Chapter 30: The Anonymous Gift
The visit to Hagrid's hut and the promise the four had made to help him defend Buckbeak had done it's job to distract Harry from what he had heard in the three Broomsticks. Most of their time was spent looking through old cases to see if any creature had ever gotten away and if they could find valuable information to compile for Hagrid. Kiba was woken up one morning by an excited Ron who also threw his pillow at Harry, it was of course the morning of presents. It was Christmas Morning. Harry and Ron had both gotten a jumper from Ron's mom, Mrs Weasley and Kiba saw very few presents at the foot of his bed, not that he expected many.
He himself had bought four rings. They were Scarlett with a Gold looking stripe in the middle, of course representing their house, he had given one to each of his friends and kept one himself. The first parcel he opened was a box of Honeyduke's best Chocolate along with a card from Fay Dunbar, a girl in his year. He had also gotten a card from Parvati and to his surprise from Draco who was still attempting to become friends with Kiba. Then there was a new special Quill he had gotten from Hermione and a box of Cockroach Clusters from Ron, most likely sort of as a joke. There was another card ontop of a last parcel but Kiba stopped before opening it. He had nearly forgotten because of the presents, he reached his wand and placed it to his heart "Amato Animo Animato Animagus" he whispered hoping that Harry and Ron wouldn't hear, to his luck they were to busy admiring one of Harry's presents.
"that's a Firebolt! An actual Firebolt Harry" Ron said with disbelief. "wait until Malfoy sees this, he'll be barking"
"who sent it to you Harry?" Kiba asked as he also admired the broom closely "i don't like flying with brooms, but i think I'd give this one a try, it looks incredible!"
"donno" Harry replied to Kiba's initial question. A chill ran down Kiba's spine, an anonymous gift.. Naturally, Kiba began theorizing as to who might have sent it.
"must've been Dumbledore!" Ron said "he sent the cloak too, remember?"
"He just passed it on," Harry replied "i don't think Dumbledore would risk being accused of favoritism on my behalf"
"I know who," Ron said "Lupin. I mean, he does take a liking to you Harry"
"but if Lupin could afford a Firebolt, he'd be able to afford new robes, don't you think?"
"There is one person who could-" Kiba began, but he was cut off by Hermione who entered the boys dormatory with her ginger cat in her arms.
"Oi! Keep that filthy best out of here" Ron yelled at Hermione. She ignored him and put Crookshanks down on Kiba's bed as she too spotted the broom. Kiba patted the ginger cat beside him who purred affectionately.
"wow, who sent you that Harry?" Hermione asked in astonishment "McGonagal again?"
"no idea" Harry replied "there was no card with it"
"That's odd… i mean, this is a good broom right?" Hermione said
"Good?!" Ron asked "it's the best there is!"
"Anyway, it must be expensive. Who would pay that much in Harry without telling him?" she asked "i think you should tell Professor McGonagal or Dumbledore about it"
"why? It's a perfectly good broom" Ron retorted "can i have a go on it Harry?"
"I don't think anyone should ride that broom just yet" Hermione answered worryingly
"what else is Harry going to do with it?" Ron asked "sweep the common room floor?" he added sarcastically. But before anyone could say anything Crookshanks jumped from Kiba's bed and with one giant pounce flew at Ron's chest. Ron began shouting loudly at Hermione as Crookshanks claws ripped his pyjamas in an attempt to reach Scabbers who Ron was holding high above his head by the tail. "GET - HIM- OU-" he bellowed as he tried to kick the cat, her missed however and instead kicked Harry's truck which opened and spilled out some of its contents along with a sock that contained the Sneakoscope which fell out and opened emotions a high pitched and lots whistle.
Crookshanks turned his attention away from Ron and instead smacked the Sneakoscope with his paw before Hermione picked him up again. She left the dorm quickly as Harry put his trunk back in order. It had been a while since Scabbers was in clear view for both Harry and Kiba and he looked incredibly thin and worn out with patches of fur missing. If Kiba didn't know this Rat he would not know that it was Scabbers at all, he was no longer the fat and slow Rat he had met two years ago. Ron put Scabbers in a safe spot near the foot of his bed before the three left the dorm as well, Harry too along his Firebolt to admire it further in the common room. Hermione could only glare at the two boys that admired the new broom, angry at the fact that they were so careless of mysterious happenings.
