning to face Ron, saying "Go on."
Taken aback somewhat, jaw slightly slack, Ron took out Scabbers, clearing his throat, Ron waved his wand saying the spell.
"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow,
Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."
Nothing happened. Scabbers gray fur coloring didn't even flicker.
"Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard. I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough. I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you," she said, exceedingly fast as though fearful of saying something that would put them off.
Where Hermione's efforts to be friendly were having a complete opposite effect.
"I'm Ron Weasley," muttered Ron.
"Harry Potter," said Harry, motioning at his dog. "This is Bailey."
Bailey chose not to dignify the introduction with a response on her part.
"Are you really," said Hermione, excitedly. "I know all about you, of course. I got a few extra books for background reading and your in Modern Magical History, The Rise and Fall of the Dart Arts, and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."
"Am I," said Harry, feeling dazed about the amount of books with subjects based on him without even knowing it.
"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me. Do either of you know what House you'll be in? I've been asking around and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best. I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad…Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon," advised Hermione, exiting the compartment with the boy now identified as Neville.
Before Hermione shut the door she stopped staring at Harry with a critical eye.
"What," said Harry.
"You do know that dogs are against regulations at Hogwarts, don't you," said Hermione, snobbishly.
"I have permission to bring her," said Harry, sharply, getting tired of repeating the fact over and over again to people who were too ignorant to leave well enough be.
Hermione sniffed, clearly not believing him.
"Suit yourself, but you're gonna get in trouble for trying to sneak her in," said Hermione, shutting the door with a snap.
"Whatever House I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron, blandly, tossing his wand dejectedly back into his trunk. "Stupid spell. George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."
With that girl Hermione gone Bailey returned to relaxing on the seat. She listened closely as Ron prattled on about his family being in Gryffindor and all the accomplishments his older brothers who had already graduated from Hogwarts had gotten into. By the sound of things, they were quite successful so far in their endeavors with one studying dragons in Romania and the other working for the Gringotts Bank.
Bailey's interest peaked when she heard the bank mentioned as was Harry's as Ron said someone tried to rob it.
"Really? What happened to them," he said.
"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful dark wizard to get around Gringotts security, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it," said Ron.
Bailey didn't know how, but for some reason, she thought she knew which vault in Gringotts had been targeted and what the perpetrator missed out on getting. It certainly explained the secrecy behind Hagrid's actions when they'd picked that mysterious parcel up that productive day in Diagon Alley.
As the conversation moved onto Quidditch Bailey caught a familiar scent edging nearer to their compartment from up the train. It had Bailey leaping from the seat rushing at the door and sitting in front of it with her tail twitching with delighted anticipation.
"What is it, Bailey," said Harry, picking up on her change in mood fast.
The door opened and three boys entered. The one in the middle of the group is the boy Bailey recognized from Madam Malkin's robe shop. The other two were thickset appearing extremely mean as they stood on either side of him with the semblance of bodyguards.
"Is it true," he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"
"Yes," said Harry.
The pale boy opened his mouth to speak, but Bailey chose that moment to announce her presence there. She leapt at the kid placing her front paws on his chest while she enthusiastically licked his face. The presence of the two broader boys kept the one in the center from falling backward.
"What in the world! Get this mangy mongrel off of me," shouted the pale boy, vexed.
Harry immediately went to Bailey. To his surprise, he had to wrap his arms around her stomach to pry the red retriever away from the boy.
"Bailey! I'm sorry! I don't know what's gotten into her today," said Harry, incredulous.
"Well you better keep better control over her," scowled the pale boy, whipping his face off with the fabric of his sleeve.
"Who are you guys anyway," said Harry, seated with his legs restraining Bailey on the floor.
"Oh this is Crabbe and this is Goyle. And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy," said the pale boy.
Ron sniggered.
Draco Malfoy said "Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford. You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sorts. I can help you there."
Draco offered a hand for Harry to shake, but Harry didn't take it. Instead, Bailey offered hers. From where she was sitting Bailey raised a paw shaking it in the air at him.
"What is your mutt doing now," demanded Draco.
"Uh…," stammered Harry, "I think she wants you to shake her paw." Harry caught her paw stilling her arm. "Enough, Bailey."
Draco sneered. Harry didn't like that.
Coolly, Harry said "I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks"
A pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks, slowly in a threatening tone of voice, Draco said "I'd be careful if I were you, Potter. Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."
Both Harry and Ron rose with the former now keeping a firm grasp on his dog.
"Say that again," said Ron.
"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you," goaded Malfoy, sneering.
"Unless you get out now," said Harry with misplaced bravado.
"But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some," said Draco.
As Goyle reached for a Chocolate Frog that's when Bailey's attitude did a complete 180. She turned from being friendly to protective in an instant. She snapped at Goyle's fingers forcing him to retract. Bailey wasn't ever going to bite the boy just warn him from trying anything like that a second time. Goyle yelped and Crabbe and Malfoy backed away. The three of them soon disappeared probably not wanting to draw any more attention to this confrontation than there already was.
A second later Hermione reappeared having heard the ruckus and came to investigate.
"What's going on," she said.
"Nothing," said Harry.
"So you've met Malfoy before," asked Ron, darkly. "I've heard of his family. They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side. Can we help you with something?" The last part had been aimed at Hermione.
"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on. I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there," said Hermione, irritably.
"We weren't fighting. Now would you mind leaving while we change," said Ron.
"All right. I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"
Hermione left and Bailey peered out the window. It had gotten dark without any of them noticing. Time goes by faster when you're occupied and the train was rapidly slowing in speed.
The train ride is over. Hogwarts awaits.
Authors Note:
For the record Bailey does get used to Hermione. It's just that, like everyone else, she finds Hermione's know it all first impression quite annoying.