To pass time on the long train ride to school Harry decided to teach Kraug how to play pokemon He figured it'd maybe teach her some social skills, or at least distract her enough to keep her from pouncing on anyone else. He couldn't bare another such embarasment. Neville had been giving him the stink eye the whole afternoon because of the chocolate fiasco earlier.
"No Kraug," he sighed, already exasperated not even two moves into their first match. He thought she hadn't been paying much attention when he had gone over the rules earlier and now he clearly had proof. She had played Squirtle, seemingly in defense postion, the card was flopped carelessly down on the table at a brokeneck diagonal slant. "You were being idle earlier weren't you, Kraug?
She grunted and hunched in a defensive posture, eyeing him warily from beneath her rank, matted hair. "You silly, absent minded girl, what am I going to do with you?" Harry chuckled, he couldn't stay mad at Kruag, not with those eyes.
He leaned over the table and indicated her mistake on the playfield. "I've got an Electabuzz in attack position, you see? Squirtles are weak against Electabuzz becuase they're electric type. Like how water conduces electricitry, get it?"
Kraug grunted and nodded her head, then darted a frenzied gaze around the train. The whistle had just blown. Kraug became agitated and began hooting and barking in a grotesque paroxysm of the human tongue. She started biting the table, drooling and snarling, thoroughly ruining his first edition Squirtle card. He gaped in bewilderment, Squirtle had been his favorite, the last gift his mother had given him before the blackness of mortal finality had clutched her up in its black, ethereal embrace.
"I've had it, you beastly girl!" Harry jumped to his feet huffing and red faced, tears streaming freely. "If you can't act like a proper girl then I shain't be able to endure your ghastly presence a moment longer!" He stormed out of the room in a flury of indigence.
He met Sirius abruptly outside the compartment he'd been sharing with Kraug. "Oh Sirious, you must chaperon that loathsome girl for me, I no longer can." Before Sirius could enquire elucidation Harry stammered, "I just... I Just can't!" And he was off. Probably searching out Neville to wheedle his way back into the buxom hortaculturists good graces. Sirius loved his nephew but was secretly taken aback by the boys insentient social climbing.
Later, at Hogwarts
Sirius led Kraug up through the pearly white gates in front of Hogwarts. The sparkling new structure was amazing, Sirius mused nostalgically on the many years since his last trip to Hogwarts. Ever since he'd been framed for the murder and sent to life in Azkaban he'd been unable to go anywhere for fear of arrest. And still to this day he was restrained from appearing in public because of the ever on his heels, odious accusations of murder and black magic.
He chuckled grimly, the world sure was a crazy place. Kraug had been mostly sedate, though getting off the train had proven a spot of trouble. She had refused at first to leave the cramped compartment, hissing and spitting at Sirius when he was finally forced to drag her out by her grimy, violently kicking ankle. Once outside the sight of the enormous school had quelled her raging passions. Sirius had almost forgotten how she'd spent her life in a dark drippy basement, this was the first building she'd ever seen and the spectacle took her raspy breath away.
On the way in Sirius had spotted Harry bumbling along at Nevilles heels, grinning like a fool and fervently agreeing with some lazy remark Neville had tossed out. Minerva stood by the door and counted everyone as they came in, they shook hands. "Oh, Sirius, right this way," she said, ticking off another count.
Sirius sat with Ron and Shamus and made Kraug's introductions. Harry walked past, briefly met eyes with Kraug, blushed and scurried on to catch up with Neville.
Once Minerva had finished her count of the students she glided into the great hall. The students were all cranky with hunger she could tell and quickly transmuted into a shaggy grey bull elephant with a broad, flat back. She galloped to the kitchens, had the house elves pile the food on her ample back and clattered back to the hall to serve the hungry witches and wizards.
After the delicious and prodigious meal had been thoroughly tucked away Albus whipped out the sorting hat and the assembled witches and wizards grew hushed, giddily expectant, as the names were called.
To his delight Sirius was sorted into Gryfindor, so were Ron and Kraug, Kraug had been unsure of the sorting hat at first but had eventually been persuaded into wearing it. Sirius figured this would be just about the best semester ever, but then, Harry was sorted into Gryfindor too...
He lost himself in the general hubbub on the way to the dorms and reflected grimly on his rotten luck. Here he was, after spending all summer escaping from Azkaban to go back to Hogwarts he was stuck playing mediator between Kraug and Harry. He grumbled the password to the Gryfindor portrait sulkily and huffed right away to his bed. He threw himself down on top of the cover, misty eyed and thoroughly dispirited.