Lunchtime came soon and the four headed to the great Hall where they found the long tables stacked against the wall again. In their place was a single table set for twelve. "Merry Christmas!" Dumbledore said as the Gryffindor's approached the table.
"Merry Christmas" Kiba replied sitting down beside Hermione and opposite to Harry. At the table itself were Dumbledore, McGonagal, Snape, Sprout, Flitwick, Filch, A nervous first year Hufflepuff and Hagrid who's spirits seemed to be dampened.
"as there are so few of us, it seemed foolish to use the house tables" Dumbledore explained "crackers!" they all pulled their crackers and were amazed at the sweets and objects that poured out. The first year beside Kiba quivered, Kiba guessed that he is a muggleborn and that magic was new to him. Snape however had gotten a pointy hat with a stuffed vulture from the cracker something that amused the four Gryffindor's. Snape however seemed angry and shoved the hat towards Dumbledore who immediately put it on his head. "tuck in everyone!" he ordered as they all piled their plates with delicious food.
It wasn't long until the doors of the hall flew open and in glided a teacher unknown to Kiba, but he guessed who she was simply by her looks. "Sybil, what a pleasant surprise" Dumbledore said rising from his seat.
"I have been crystal gazing headmaster, and fate had lead me from my tower to join you. Do forgive my lateness" she replied
"Certainly, certainly…. Here let me draw you up a chair" Dumbledore said. Professor Trelawney stood frozen, she counted the heads at the table and even stopped momentarily at Kiba.
"I dare not Headmaster," she said anxiously "if i join the table we shall be thirteen. And never forget, that when thirteen dine together the first to rise, will be the first to die!"
"We'll risk it" McGonagall replied "do sit down, the turkey is getting cold"
Kiba mostly ignored the adult conversation ever so often listening when it seemed interesting. Trelawney was predicting that Lupin wouldn't be teaching for long, as he seemed to be ill regularly and much more, but the conversation seemed normal, surely Trelawney wasn't as delusional as Hermione had said.. it so Kiba thought until the end when Harry and Ron got up to head back to their common room.
"my dear, which one of you left the table first?" Trelawney shrieked. The boys looked at racist and shrugged, they looked to Hermione and Kiba asking if they were coming.
"I'm heading down to the magical creatures with Hagrid" Kiba replied
"I need to talk to Professor McGonagal" Hermione added. The two boys nodded and left the hall. Kiba and Hagrid soon left aswell and tended to some of the creatures, preparing for Hagrid's upcoming lessons after new years. But the day didn't end nicely, Kiba had returned to the common room to find his three friends and McGonagall there. Harry and Ron were fuming and stareing daggers through Hermione's book as McGonagall left the common room with Harry's broom.
"McGonagall agrees with me. What if it was send by black?!" Hermione yelled at the boys.
"what's going on?" Kiba asked
"she told McGonagall about the broom!" Ron said
"so?"
"McGonagall just took it away. Said they had to check it for hexes and jinxes. They're going to strip it down" Harry explained
"but she's Right.. what if Black sent it and jinxed it somehow?" Kiba asked, "put your minds to work, what if it tried to kill you?"
"Why would black buy an expensive broom? Why not just a bomb?" Ron questioned
"I think i did the right thing" Hermione shouted in an effort to defend herself
"Harry will probably never get it back! And it's because of you!" Ron replied angrily. Hermione didn't reply, she promptly stood up and rushed to the spiral staircase to the girls dorm.
"Really?" Kiba said stareing at Ron "you know she's trying to protect Harry, right?"
"I-" Harry began but he was cut off by Kiba
"you'll get the broom back, Harry!" Kiba said "if it's safe you get it back, it's simple. She's just…" Kiba sighed heavily "whatever" he too proceeded to the staircase leaving the yet boys behind. He reached the too and knocked on the door to the girls dorm "Hermione..?"
