The Wizard and the Lonely Princess

by Harry Leferts


Chapter 13

Sorry about taking so long, RL got in the way as the place where I have people proof read was down for a spell. Hopefully this chapter will make it up!
Disclaimer: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is owned by Hasbro and Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling.

"Hello"-Normal Speaking

"Interesting..."-Nightmare Moon speaking

'Huh.' -Normal thoughts.

'All mine...' Nightmare Moon's thoughts
________________________________________

Having stopped by the hospital wing to pick up a healed Neville and the dorms to pick up Nightmare, the group heads out onto the grounds. As they're walking they tell Nightmare (with Luna adding her own observations) causing the Alicorn plush to scowl."That insolent foal!" She then looks over at Neville before looking him up and down. "Are you alright?"

Despite his surprise (a sentiment shared by the Harry, Luna, and Hermione), he slowly nods. "Well, yes." He then looks away slightly. "Madam Pomfrey is very good at what she does."

Nightmare nods before finishing her look over. "Very well then." She then shakes her head. "There should be better safety gear and procedures if it's that easy to get hurt."

Hermione raises an eyebrow. "Oh? How so?"

Nightmare just gives her a look. "Have you ever been in a muggle chemistry lab? Protective gear such as that would be of great help." Her scowl comes back full force. "Not to mention actual safety procedures." She then notices that Neville was about to say something before he stopped. "Yes? Well out with it."

Swallowing, Neville looks down. "Well... muggle stuff wouldn't be very good for something like this. After all they know nothing about... well, magical stuff."

Nightmare gives him a raised eyebrow for a moment making him cringe before she snorts. "Perhaps. But then they also deal quite a bit in dangerous substances like acids." She then taps her eye. "After all, what would have happened if that potion had gotten into your eyes?" Seeing Neville flinch, she nods. "Something like muggle goggles or a face shield would prevent that."

She soon trails off into grumbles as they continue their walk towards the cabin where Hagrid apparently lives. Looking at the others, Harry shrugs. "Well, here we go."

Knocking on the door, they soon hear Hagrid seemingly struggling with a dog. The door soon opens to show Hagrid smiling while he holds back a massive boarhound. He's about to say something when Nightmare speaks up. "Well, we came, we saw you, so let's leave."

Harry just snorts in amusement as Hagrid blinks. "Now wh' would yeh leave now?"

Nightmare gives him a deadpan stare until she points at the dog. "Big dog." She then gestures at herself. "Stuffed toy." She then points back at the dog. "Big dog." And then at herself. "Stuffed toy. See where I am going with this? Dogs chew stuffed toys. Especially big dogs."

Hagrid just laughs. "Yeh got nothing to be worried about 'Ightmare. Fang won't hurt a hair."

Still not totally convinced, Nightmare watches Fang who, once Hagrid lets go, bounds up to Neville and begins licking his ears causing him to sputter. Gesturing first at Hermione and then Neville, Harry introduces them. "Hagrid, this is Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom."

Hagrid nods at Hermione before shaking Neville's hand causing him to shake. "Nice ta meet yeh Neville. Remember yeh parents when they went here. Shame what happene' ta them."

Neville shakily nods as the others (besides Hagrid) look at him curiously. "Um... thanks."

Hagrid smiles before gesturing them inside, only for Fang to come bounding up to Harry and nearly knock him down... and to knock Nightmare off his shoulders. "Oof!" Shaking her head to clear it, she looks up into the face of the now massive boarhound causing her eyes to widen as she takes off with Fang in hot pursuit. "GAH! AWAY WITH YOU, YOU GREAT MUTT!"

She runs through the hut with Fang hot on her heels before Hagrid goes to grab him... only for him to trip as the two rushes through his legs. After a little bit, they finally get Fang to stop only to realize that Nightmare is nowhere in sight. Harry looks around with a frown. "Nightmare?"

He stops as he hears her. "Up here."

As one they look up to see her holding onto a pheasant that is itself hanging from the ceiling. Watching her glare at the happily grinning and tail wagging dog, Hermione opens her mouth for a moment before closing it. Trying again, she gets her question out. "How did you get up there?"

Nightmare tears her eyes away from Fang and gives Hermione a glare that causes the girl to take a step back before raising an eyebrow. "Magic."

Hermione just gives her a deadpan stare. "Magic."

