I do not own Harry Potter nor World of Darkness
Professor Lupin's office, Hogwarts, 3rd February 1994 (Thursday)
Ron and Hermione were no longer on speaking terms. According to what Sally had heard through the rumor mill Crookshanks, Hermione's cat, had killed Ron's rat, leaving behind a smudge of blood and a handful of cat whiskers. At first Hermione was adamant that the Scabbers was probably just hiding under the boy's bed, and Sally had all but grabbed her by the hair into an empty classroom to shout at her. As a result of that conversation and Hermione's refusal to show any amount of empathy to Ron, the Slytherin girl was no longer on speaking terms with her.
Ron himself was, understandably, downcast. Fred and George were doing their best to cheer him up, and the sheer amount of work Ron had to do in order to catch up with Ancient Runes kept him too busy to think about Scabber's fate.
Harry's anti-dementor lessons were not going nearly as well as he had hoped. He was able to produce an indistinct, silvery shadow, but Professor Lupin had deemed his Patronus too feeble to drive the dementor away. All it did was hover, like a semi transparent cloud, draining Harry of energy as he fought to keep it there.
"You're expecting too much of yourself. - said Professor Lupin, sternly in their fourth week of practice. - For a thirteen-year-old wizard, even an indistinct Patronus is a huge achievement."
"I thought a Patronus would… charge the dementors down or something." said Harry dispiritedly.
"The true Patronus does do that. - said Lupin. - But you've achieved a great deal in a very short space of time. If the dementors put in an appearance, you will be able to keep them at bay long enough to get away."
"You said it's harder if there are loads of them." said Harry.
"I have complete confidence in you."
Harry nodded, before sitting down and voiced something he'd been wondering for a while.
"What's under a dementor's hood?"
"Hmmm... well, the only people who really know are in no condition to tell us. You see, the dementor lowers its hood only to use its last and worst weapon."
"What's that?"
"They call it the Dementor's Kiss. - said Lupin, with a slightly twisted smile. - It's what dementors do to those they wish to destroy utterly. I suppose there must be some kind of mouth under there, because they clamp their jaws upon the mouth of the victim and… and suck out his soul."
"What? They kill…?"
"Oh no, much worse than that. You can exist without your soul, you know, as long as your brain and heart are still working. But you'll have no sense of self anymore, no memory, no... anything. There's no chance at all of recovery. You'll just exist as an empty shell."
Lupin looked down, taking a long pause.
"It's the fate that awaits Sirius Black. It was in the Daily Prophet this morning. The Ministry has given the dementors permission to perform it if they find him."
Harry sat stunned for a moment at the idea of someone having their soul sucked out through their mouth. But then he thought of Black.
"He deserves it."
"You think so? - said Lupin lightly. - Do you really think anyone deserves that?"
"Yes, - said Harry defiantly. - For some things… people deserve much worse than death."
A tense silence fell in the office and neither student nor teacher felt like breaking it. After awkwardly nodding at the professor and muttering a whispered thanks, Harry took to the door and left.
He was rather surprised to find Professor Hooch looking for him, ready to hand him back his new Firebolt.
"We checked it and I'm happy to announce that it's clean. Fresh as the day it was crafted. Potter… I know you haven't shown any interest but I remember you being very good during your Flying class… have you thought of joining the Quidditch team? I think you would make for a good addition to the Slytherin team."
"Am I allowed to use a professional broom?" asked Harry, skeptically.
"Of course not. - scoffed the witch - You'll be using the school brooms, which are coincidentally the ones seventh year students make in my class. They're good, but nowhere near Firebolt level good."
Harry nodded.
"Thank you professor, but I don't think I will. No offense to you, but I just don't think Quidditch is for me. I like flying every now and then, but I'm mostly doing it because Kaa likes it as well and… I don't think he'll be allowed on the pitch."
Hooch smirked
"Unfortunately no, but I find the idea rather amusing. Maybe your familiar can have a chat with Marcus Flint, I'm sure it'll make for good exercise for the team. They are practicing right now if you want to."
Harry nodded.
"I will pass the message then."
