“May I get everyone’s attention please,” Professor Flitwick called from the front of the classroom. “Due to some unusually interesting wands and the greater class size this year, it has taken me longer than anticipated to get around and examine everyone’s wand. This unfortunately means we shall not have time to start our first spell today.”
As expected, a round of groans erupted from the first years.
“Settle down please. On the plus side, most of you have either completed or nearly completed this week’s theoretical homework assignment. Anyone who has yet to finish their set of questions on the History of Charms chapter in your textbook, please do so by next Monday’s lesson when I shall be collecting them in from everyone. Also, to make up for this disappointment, I am letting you have an extra ten-minute break before your next class.”
As expected, a round of cheers erupted from the first years.
“I thought that would be your reaction. So, without further ado, class dismissed.”
“I can’t believe you chewed on your wand,” Limestone jested as the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor girls made their way out of the classroom.
“What?” Susan replied indignantly. “I’m part canine. Chewing on sticks is something we love to do.”
“Personally, I’m more concerned about the fact her wand could spontaneously combust,” Lavender chipped in.
“Only if it gets bored and let’s be honest her wand is never going to get bored being around her,” Leanne reassured.
“You make a very good point,” Lavender agreed.
“Hey… actually, yeah, boredom isn’t my thing,” Susan admitted. “He didn’t say much about your wand, did he?”
“Oh, not really, just that he hoped it could instil some confidence and courage in me, along with unlocking my raw potential,” Lavender responded distantly.
“Well, you could certainly use the courage to stand up to those bastard cats, that’s for sure,” Susan argued.
“And what, have Professor McGonagall expel me. You know very well we are all on very thin ice. Even the smallest slip up and I have no doubt McGonagall will try and have me on the first train home no matter how hard my parents plead my case,” Lavender retorted. “I-I simply cannot let them down.”
Susan’s face dropped. “I know how you feel. Old Mrs Miser has already threatened to send a letter home to my aunt if I step out of line one more time, the wretch. And as you are well aware, my aunt Amelia is a lot less accepting of my condition. Heck, the only reason I feel she hasn’t tried to disown me yet is because I’m the last family she has and she promised my mother she would look after me.”
“I was meaning to ask whether you had managed to fix things with your aunt after the whole locking you in a prison cell incident but it seems they have only got worse,” Lavender said with genuine concern for her friend’s predicament
“You can say that again Lav. To say she has me on a tight leash is an understatement but at least I managed to get her to allow Leanne to be tutored with me,” Susan informed her friend.
“You broke out of the cellar she was keeping you in and threatened to go on an absolute rampage if one of the servants didn’t invite me over,” Leanne said unimpressed.
“Well, it worked didn’t it,” Susan replied with a toothy grin.
“Only because I kept you out of trouble for a whole day! She was astonished when she came home to find us passed out in your room but quite happy to pay the extra for my tuition as well after that I must admit,” Leanne explained to the rest of their group of misfits.
“See, it all worked out in the end,” Susan stated smugly.
“You mean, aside the seven broken windows, almost blowing up your home twice and turning the lawn into a mud pit on countless occasions,” Leanne deadpanned. “And that’s only a fraction of the mischief I had to try and cover up for her.”
“Hey, you enjoyed the wrestling as much as I did, even if we did have to suffer in the bathtub afterwards. And who was the one who woke up my aunt by howling at the moon?” Susan countered causing Leanne’s cheeks to flush red.
“You two sound as bad as each other. No wonder you got a wand as loyal as its owner through good times and bad Leanne,” Lavender commented. “You two are stuck to each other like glue.”
Leanne’s face dropped while Susan guiltily looked away.
“Oh, Merlin’s beard, that actually happened, didn’t it?”
“Nope,” Susan replied way too quickly.
“Tell me, you have to tell me,” Lavender pleaded.
“Nope, nothing happened,” Susan replied adamantly placing her arms across her chest.
“And we definitely weren’t in werewolf form and had to have all our fur shaved off by one of Susan’s servants before her aunt returned home for Christmas.”
“LEAAAANE,” Susan whined as Lavender barely managed to keep herself standing upright, she was laughing that much.
Leanne shrugged her shoulders. “She’s my other best friend, she deserved to know, especially after you threw me into that toolshed with the pots of glue in it.”
“At least you two didn’t wake up covered in sparkly pink glitter one morning,” Limestone interjected.
Susan immediately stopped looking mortified and stared at Limestone intrigued. “Like to elaborate?”
“You know what, I would very much like to know more about you Limestone myself. I mean, not to sound rude, but I do find it a little weird that we just seem to have totally accepted an anthropomorphic talking horse from another dimension like it is normal,” Leanne added with an inquisitive look on her face.
Limestone raised her right eyebrow. “Three of you are part monster dog, Scoti is, well, unique, and Hermione seems to be a child genius, I think I fit in perfectly thank you. As for my home life, I already told you. I grew up on a rock farm with my four sisters and my parents, which was, for the most part, a quiet life up until one of my younger twin sisters got her cutie mark.”