Nightmare smirks a little. "Exactly. Don't have to explain anything." Ignoring Hermione's glare and huff, she waits until Harry's right below her before dropping into his hands. Before he can blink however, she scrambles into his shirt and soon all that can be seen is her two front hooves and her head/neck sticking out his collar. "Much better."

Rolling his eyes, Harry smiles at Hagrid. They soon launch into a conversation about how their first week has been with Hagrid agreeing with them about how they hate Mrs. Norris (Nightmare full heartedly approves of his idea to introduce her to Fang... leading to them all agreeing it's not a good idea to her displeasure). However, when the conversation turns to the Potions class, Hagrid tells him not to worry about it. That alone causes Harry and Nightmare's expressions to mirror each other as they raise eyebrows. "Hagrid, he truly seemed to hate me. Heck, I'd say that he despised me."

Looking distinctly uncomfortable, Hagrid just clears his throat. "Now Harry, I'm sure yeh be exaggerating. He doesn’t 'ate yeh."

Now Hermione's brow raises as well. "Hagrid, he continuously... for lack of better words, sniped at him the whole class. I find it hard to believe that he doesn't hate Harry for some reason."

Hagrid looks really uncomfortable. "Rubbish. He's jus'... rough around the edges he is." He then turns to Nightmare. "So what's this I've been 'earing about yeh gettin' rides from Hedwig?"

Nightmare’s silent as she considers the fact that he's trying to change the subject before shrugging. "Bacon."

That answer causes everyone to blink at how random it was. Harry just looks down at her with a confused expression. "What?"

Nightmare sighs before rolling her eyes. "I pay her in bacon to get me back in the tower. She's got very decent rates compared to most of the school owls." Seeing everyone staring at her, she raises an eyebrow. "What?"

Hermione opens her mouth only for a strange sound to come out of it. She then closes it with a snap as Harry clears his throat. "They... er... got rates?"

Nightmare sighs with a nod. "Yeah. Apparently their normal rates are taken care of by the caretakers here in the school. But since I'm not faculty or a student I got to pay. Flock rules or something." She scowls deeply. "Price gouging I call it! They wanted five mice a trip! FIVE BUCKING MICE! That's 20 mice per day!" She then grumbles. "At least Hedwig's three pieces of bacon per trip were more reasonable terms. And since she's privately owned, she's not a flock member or something."

Everyone just keeps staring at her in disbelief for a few moments before deciding that they're not going to ask anymore. Looking around, Harry looks for something to turn the conversation away from owl rates. He then notices a newspaper article on the table. "What's this?" Reading it, his eyes widen as he looks at Hagrid. "Hagrid, this break-in happened on the same day we were there! Maybe at the same time..." Hagrid just grunts a little before offering a rock cake to them. As he does so, Harry reads it over again as he connects the fact that the vault that had been broken into was also emptied earlier that day with the vault that him, Hagrid, Nightmare, and Luna had visited that same day and emptied. 'I wonder...'

His attention is caught as Nightmare speaks up. "Can I ask a question Hagrid?" At his nod, she gestures at the article. "Any particular reason you have an article from a newspaper printed a week ago on your table?"

Hagrid shrugs as he reaches over and grabs a large book-like object on the far end of the table. "I keep articles that interes' me in this here alblum." He opens it to reveal a number of articles on various things like dragon attacks and the like. "I took it out to read an' was jus' goin' to put it back when yeh arrived."

That night inside the trunk where he can't be overheard, Harry explains his theory to Luna and Nightmare. "... And I think it has something to do with the third floor corridor."

Both Nightmare and Luna share a proud look. Luna then turns to him and gives him a nod. "Very good Harry. Seems all those lessons we gave you on how to form connections have taken root."

Harry smiles a little before turning to Nightmare and giving her a confused look. "By the way... what was the deal with asking Hagrid about the article?"

Nightmare raises an eyebrow. "Let's see... lonely article cut out from paper with no others visible anywhere else. Eyup! No reason to be suspicious at all."

Harry just rolls his eyes, though he recognizes that in some cases her paranoia could be a good thing. Shaking his head, he turns to Luna with a smile. "So then, what are we doing tonight?"

Luna gestures over to the sticks and twigs on the floor nearby. "Time for a little test on those craft spells. If you've come far enough along, I'll teach you a new spell, but I expect you to fully master the craft spells on your own time. Understood?"