After heading down to the Slytherin common room to pick up Kaa, Harry decided to take a small detour to the library, where Ron was buried in Ancient Runes book, his own notes scattered around among those he borrowed from Harry and Daphne's.
"Hey, Ron, how are you doing?"
Ron grunted, before looking up and seeing the Firebolt.
"You got it back! Is it safe to use?"
"So they say. I was about to test it out… wanna join?"
Before Harry could finish his question, Ron had already started to pack his books.
The two soon reached the Quidditch pitch, where the Slytherin team was practicing. As soon as they stepped into the field, the team stopped dead in their tracks and Marcus Flint flew by the two of them.
"The pitch's occupied." he stated to the Gryffindor, only to notice Harry's Firebolt seconds later.
With a smile, he offered his hand.
"Marcus Flint, captain. You must be Harry Potter."
Harry shook the boy's hand.
"Pleasure to meet you. We were hoping to try out my Firebolt, we won't disturb your training."
"That's not the point, Potter. Neither of you are on the team and while I may pass off your presence here as an audition for the team, his presence - he pointed at Ron. - is a problem. We can't reveal our training to other houses I'm afraid."
Harry nodded, but before he could say something Kaa slithered his way over Harry's shoulder, now standing face to face with Flint.
"Perhaps I can offer a solution." hissed the winged snake.
"Professor Hooch suggested that maybe he can help you exercise? He is a very good flier, after all."
"Before Christmas we chased him on brooms all over Hogsmeade and we didn't catch him even once." added Ron.
Flint seemed to consider it. After a few moments of silence in which he seemed to study the Amphiptere from top to bottom, he finally came to a decision.
"Half an hour. Derrick and Bole are decent beaters, but rather predictable, having a moving target can help them train. - He smirked - Assuming your snake is up for some Bludger-dodging."
"I can assure you, mister Flint, no bludger will touch me." declared Kaa, confidently.
Flint didn't seem pleased with the answer, as if he was hoping the prospect of being targeted by Bludgers for thirty minutes was enough to scare off the Amphiptere, but didn't protest.
As Kaa took off, flying into the direction of the team.
While Kaa was swirling around the field, taunting the beaters with his sliding movements, Harry finally mounted his Firebolt. It was better than he'd ever dreamed: the Firebolt turned with the lightest touch, seemingly obeying his thoughts rather than his grip. It sped across the field at such speed that the stadium turned into a green-and-gray blur. Harry turned in a U-turn so narrow it might as well be considered an I-turn, then he went into a perfect dive, brushing the grassy field with his toes before rising thirty, forty, fifty feet into the air again.
With a huge smile, Harry turned around, diving and rising on his brand new broom, before finally landing next to Ron.
"Here you go." he said, handing Ron the Firebolt.
Ron, an expression of ecstasy on his face, mounted the broom and zoomed off into the gathering darkness while Harry walked around the edge of the field, watching him.
"That was an impressive performance, Potter. Have you considered joining the team?"
Harry turned around, noticing Marcus Flint looking at him.
"Thanks for the offer, but I don't think Quidditch is for me. - He pointed at his familiar, diving towards the ground in a spiraling pattern. - Kaa might consider it."
Flint chuckled.
"He's good, but I don't think he'll be a good fit for the team. Plus…I'm pretty sure there are no rules against having a familiar playing Quidditch, but if we try to recruit your snake Wood will find a way to have a dragon on Gryffindor's team."
Harry chuckled, before turning his attention to the field where Kaa was mocking the two beaters for their horrendous aim.
Not before long, night had fallen and the duo was heading back to the castle.
Harry shouldered the Firebolt and he and Ron walked out of the shadowy stadium, discussing the Firebolt's superbly smooth action, its phenomenal acceleration, and its pinpoint turning. They were halfway toward the castle when Harry, glancing to his left, saw a pair of eyes, gleaming out of the darkness.
Harry pulled out his wand.
"Lumos!"
A beam of light fell across the grass, hit the bottom of a tree, and illuminated its branches; there, crouching among the budding leaves, was Crookshanks.
"Get out of here!"
Ron roared, and he stooped down and seized a stone lying on the grass, but before he could do anything else, Crookshanks had vanished with one swish of his long ginger tail.