“Ooh, what’s that?” Susan queried. “Is that your butt tattoo? I noticed it this morning as we got ready for class but felt uncomfortable asking about it.”
“Of course you noticed that. Now, Limestone, care to explain. Do you really have a tattoo?” Leanne enquired.
“I have absolutely no idea what that is. A cutie mark is a coming-of-age moment for every young foal. It appears as a picture on a pony’s flank when they discover their special talent. As you can probably guess, most my families are rock based, all aside one of my younger sisters who received three brightly coloured balloons. Her talent is in event management or more specifically, parties.”
“That doesn’t sound that bad,” Leanne interjected.
“Not that bad! I could give you a whole book and more on the chaos she’s caused over the last two years but on this specific occasion she decided to wake me up on my tenth birthday by throwing a glitter bomb into my bedroom that promptly exploded and covered the entire room, me included, in pink sparkly glitter. I was still finding pieces of glitter right up until…” Limestone paused mid-sentence and let out a roar of frustration before proceeding. “Damnit Pinkie, why do I miss you so much? It has not even been a week!”
Leanne and Susan looked at each other uncertainly, both unsure whether to ask the obvious question that was lingering on their minds.
In the end it was Hermione who bulldozed her way into the conversation. “What happened?”
“She never paid attention or listened to anyone and her recklessness ended up with me buried under a landslide, costing me the life I once knew. And instead of a peaceful afterlife, I had to be the unlucky one in a billion winner who wins a one-way trip to another dimension,” Limestone rambled.
“So, you would rather be dead than be here with us?” Hermione replied, sounding a little hurt.
“No, that is not what I meant,” Limestone said, trying to defend her previous statement. “It is just, this is totally the opposite of my, usually, quiet, peaceful and sheltered life on my parents’ farm. If these things aren’t hard enough to contend with,” she gestured with her newly acquired hands, “I have now got to struggle with studying at a bizarre magic school, death omens, a hellhound and strange new earth pony magic whilst learning how to act like a normal filly, sorry girl, my age. And all this while being constantly reminded of the family I’ll never see again. I’m trying, I really am Kendra, but my head is all over… huh, hey, stop that, I don’t do… oh come on, you to, fine,” Limestone protested as Hermione followed by Leanne wrapped their arms around her.
It did not take long for Lavender and Scoti to follow suit as Limestone pouted silently in the middle of the group hug.
“BUNDLE!” Susan suddenly screamed as the last of Limestone’s newly found friends launched themselves into the group hug.
“Oh, for buck’s sake,” Limestone grouched before she was buried underneath a mass of bodies and began to wonder how the situation could get any worse.
“Don’t worry Limey, we’re always here for you,” Susan quipped from the top of the pile.
That’s how.
“And we’ve got Flying next! What could be more fun than learning to fly a broomstick?” Susan went on.
Anything, absolutely anything. Even Transfiguration sounded more appealing than holding on for dear life on a thin piece of wood high above the safety of the ground, Limestone thought.
“Oof,” Limestone suddenly grunted as she felt an extra weight on top of her before something black, wet, and slobbery licked her face.
“Oh, isn’t that sweet. Teeth came to cheer you up. Who’s a good boy?” Susan commented attempting to pet the hellhound.
Teeth growled and latched his teeth onto the girl’s arm before dragging her away.
“Oh no, it seems that Teeth has latched himself onto my arm and is dragging me outside. Don’t worry Limey, I’ll play with him for you,” Susan said calmly as Teeth continued to drag her away.
Leanne forced her way out of the pile and yelled, “Don’t even think about it. You heard what old Mrs Miser said last night…” she stopped mid-sentence; Susan was already gone.
*
Professor McGonagall was just taking a breather in her office with a cup of her favourite tea before continuing with her next batch of paperwork when the entire castle shook. She did not even flinch as she rose from her chair and headed for the window.
“Oh dear, sorry professor. Miss Bones said the hellhound needed exercising and asked me to supervise. I didn’t realise it would get this out of hand,” Hagrid admitted guiltily from below. “Dear me, where did that acromantula come from? Sorry Minerva, got to go.”
As Hagrid raced off Professor McGonagall processed the anarchy below her. The playing fields had been reduced to nothing more than a dessert with the odd glint of green the only indication of what it once was, while all around she saw the battered looking brickwork that had obviously abruptly stopped something thrown at it, the castle only saved from total demolition by the magic protecting it and even that had not been enough in some places.
Closing her eyes, Minerva McGonagall shut the window, took a deep breath, and waved her wand. Soothing music instantly flooded the room as she went back to her tea, ignoring the stifled screams and occasional muffled crash from outside.
*
“WHAT IS THAT?” Limestone cried as she raced out of the castle.
Which one? The acromantula, werewolf, hellhound or giant three headed dog? Scoti requested.
“LOOK OUT!” Leanne cried pulling Limestone and Hermione down with her as the acromantula flew narrowly over their heads before smashing into a thousand pieces on the wall behind them. Seconds later they were all covered in spider gunk.
“I…am…going...to…kill…her,” Leanne said as her eyes went from blue to red in the blink of an eye and her clothes started to become strained as her muscles bulged underneath them.