Harry nods. "Of course Luna." Walking over, he concentrates as one by one the twigs and sticks rise up into the air before him and have the bark stripped from them. After that is done, they slowly intertwine with each other forming a frame. Finally, the strips of bark interweave to form the backing for the now obvious picture frame. Wiping a little sweat from his brow, Harry smiles as he looking over towards Luna. "Done. How did I do?"

Luna glances at a nearby stopwatch and nods. "Took you ten minutes. A very good time considering all the parts that you had to keep track of."

Chuckling, Harry smiles as he leans forwards. "So what's next?"

Luna looks at him very seriously. "Harry... what we do next is very important. Understood?" Harry nods as she leans towards him. "What we must do next is... varnish the frames to prevent issues from forming." Harry blinks before giving her a deadpan expression causing her to erupt in a fit of giggles. "I'm sorry Harry, but it was too easy and your expression..."

Harry closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before they open at the sound of snort. Looking beside him, he can see Nightmare screwing up her face in an attempt to prevent from laughing. Of course, as she's a stuffed doll she looks quite a bit of something which Harry points out with a vengeful smirk. "You know that you look like a Muppet, right?"

Nightmare suddenly stops and glares. "What did you just say...?

Harry's smirk grows as he answers. "A Muppet. With your face like that, there's an uncanny resemblance..." Dodging the stick thrown at him by leaning, he snorts as he cocks his head to the side. "Or maybe Lamb Chop..."

He gets cut off as Nightmare launches herself at him, clamping her legs around his face. "WHAT WAS THAT!?"

Harry tries to get her off as she smacks him with her wings, her eyes full of rage. "GET OFF! GET HER OFF!"

Luna, for her part, collapses trying to breathe as she cries from laughing so much. "Oh... oh dear Equestria make it stop... it hurts too much... Can't... breathe..."

Later that night finds Harry once more giving Nightmare a massage on the moon as he grumbles. "It was just a joke..."

Nightmare just turns her head and looks at him threw hooded eyes while making small sounds of enjoyment. "You should... oooohhh... never insult... Mmmm... a lady's looks..." Harry rolls his eyes as he continues to channel magic into his hands and thus into Nightmare as she lays back down with her head on her forelegs. 'Mmmm... his magic feels so warm...' She then sighs in bliss as she remembers how when Harry channeled his magic into Luna to let her eat, she used to get some very small bits and they nearly burned her though it lessened over time. 'Hm, must of gotten... oh yeah... used to it...' She groans a little as the heat penetrates deep in her muscles causing them to relax...

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Walking around outside, Harry sighs as he walks beside Hermione and Neville, Nightmare perched on his shoulder and Luna flying just behind him. "Great. And I was looking forward to actually learning to fly and I find out we have the class with the Slytherins. Great."

Nightmare rolls her eyes a little and sighs. "Don't let those idiotic foals bother you. Any of you."

Once they come into earshot of Malfoy regaling about how he out flew a helicopter, Nightmare snorts attracting his attention. "And what do you want dolly."

Nightmare gives him a bored look. "Mainly how you're obviously an idiot."

Draco takes a step towards them causing her to smirk as he sneers at her. "Oh? And how so?"

Smirking, Nightmare slowly waves a hoof in the air. "Well, for one thing, I have some doubts that a foal such as yourself could even outrun a helicopter and two..." Her smirk turns vicious. "How big of a fine did daddy dearest have to pay for showing yourself using magic to a mundane? Hm? Because last I checked, something like that costs quite the pretty galleon."

Draco clinches his fist as nearby Ron slowly shuts his mouth from where he was talking about his own flying experiences. "My Father had to pay nothing. We had no fines."

Nightmare just blinks in mock surprised. "Really now?" She then taps herself on the chin as if in thought. "He must have given quite the bri- I mean donation then."

Hearing snorts from the various kids, Draco turns red. Beside him, a pug-faced girl walks up with a looks of fury and disgust. "Please, as if such things matter to the right people." She then gives the group an expression of superiority. "Not to mention those of the... proper breeding."

Nightmare gives her a bored look before raising an eyebrow as she looks her up and down. "Yes, I suppose that a talking pug would count as an example of good breeding..."

Harry then gives her a mock surprised look. "I thought that she was a human?"

Nightmare theatrically blinks before facehoofing. "Never mind. I take back what I say about good breeding then." She then sighs. "And here I was thinking that wizards finally bred talking dogs."