"See? - Ron said furiously, chucking the stone down again. - She's still letting him wander about wherever he wants… probably washing down Scabbers with a couple of birds now..."
Library, Hogwarts, 4th February 1994 (Friday)
Harry leaned over the table, staring at Hermione with an annoyed expression.
"What is it?" asked the witch.
"You gotta control your cat."
Hermione huffed in annoyance. "For the last time, Crookshanks didn't eat Ron's stupid rat! It's probably just hiding somewhere in the castle. No need to make a big deal about it."
"No, Hermione. This is a big deal. And it's about time you pull your head out of your ass and face reality."
He slammed a letter on the table before turning around and leaving, ignoring the looks of the other students.
Hermione glared at him for a second, before she glanced at the letter.
Dear Mr. Potter,
Thank you for contacting us for your issue.
First of all, we are sorry to hear about the disappearance of your
friend's pet, and hope for its survival. In regard to your inquiry, the
answer is yes: it is possible to sue the owner of the cat responsible
for the disappearance of your friend's pet rat. If you can prove that
the cat's owner was given multiple warnings (it would have been
better to give them in writing, but a few testimonies should be more
than enough even for verbal warnings), then you can sue the cat's
owner for reckless endangerment, stalking (stalking charges are not
very likely to hold up in court) and emotional distress. If the rat is
found and taken to the vet, the cat's owner would be 100% liable for
all vet bills, including those sustained in the wild (up and including
death) since it's her cat that caused the pet to run away in the first
place. Should the rat be found dead, there is a high chance we can
petition for the cat to be put down, and from personal experience I
can tell that the chances of the cat being put down are around 80%.
As to whether the cat owner can be blacklisted from buying more
animals in the future… That's highly unlikely, but I have personally
seen it happen twice in my career, so it is theoretically possible.
Should your friend wish to proceed by filing criminal charges, please
feel free to contact our firm.
At your disposal,
Petunia Hargrett,
Meyers, Feinstein and Hargrett, law firm
Hermione looked at the letter, reading and re-reading it. Harry had contacted a law firm, a muggle law firm, and their response was so brutally simple it was hard to fathom. They didn't even question whether they had a case, they were talking as if they had already won it. Which could only mean… she was wrong. Apparently, it didn't even matter whether Crookshanks killed Scabbers or not, her cat was guilty and she was guilty of not stopping him. She swiftly put away her books and dashed towards Gryffindor tower. She hated the idea of locking Crookshanks up, but if the alternative was seeing her cat being put down…
Great Hall, Hogwarts, 19th February 1994 (Saturday)
Griffyndor's celebration for their Quidditch victory against Ravenclaws did not last for very long. On that same night, Sirius Black had broken into the dormitories with a knife and were it not for Ron screaming bloody murder as soon as he saw the man, someone could have died. No one was really sure how exactly Sirius Black had managed to get past Sir Cadogan's portrait, and people had started to speculate. Some said that, during his stay in Azkaban prison, the man had learned how to phase through walls like a ghost, others claimed he had polyjuiced himself to look like a student. Some claimed that Neville Longbottom wrote down the password on a piece of paper and lost it, but Harry didn't believe it. Neville wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, but he wasn't that dumb. On a positive note, the shock of the event had finally given Hermione the final reality check to admit her wrongdoing and try to make amends with Ron. On his end, Ron did mumble something about her 'taking her bloody time', but had accepted the apology, finally bringing the group back together.
Crookshanks was now spending a lot more time locked in Hermione's room and, just to be safe, Hermione had learned a tracking spell that allowed her to find and lock her cat away whenever it was necessary.
On the other hand, the entire school seemed on edge. The discussion about installing CCTV cameras around the school was brought up again, the professors now locked the classroom doors during their lectures, Filch was suddenly bustling up and down the corridors boarding up everything and a bunch of surly security trolls had been hired to patrol around the entrances to the common rooms. From their club activity, Harry's group knew that Trolls were fae, but after Verum Sui Revelio they were disappointed to find out that Trolls did look just as ugly, even if they were a lot shorter and their oversized, floppy belly got replaced by enormous, bulging muscles. They were also exceedingly unpleasant to talk to, mostly answering with a yes, no or a grunt and the only thing anyone of the Fae Research club managed to get out of them was the fact that they were Ogres and not Trolls. The books weren't exactly clear as to what the difference between the two was, but they made it sound like Trolls were honorable knights while Trolls were 'Dumb as Rocks'.