“Oh no you don’t,” Hagrid interjected, grabbing the girl from behind and lifting her off the ground. “This has got way out of hand already without adding another werewolf to the mix. I should have known and prepared for this happening.”
“What do you mean by that?” Limestone pressed; her attention now focused on the half-giant.
“Hellhounds have a natural instinct to investigate the surrounding area of any new home and will proceed to acquire the biggest threats for that area in one place and fight them. This is done as both a way to mark their supremacy over these possible threats and to ensure they can deal with them and that they pose no actual threat to either their master or the rest of the pack,” Hagrid explained, still holding onto a struggling Leanne who was quickly realising that even with her added Lycan strength, she wasn’t getting out of Hagrid’s grip.
“Wait, are you telling me there are giant spiders living near the school? And that thing!” Ron whimpered, pointing at the three headed dog that was currently getting irate as Teeth kept apparating out of its reach whilst darting in to strike at its ankles.
Ron, and the rest of the first year Gryffindor boys, had followed the girls to the playing fields.
“Hey, Fluffy has a name and is the sweetest bundle of fur once you get to know him. Plus, the spiders live in the forest so you have no need to worry as long as you heed Headmaster Dumbledore’s warning from the opening ceremony. Only nine students have disappeared without a trace in the past fifty years so I assure you, you are all perfectly safe at Hogwarts,” Hagrid attempted to reassure the pale faced and clearly terrified boy as Fluffy let out a howl of pain and collapsed onto his side. “Hey you brute, stop harassing Fluffy, what has he ever done to you?” Hagrid bellowed angrily as he dropped Leanne and raced over to face a snarling Teeth who didn’t look happy at having his play time interrupted.
The hellhound launched himself at Hagrid. The half-giant stood his ground. Everyone watching, that included a group of fifth years that none of the first years had yet asked about, stared in disbelief as Hagrid reached out and grabbed the hellhound by the neck.
Teeth’s eyes opened in alarm before Hagrid released him and he fell to the ground fast asleep and snoring loudly.
“O-o-oh th-th-thank y-you Ha-Hagrid,” a timid voice said from behind Fluffy, whose three heads were whining pitifully as he lay on his side. “Tha-that br-brute appeared in my classroom and pr-proceeded to dr-drag me out he-here and ha-have me fight for m-my life.”
“I am terribly sorry Professor Quirrell. Mad thing must have for some reason seen you as a threat and as such wanted to assert his dominance over you. No idea why,” Hagrid apologised.
“O-oh well, no ha-harm done. I-if you don’t mi-mind I’ll be taking my cl-class and he-heading back to my cla-classroom now,” Professor Quirrell stammered nervously appearing from behind Fluffy looking awfully dishevelled, his clothes torn and cuts and abrasions littering his body. Remarkably, a turban still sat perfectly atop his head.
“Alright professor, although I would strongly suggest you get those cuts looked at by Madam Pomfrey,” Hagrid said as he walked over and began fussing over Fluffy.
“O-of course. I will vi-visit her after classes finish for the d-day,” Quirrell stuttered.
“Damn, is the fun over?” Susan’s voice echoed as she appeared in full Lycan form before Professor Quirrell and Hagrid.
Professor Quirrell looked like he was about to piss himself and then drop dead in fear.
“LOOKOUT!” Limestone suddenly cried as her hold on Leanne finally faltered and the second lycan came charging across the field.
A grin spread across Susan’s face before Hagrid once again stepped in and astonished everyone once more as he slapped Leanne around the muzzle.
“Sit,” Hagrid ordered.
Leanne growled and bared her fangs at him in response.
Hagrid slapped her around the muzzle for the second time. “Sit,” he ordered once more.
Leanne looked up, still someway shorter than the half-giant, and snarled defiantly.
Hagrid picked her up and proceeded to slam Leanne into the ground. “I told you to sit milady. I expect you to do so in future.”
The crowd of spectators looked on at a total loss as to what had just transpired. Even Professor Quirrell was dumbstruck as a semi-conscious Leanne groaned from the ground.
“As for you Miss Bones,” Hagrid said firmly.
“No need to say anymore. I know an alpha when I see one,” Susan replied as her bones cracked, popped, and slowly reformed as she returned to her human form.
The crowd of onlookers watched on utterly transfixed with a mixture of intrigue and revulsion at the whole process.
Susan grimaced as the transformation finished. “Damn, why do I always forget how painful that is?”
“Not here you silly girl!” Hagrid roared, quickly throwing his coat over the naked girl.
“Oh yeah. That as well,” Susan added, her cheeks going red in embarrassment. “Thanks Hagrid sir.”
“You’re welcome. Now come along, I’ve some old robes in my hut you can use until you can get back to your dorm,” Hagrid said warmly before throwing Leanne over his shoulder. A mighty whistle later and Fluffy gingerly rose to his feet and followed Hogwarts’ Keeper of the Keys.
The battle for supremacy and ultimate rule over Hogwarts was over, and an unexpected champion had emerged… for now.