"what…" the girl replied quietly
"Can i come in?" he asked carefully "i know you ment well" he opened the door slightly and heard to response "Hermione..?" he turned the door at the way and saw her sitting in one of the four-poster beds, she was crying softly as he approached her carefully and sat down beside her. "don't worry, you did the right thing. And those two, then come around, trust me… okay?" he lifted up her chin and made her look at him "they'll realize that it's much more then just an anonymous gift.
Without warning Hermione suddenly seeing her arms around the boy causing him to fall back on the bed, she buried her head in his shoulder and cried. The boy was stunned momentarily, unable to think and move he resorted to whatever he thought was the right thing to do. He gently held her and caressed her back, trying his best to comfort her. Hermione herself couldn't think clearly either, all she could think of was being held, being comforted by Kiba. But she felt something then, with her hand placed on the boys chest she could feel his accelerated heartbeat, but it seemed strange, it was as if there was an echo to it, as if there was a second heartbeat, slightly off tempo to the other but she could feel it beat too. She wanted to ask they boy, but all that escaped get mouth were whimperes and quiet sobs.
But if they were being honest, they didn't want to talk, they didn't want to ask questions. They just wanted to hold the other and fall asleep. 'I never want this moment to end' They both thought.
Hermione had soon calmed down and Kiba returned too his own dorm where he found the unopened present at the foot of his four-poster, he understood it and found a framed photograph of his mother in an elegant light blue dress along with two men. To her left stood a young Remus Lupin, much less fascial hair then he has now, he wore a black suit and a red tie. But to her right, very close to her stood a young man, a thin line of facial hair along his jawline and shoulder length wavy black hair, he was wearing a red suit with the top buttons of his white shirt left open. He examined the picture but couldn't make out the identity of the man, though he seemed familiar.. like Kiba had seen him before. The black haired man pulled his mother closer and they smiled at each other and then Kiba, Remus adjusted his tie and wanted as he too smiled at him.
He put the picture frame down and opened the card he had received and it had been from Lupin. 'Dear Kiba,
Merry Christmas!
I'd like to wish you that in person but, due to my current illness, i fear it might not be possible. Unfortunately, i also wasn't able to buy much for gifts, but i do hope you've got plenty.
Have a great holiday,
Remus J. Lupin' Kiba smiled, and then it hit him, straight in the forehead. He smacked himself 'how could i have been so stupid?' he asked himself. He looked at the picture frame beside him picked it up and stuffed it into his nightstand drawer. 'who sent me that, if not Lupin?' it started to make sense to him then, not only for Harry get a anonymous gift, but Kiba did too.. and what if.. they had both been from Sirius Black?!
New years came and went by as classes resumed. Kiba barely talked to Harry, Ron it Hermione, he was caught in the middle of their feud. Nonetheless Hermione was mostly busy with her work anyways, and Harry was off taking special lessons from Lupin. It wasn't until one evening that he reached the portrait of Ser Cadogan that his hopes were high. He saw Harry and Ron approach it as well with the Firebolt in hand. "good even, my fine young yeomen! This lump in iron is trying to force entry to the chambers within" the Knight said referring to Neville.
"I had the passwords written down, and I've lost them!"
"Oddsbodikins!" Harry said to the portrait and it reluctantly swung open to grant then entry.
"You got it back," Kiba pointed out to Harry "was it jinxed?"
"Nope," Ron replied instead "nothing was wrong with it"
"Point is, isn't it time to make up with Hermione?"
"Your right," Harry added "she was only trying to help. It's like Lupin told me, it's stupid to put a broom over my friend" he walked along with the two as they approached Hermione's table. Harry held out the broom to Hermione with a smile "i got it back, and there was nothing wrong with it"
"that's great Harry.." Hermione said "but there could've been"
"I know, i didn't realize it then. But you were just trying to help" Harry replied "I'd better take it upstairs.."
"let me take it" Ron intervened "I've got to give Scabbers his ready tonic anyways" Ron too the broom carefully and proceeded to the spiral staircase leaving the other three too talk about Hermione's workload, their conversation was cut short however when a shouting Ron came running down the stairs. "when i find that beast, I'll snap it's neck! HERMIONE!" he appeared before the trio holding out the bedsheet he had dragged along "LOOK!" her bellowed
"Ron, what's-" Kiba tried to speak but Ron didn't listen.