Ron had become an instant celebrity. For the first time in his life, people were paying more attention to him than to Harry, and it was clear that Ron was rather enjoying the experience. Though still severely shaken by the night's events, he was happy to tell anyone who asked what had happened, with a wealth of detail.
"... I was asleep, and I heard this ripping noise, and I thought it was in my dream, you know? But then there was this draft... I woke up and one side of the hangings on my bed had been pulled down... I rolled over... and I saw him standing over me... like a skeleton, with loads of filthy hair ... holding this great long knife, must've been twelve inches... and he looked at me, and I looked at him, and then I yelled, and he scampered."
"Why, though? - asked Theo as a group of second year girls pestered Ron for more details. - Why did he run?"
Harry had been wondering the same thing. Black had proved that he didn't mind murdering innocent people, and this time he had been facing five unarmed boys, four of whom were asleep.
"He must've known he'd have a job getting back out of the castle once people had woken up." said Harry thoughtfully.
"He'd've had to kill the whole House to get back through the portrait hole... then he would' ve met the teachers..." added Hermione.
"But how difficult would it have been? He could have easily killed them as he was running away, and he would have had a much easier time running away."
"From Gyffindor's tower, maybe. But what of the rest of the castle?"
Harry was forced to admit they had a point. Still, there was something off about this whole attack. It seemed… pointless. Granted, Sirius Black was insane, but he still remembered the month of intensive training spent with his Malkavian domitor just before Hogwarts. If he had learned one thing during that time it was this: crazy people don't do things just because they are insane. They always have a reason for the things they do. Granted, it was more often than not a nonsensical reason, but that doesn't change the fact that it was still a reason. And if Black broke into the Gryffindor's dormitories with a knife, he fully intended to murder someone. For him to abandon his plan so close to completion… Maybe… Maybe the person he was looking forward wasn't there? Maybe Sirius Black was expecting to find someone else in Ron's bed, and as soon as he realized his target wasn't there, he realized something had gone wrong and retreated. But then… who was his target? Who could Sirius Black, a man who had spent almost a decade in Azkaban prison want to kill? It had to be someone who had done something to Black, and the only student Harry could think would fit that description was… himself.
Notes
Harry gets his Firebolt back! And people try to recruit him for Quidditch.
I aways tought the idea of allowing students to use their own brooms for Quidditch to be PROFOUNDLY idiotic. Unless the difference between brooms is negigeable, which from canon we can tell it isn't the case, then it turn Quidditch into a pay-to-win game, which... yeah, it's stupid. So, I added a little caveat regarding the brooms allowed in the game being those crafted in the Broommaking class.
Kaa's an excellent flyer (no surprise there) and gets passively acquainted with the Slytherin quidditch team. Is it going to come up in the future? Maybe, maybe not. We'll see
Crookshank and Hermione... oh boy.
I always HATED how Hermione refused to take accountability for her cat's action and her negligence... and did a 10 minutes research on the legality of the whole thing... wel, you saw the result of my research. Granted, the law firm Harry contacted is part of Pentex, so they are going to push for the most sadistic and unreasonably harsh resoution they can, but that doesn't change the fact that Ron could have sued Hermione... and would have most likely won.
Sirius's attack still happen as per canon, but with Harry not being in Gryffindor, the attack causes a decent degree of confusion.
Answering PM/Reviews
Yes, the Malkavian are the insane ones, but Harry is only a Ghoul so he doesn't inherit the madness. Zettler, on the other hand, is very much deranged, but had a few centuries to learn how to put on a mask of normalcy. Some of his decisions are... questionable, but while the more introspectives of you might have noticed a few cracks, his mask hasn't slipped yet. We'll see how insane he actually gets if (when?) the mask slips completely.
Probably not the most fun way to portray a Malkavian, but I figured a Metuselah needed some more presence (pun fully intended)