Shaking her head, Luna sighs. "You two have been hanging out with each other too much lately." Catching the simultaneous flashes of smirks she throws her hooves into the air. "They got me surrounded!" The group then proceeds to walk past the sputtering Pansy and heads towards where there are a number of brooms on the ground. Sighing, Luna closes her eyes in bliss as she feels the breeze blow her hair around. Opening them again, she looks over from where she's flying lazily beside him. "A perfect day for a flying lesson I think."

Harry just sighs as he very softly whispers. "Yeah, I can't wait to be able to fly alongside you."

Lips twitching, Luna chuckles. "I can't wait either Harry." Ignoring Nightmare's slight grumbling, she winks at him. "Maybe I'll show you some tricks."

If anything, Harry's grin grows as he looks over the brooms. "Might be fun." Having overheard him, both Hermione and Neville give him unnerved looks. As he notices the teacher, he raises an eyebrow. 'At least she looks professional.'

Once she arrives, Madam Hooch looks over her class while in thought. 'Hm... some of them might do well. Like the Weasley boy if he's anything like his brothers.' She then gives Harry a glance. 'Or Potter. That is if he takes after his father in more than just looks.' She then sighs as she notices a smirking Nightmare looking at her. 'And there is that Merlin-forsaken toy Minnie has been complaining about...' Clearing her throat, she gives them a raised eyebrow. "What are you waiting for?! Every one pick a broom and stand beside it. Come on then, hurry up." Once they do so, she holds her hand out over a broom. "Now, stick your right hand out over a broom and say 'Up!' forcefully and with command."

As the word "Up" leaves her lips, the broom jumps into her hand. Watching as everyone else gives it a try, Harry looks down and narrows his eyes making Luna blink before she notices his smirk. "Oh Hay no..."

Giving a quick clear of his throat, Harry takes a breath. "UP!" The broom seems to almost teleport from the ground and into his hand as the rest of the class (including Madam Hooch) also jump, straightening their backs as they do so. Seeing that, he gives them an innocent look as he raises an eyebrow. "What?"

As Nightmare falls from Harry's shoulders howling with laughter, Luna gives him a deadpan look as her eyebrow twitches some. "The Traditional Royal Canterlot Voice Harry? Really?"

Harry's lips twitch a little as he whispers to her, his answer causing Nightmare to howl even more. "She did say to say it with command after all..."

Once they're all recovered, Hooch goes around correcting their grips (Harry chuckles alongside Luna while Nightmare laughs when she tells a red Draco that he's been holding the broom wrongly for years). Nightmare then smirks at Draco and Hooch. "And here I thought that he would know the right way to hold a broom, what with his lifestyle and all." She then sighs. "Then again, he's likely used to much smaller broomsticks."

Remembering the train ride, Hermione is chocking back laughter while giving Nightmare a scandalized look. "Nightmare!"

Nightmare just cocks her head to the side and is about to answer when Draco sneers at her. "Father has always made sure that I only got the best broomsticks that money could buy." He then gives her a triumphant look as Nightmare looks like she's struggling with something. "Not that you would know of course."

Harry just nods with a straight face. "Of course." He then raises an eyebrow at the smirking Draco as beside him Luna begins choking in laughter. "Compared a lot of broomsticks did you?"

Full of arrogance, Draco upturns his nose at Harry. "Certainly. More then you'll ever see."

Nodding, Harry smirks. "Oh, I would certainly hope so." Harry then turns to Hermione who is shaking before she snorts. His smirk soon grows as he drawls. "I'm betting he has a favorite length as well."

That does it as Hermione collapses against him laughing. Hooch blinks for a moment before remembering some of her days as a Quidditch player causing her to snort. "Enough of that. You've had your fun Mr. Potter." As Harry nods with a massive smirk, she turns to the rest of the class. "Now then, mount your brooms." As they do so, she nods. "When I blow the whistle, kick off from the ground hard." She gives them another once over. "Keeping your brooms steady, I want you to rise a few feet and then come down by leaning forwards slightly. Understood?" At their nods, she raises the whistle to her mouth. "Now. on the count of three... one... two..." Her eyes widen as Neville, being jumpy, pushes off too soon and rises upwards. "Come down here now boy!"

As the rest of the class moves forwards, Harry narrows his eyes as he sees Neville begin slipping. 'Horseapples.' Slipping behind the others, he looks to the teacher to see her rushing towards a student's broom when a shout draws his attention and he looks up to see Neville fully slip off the broom twenty feet up. 'Buck!'