"BLOOD! THERE'S BLOOD! AND SCABBERS IS GONE!" Ron yelled into the stunned silence "CAN YOU GUESS WHAT WAS ON THE FLOOR?"
"N-No" Hermione whispered with a trembling voice. Ron threw something on Hermione's papers then, which she backed away from. Harry and Kiba leaned in for a closer look and saw it. Right there on Hermione's rune translations laid a small bush if spikey ginger hairs… Cat hairs!
"YOUR CAT KILLED HIM!"
"He didn't- i mean, he couldn't have.. he's in-"
"HE DID! THE PROOF IS RIGHT THERE!" Ron cut Hermione off pointing to the hairs. He threw the blanket down in the floor and stormed off "I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN!" The other two boys stood motionless, they couldn't speak either. Hermione looked devastated and confused at the same time before she too headed up there staircase. Kiba feared that this might be the official end to the quartet, but he didn't want it to. He wanted to be friends with Ron and Hermione, and he wanted them to be friends.. but his hope was lost.
Once again Kiba was caught in the middle of the torn friendship. Harry had sided with Ron due to the unmistakeable evidence pointing to Crookshanks for which Hermione got angry with him too. Kiba avoided any side, and when he was asked he would change the topic. One time he did have a longer conversation about it with Hermione, she had assured him that Crookshanks was in the girls dorm when she checked, she thought that it was impossible that Crookshanks would have gotten out of the girls dorm and into the boys dorm and back. But now Hermione had made sure that Crookshanks was either in her dorm or roaming the grounds but never in the common room alone and unattended.
Now that the Firebolt was in Harry's hand he looked forward to his final practice before the quidditch match that would decide wether Gryffindor would remain in the running for the cup and both Kiba and Ron joined in to watch. During the practice it looked as if Harry was simply toying with the snitch, it barely stood a chance against the speed and agility if the Firebolt, like this the match would be easy. Harry came down to Ron and Kiba just after the practice since he had promised Ron a go on the Firebolt. Ron took off quickly and seemed a bit uncomfortable or scared but soon found his balance as he too zoomed around the pitch.
"Do you want a go on it aswell?" Harry asked
"Nah, I'm fine" Kiba replied "not a big fan of brooms. Besides, i prefer Riding a creature more"
"Really?"
"Yeah, don't you remember? You rode Buckbeak right?" Kiba asked "it it hits different"
"A broom his faster.." Harry added with a smirk.
"Want to put it to the test?"
"what do you mean?"
"whaddya say Hotaru? Wanna race a Firebolt?" Hotaru poked her head out of Kiba's chest pocket and nodded. "from one goal post to the opposite?"
"you're on!" Harry replied. He's mounted his broom and dashed to the sky, Hotaru leaped out of Kiba's pocket and grew in size. She had done it much quicker and more confident then the past time Kiba had seen her do it.
'I've been practicing' she said as Kiba mounted her back 'soon I'll be able to breathe fire and maintain the transformation for prolonged time' she seeing her wings and stopped just above the goal post.
"ready?" Harry asked.
"let's do this!" they waited and Ron shot Sparks from his broom and they were off. With an incredible acceleration Harry sped off as Hotaru swung her wings with all her might she chased after him. The wind roasted in the ears off both boys but Hotaru was faster then Harry soon flying past him and reaching the goal first, but just barely. "that's some acceleration you got Harry!"
"Hotaru beats the Firebolt by top speed though" Harry answered as they both returned to the ground. "Madam Hooch?" the witch had been sleeping in one if the stands and luckily hadn't seen Hotaru as she returned to get normal size and hid in Kiba's pocket. But together with the teacher the three boys returned to the safety of the castle. Time passed quickly as the match approached, unlike Harry's last match there had been no bad weather in the horizons and the chances of a win were looking better then ever. The stands were filled with Gryffindors and Ravenclaws alike and for a change, the Slytherins were nowhere in sight.
