Chapter 15

As Harry's mind drifted to thoughts of the fang and his brothers, he noticed a wave of unease from those near the door that moved towards where he sat until he finally saw what was causing the unease.

Emma had apparently decided she was tired of waiting and came to join him, as she approached Harry, he threw her a side of lamb and steak which she easily caught out of the air and began to devour. Many of the students nearby lost their appetite at the ferocity with which Emma ate her meal, pushing their plates away.

As Harry turned back to his meal as Emma devoured her meal behind him, the feelings of unease began to disappear and the atmosphere returned to normal.

But as Harry was dishing up his third plate and tossing more food for Emma, he was interrupted by a voice addressing him in a thick accent that he almost found reminiscent of some of his brothers.

"Mister Potter, can you tell me what this beast is doing in the great hall and why you are feeding it?" The Deputy Headmistress McGonagall asked with a raised eyebrow, and her eyes never leaving Emma's form as she finished off the bones of her meal.

Harry hid a smirk and turned to lion at Emma. "Do you hear that Emma, the lady says there's a beats in the hall, you think you can find it before it causes any harm?"

The looks of shock on the students and the look of outrage in McGonagall almost caused Harry to burst out laughing.

"This is not a joke mister Potter, and you will address me as professor and remove this beast from the hall immediately or you will be serving detention."

Harry lost all his feelings of humor, but quickly gained it back, after all, as Lucas says, if you lose your smile then what's the point in doing something since it no longer brings you joy.

"Excuse me professor," the sound of utter contempt dripped from every word Harry spoke. "But are you saying that I have to dismiss my bonded companion without a reason?"

The look on Harry's face was almost jovial in nature, but everyone could tell that the danger lurked just under that veneer of happiness and camaraderie waiting to be unleashed. McGonagall felt a shiver crawl up her spine, but she wasn't going to let some first year, even if it was Harry Potter, flout the rules on the very first day.

"Being a bonded companion or not mister Potter, they are not allowed in the hall during the opening or closing feast and must wait for you with your luggage."

Harry didn't even pause before he reached into his robes and pulled out a small book, it had the Hogwarts emblem on it, along with the title 'Rules and Regulations on the Conducts of Hogwarts Student Body' in golden lettering.

"We'll professor, this book says I can, so long as I or my bonded have not incurred a blood debt or have committed a grievance against our family, we are allowed to be together even at the opening and closing feast."

Harry quickly opened the book and flipped to the page with said rule before handing it over to McGonagall.

Taking the book, McGonagall quickly read the page and then turned it, after a solid minute of reading and page turning, she couldn't find any reason to not allow Harry to have Emma in the great hall.

Ao after closing the book she handed it back over and eyed Emma over before turning to look down at Harry.

"Very well then mister Potter, but do not abuse this rule or I will see about it being amended or removed."

With her warning given, McGonagall nodded to the table and turned around and walked back to the head table, meanwhile, the student around Harry began to ask about the book he showed the professor and if they could borrow it. After agreeing to let the others borrow it, Harry returned to eating his third plate and finally starting to feel sated when with another blink the table was suddenly filled with desserts.

In all of Harry's training and missions he had been on, sugar and treats were rare to get, he only ever got them when he was either lucky to get them during gambling or when he was at some elaborate feast.

But this veritable sea of sweets almost left him in shock, while he had grown used to the smell of people and food being in small spaces, he had never had to get used to the sickly sweet smell currently burning his nose.

He managed not to retch at the smell, even if his tounge and teeth felt like they were covered in a thick film of sugar. Emma wasn't any better, being unused to the smell of sugar, she was dry heaving and covering her nose at so much sugar being placed on the tables.

Some of the students looked over to the giant wolf and felt sorry for it, it was clearly in pain, but those next to Harry noticed his odd reaction to the desserts on the table.

He barely touched anything, simply taking some sweet breads or pastry's that weren't covered in sugar, for Harry it was difficult to find anything to eat, after all if it wasn't for the fact they served water, he would have a hard time with his meals.

The cloying sweet smell wafting from the pitchers of juice and other drinks was almost enough to make him dizzy, but the water was nice and cool and refreshing for him.

Harry took a plate and put some water in it for Emma and she greedily drank from it hoping it would help with the smell, and it did, barley.

Soon enough, all the students had their fill and the plates and food all disappeared, the headmaster stood up and everyone turned to look at him, all conversation stopping.

"Now I know we are all tired now that we are watered and feed, but I have a few announcements I must make before you retire to the dormitories."

Harry thought this was foolish, most of these students wouldn't even remember this by morning since they were so tired. He even doubted that the older students would even care since they either already knew what was going to be said or ignore it themselves anyway.

"Our care taker mister Filch wishes me to remind you that magic in the halls is forbidden as well as certain contraband items which the list can be found by mister Filch's office."

Harry couldn't hold back a snort at the idea of telling young children they couldn't do something when you had so few people to watch them, even the adepts got into trouble when no one watched them.

"Next, for our younger students, the Black Forest on the edge of Hogwarts is out of bounds and you may not enter it, some of or older students could do with a reminder as well."

Two red headed students, that Harry thought reminded him of Lucas, took a boy causing some of the student body to laugh and even a chuckle came from the head master.

"And finally, the third floor corridor on the right hand side, is out of bounds, to anyone who does not wish to die a most horrible and painful death."

The silence that followed was almost physical, but for Harry this was nothing more then a challenge, and a fool hardy warning to a school full of magical children who either hadn't seen real danger, or thought themselves untouchable. Harry was certain that with a bit of prep work, whatever was in that corridor was going to make a great trophy for the fangs halls.

"Well then off you trot, have a goodnight and pleasant dreams, prefects if you would please lead the first years to your dormitories please."

With that the tension broke and students began to depart for their beds with heavy eyelids and dragging feet.

A red headed boy and a girl with brown hair gathered the first years together for gryffondor as the prefects for the other houses did the same. Once all the first years had been gathered for their respective houses, the prefects had on at the front of the group and one trailing behind incase some of the first years wanted to explore.

But they didn't need to worry about that, the only thing on the minds of these kids was bed, making the trip from the great hall to the portrait guarding the gryffondor common room quick.

The redheaded prefect guiding them stopped and turned back waiting till he saw the brown haired prefect at the back of the group.

"Alright, our common room is guarded by this portrait and she will only let you in if you know the password, we change it every four weeks and the new one is placed on the bulletin board, so make sure you check it. Other wise you'll be stuck out here until someone else comes along, this is the password for now."

He turns to the portrait which, even in Harry's opinion, had a large women laid out on a bed in a gaudy dress.

"Caput Draconis."

The women in the painting gave a nod and with a click, the painting swung open and the students entered the passage way behind it, soon finding themselves in a large round room with a fire place, some furniture, and two stairs leading up.

Harry and Emma both thought that the security for this house was severely lacking, but they both knew the dangers of hidden security that wasn't talked about.

Once all the first years filtered in the two prefects stood in front of the stairs.

"The stairs on the left lead to the boys dormitory and the one on the right to the girls, look for the door with your names on it, that will be your room for the rest of the year." The redhead said.

And with no more prompting the first years shuffled up the stairs and found their rooms, then they changed into night clothes and flopped into bed.