Focusing, Harry watches as his magic grabs hold of his falling friend, slowing down his fall considerably. He notes in part of his mind that Nightmare had just grabbed his wand and slapped it into his open palm, not seeing two pairs of eyes widen as they look at him. Catching the shell shocked Neville, Hooch looks around. "Who did that" She then notices that only Harry has his wand in his hand and gives him a nod. "Good job there Mr. Potter. Ten points to Gryffindor for your quick actions."

Ignoring the looks, Harry strides over and looks Neville over. "You okay there Nev? Nothing hurt?"

Neville just shakes his head as he looks at Harry in something approaching awe. "N-no. Thanks."

Hooch's lips twitch until she gets Neville onto his feet. "There we go." Frowning, she gives him a look over. "You look quite all right, but best we take you to Poppy." She grimaces as she notices him still trembling. "At the least get some calming potion into you." Turning, she gives the class a glare. "None of you move. I'll be right back and any that decide to go flying will get a one way ticket out of this castle. Understood?"

It doesn't take long until Draco begins mocking Neville... Only for Harry to step in. "Malfoy... I am warning you."

Blinking at the cold tone in Harry's voice, the sneer soon comes back to Malfoy's face. "Or what?" Suddenly he grins and darts forwards, pulling a clear ball from a tuff of grass. "Look at that! It's that stupid thing that Longbottom's gran sent him."

Harry narrows his eyes even more as Nightmare tenses on his shoulder as Luna growls. "Give it here Malfoy." Seeing Malfoy glaring at him and guessing the answer, Harry goes to use his magic. Only to stop when he realizes that his wand is not in his hand. 'Dammit.'

Seeing Harry start to reach for his pocket, Draco smirks. "How about I put this down somewhere...? Like, say, in a tree?" Hopping onto his broom, Draco takes off until he's hovering above a nearby oak tree. "Come and get it Potter."

Snarling, Harry gets on his own broom only for Hermione to grab his shoulder. "Don't do this Harry, let it go." She then shakes her head. "I don't want to see you hurt."

Harry looks at her calmly for a moment before gently prying her hand from his shoulder. "I am not about to let my friends get bullied for any reason if I can help it Hermione." Seeing as Hermione has stepped away, Harry glares at Malfoy and in a moment has flew up to his own level, surprising Draco with his speed as Harry himself ignores the feeling of pure joy rushing through his veins. Giving Draco an even stare, Harry holds out his hand. "Give it here Malfoy. Now."

Swallowing the small bit of worry, Draco puts on the best sneer he can. "Oh? And why should I then?"

Harry smirks before looking down. "No Crabbe and Goyle to help you." And to punctuate the statement, he listens to his instincts a little and flies past the stationary Slytherin like a javelin before stopping and turning. After a glance to make sure that Nightmare is still hanging onto his shoulder as well as noting that Luna is right beside him, he glares. "Now, I am not going to ask again."

Looking around frantically, Malfoy looks back with a pissed expression. "Then catch it if you can!"

Twisting, he throws it as far as he can. Eyes widening, Harry takes off after it. Smirking, the blond Slytherin turns only to get a face full of Nightmare as she grips the sides of his face with a pissed expression. "You're mine foal!"

Draco starts struggling to try and pry her from his face while yelling. "GET OFF YOU TOY!"

Nightmare nastily smirks as he continues to struggle. "How about no foal." A moment later, Draco's struggles cause him to fall off the broom with Nightmare hopping from his face and landing on the broom. Thankfully for Draco, he manages to grip the broom with his hands causing Nightmare to give him a faux sad expression. "Can't have that."

Walking over to his fingers (and causing the broom to tip forwards) Nightmare grins as Malfoy gulps. "Lo-look! Don't do this!"

Nightmare taps her chin thoughtfully as she notes from the corner of her eye Harry catching the ball. She then shrugs. "Nah!" Going to the first finger, she starts prying it off. "This little piggy went to market." She pries it off and moves the next one while using a leg to hold it up. "This little piggy stayed home..." She continues while holding the fingers she pries off, off the broom until she gets to the last one. "And this little piggy went wee, wee, wee, all the way home." Getting the last one pried off, she leaps and comes down on Draco's head causing him to let go of the broom and fall screaming... five feet to the ground. Smirking at the still hyperventilating boy, she chuckles. "Silly foal." Seeing McGonagall heading towards Harry, she starts galloping towards them...