The match had already begun when, to Kiba's relief, Hermione had quietly made her way into the stands beside him. No matter how high the tention between the four were, hermine would always be there for them. It was something that Kiba admired greatly about the girl. The match was excruciatingly tense, the Ravenclaw seeker, Cho Chang had made it her mission to block Harry since she couldn't keep up with the Firebolt, but with some skillful twists and turns Harry evaded her and dashed after the golden snitch. Kinds could only see the reflection of the sun blind him, Harry truly had a great sight for the small ball.
"Oh God!" Hermione whispered out of the blue as she grabbed Kiba's hand tightly, probably more out of instinct then anything else.
"what is it?" Kiba asked
"Look, they're back!" Hermione pointed to the pitch below, and out of nowhere they had appeared. Three Dementors were looming just below Harry. And Harry has apparently seen them too.. Kiba prepared himself, fearing that he might get close to fainting again like he had done the last time, but he didn't feel strange. The Dementors didn't seem to have their usual effect, Kiba watched as Harry pointed his wand down at them and a silvery white substance flowed from it. Harry dashed onward, he suddenly seemed completely out of breath but the Dementors were down, unmoving in the grass. And before anyone could comprehend what had happened Harry was in the ground, snitch firmly in his grasp.
Harry was quickly surrounded, hugged, kissed and celebrated by many Gryffindors and even Lupin joined the circle with the excuse if checking on Harry, Kiba too had gone down. "that was quite the Patronus, Harry" Kiba heard him say quietly to Harry
"sure helped against those Dementors" Harry replied proudly
"well.. um.. don't get me wrong. You did beautifully, but those weren't Dementors" Lupin said scratching the back of his head "you did however give Mister Malfoy quite the fright" he added. They all looked over at the pile of Black robes before McGonagal from which slowly emerged several heads, among them were Flint, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and a few more Slytherins. Kiba saw a triumphant smile creep into the faces of all the Gryffindor's. Not only did they score an important victory, Harry had humiliated the Slytherin team and they would certainly receive punishments.
The party was on in the Gryffindor common room that night, one could've thought they had already won the cup. Fred and George had somehow gotten allot of treats and Butterbeer out of nowhere and everyone joined in on the feast, everyone but one, Hermione. Hermione was impatiently flipping through a book talking to Harry at the same time, Kiba has just grabbed some treats to bring to get when her heard Ron say something loudly, "if Scabbers where here is give him some fudge flies," he said "he loved them!" before Kiba even looked back at Hermione she was gone. Harry looked displeased, and but boys looked to Ron.
"can't you give her a break?!" Kiba asked, a hint of anger detectable in his voice.
"only if she apologized, but she's acting as if Scabbers is on holiday" Ron replied looking to Harry for agreement but the black haired wizard looked away from both the other boys and refused to reply. The party had soon come to an end at the hand of McGonagall who send them all to bed. Kinds performed his spell like he did twice every day and looked out of the window, he saw the clouds in the horizon had darkened he knew that tonight would be the night. His transformation was approaching, he could feel it tingling in his stomach as doubtful thoughts flooded his mind.
'what if i did something wrong all along? What if i end up as a failed transformation and nobody knows what had happened to him' he thought but he snapped when the clouds cracked and through the dark of the night a bolt of lightning split his thoughts in two. He hadn't come this far to become a quitter. "Hotaru" he whispered "it's time"
'don't you want to put on some clothes?' his companion asked
"No time" Kiba answered impatiently and before he really knew it the two were in the chamber. Kiba knelt down before the potion and placed the tip of his wand to his heart as he had done so many times. The potion had turned blood red when the thunder struck as the book had described it. He closed his eyes and focused, his double heartbeat louder then ever "Amato Animo Animato Animagus" he lowered his wand and grabbed the vial. With one quick chug he drank the potion and waited.
Once more he heard the crack of thunder above him and he felt his heartbeat accelerate at an alarming rate. His stomach began to burn with a searing pain and his hearts felt like they'd burst through his ripcage. In his mind he saw the vague outline of an animal. Ears, legs, eyes shimmering pink in the dark, but what exactly it was kind couldn't see, the pain was unbearable and the boy could only let out a haunting cry if pain before his mind went blank.
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