You're Being Hugged, Harry

by David Silver

11 - Protection

The class was quite the spectacle of flying green sparks. Just about every wand was lit up, firing them in a soft stream. "As y-you can see." The turbaned Quirinus Quirrell had taught them a new spell despite his stuttering, an amazement for many there. "Very useful... For, when, hm, y-you need to c-c-call for help.

Harry considered his fwooshing wand. Calling for help was nice and all, but... He had some kind of dark thing that was gunning for him, or someone near him. He wasn't sure how well a magical flare would do the trick to keep him or much of anyone else self. Still, at least it was a new spell.

On almost a lark, he waved his other horn, the built in model. Soon he had two bright fountains of greens sparks coming from him. It was enough to get a little laugh out of him.

Hermione gave Harry a sudden swat across the back. "Take this seriously! This isn't a game."

"Right right." Harry pulled back the sparking his horn was doing with a huff. Hermione could be a real stick in the mud at times. "How useful do you think this'll be?"

"Not at all," she stated bluntly. "Until it is. It's that kind of thing. "

"Very.... Good." The teacher was smiling at Hermione's logic. "K-keep practicing!"

---

Ron was quick to move to Harry's side as they left the classroom. "That is not going to save us."

"Don't imagine it will." Harry frowned with thought. "I see why the others don't speak... fondly of this class."

"Too right, a joke, like they said." Ron shrugged, arms crossing as he walked. "Are we on our own?"

Harry considered that a brief moment. "Well, I'm friends with at least one person." He took the next corner. "A professor."

"Better than that one?" Ron hiked a thumb behind them at the teacher they had just left.

"I certainly hope so." Harry focused on a quick trot out of the building. The teacher he was aiming for was more often outside. There, tending the grounds. "Professor Hagrid!" He sped up to a proper gallop the short remaining distance. "Have you a moment?"

Hagrid turned with a jovial smile. "For you, young Potter? Of course ah do. What are yeh needin'?"

Ron was huffing, having to break into a proper run to keep up. "Oh, um, hello, sir..."

Harry angled his horn at Ron. "We're under attack, um, not right this second, but before. Something came in the middle of the night, out of nowhere, and attacked us."

"With a killing curse," added Ron. "Don't forget that part."

Hagrid's smile was lost to a heavy frown. "A killing curse?" Neither of the two wizards before him appeared to be dead, thankfully. "What happened?"

Harry sat, raising his hooves to pantomime wildly. "Some creepy person just showed up. Arnie was in the way, took the spell--"

Hagrid's large hands grabbed Harry by the shoulders. "He isn't?!"

Harry was stunned a moment, at the question and Hagrid's sharp motion. "Uh, oh, no! No no no! Arnie's alright. Tsuki that know anything about magic are really hard to use magic on they don't want to be messing with, sir."

Ron held out a hand much as Arnavon had done. "He was holding it. The curse! What kind of strange thing is that? Is that a trick I could learn, you think?"

Hagrid released Harry to shake a finger at Ron. "That sounds like ah trick that well could be yer last. Ah can't recommend tryin' it none." He heaved a great sigh, but the giant of a teacher often did things greatly. He couldn't really help it. "Then what?"

Harry set his hooves down. "We were awake, Arnie was scared, and whatever it was decided to leave, jus' like that."

"It wasn't supposed to be that fast," grumbled Hagrid under his breath. Though under his breath was still fairly audible. "Send Arnavon my thanks, for protectin' yeh."

Harry burst into a brief laugh. "I will, sir. I already thanked him before, but another won't do any harm."

"I'd kiss him." Ron shrugged. "If he was a she, and not all furry."

Harry turned one ear back, the other at Ron. "Aw shoot, my chances are done then?"

Ron shoved Harry, the two laughing like the boys they were at the immature humor. The sight brought a little smile back to Hagrid's face. "Alright. For now, stay close." He brought his hands together. "Safety in numbers. Ah'll do some diggin', promise ya that."

"Thanks so much." Harry rose up to his hooves fully. "At least someone is taking this serious."

"Right?!" Ron threw up a hand, but they were walking away together, leaving Hagrid to his business. "Check that out." With someone responsible informed, Ron was eager to focus on other things. He was pointing at a few people zipping by far in the air.

Harry looked up at them with a soft huh. "Brooms, right?"

"Too right." Ron clapped his hands together. "Can't wait 'till we're allowed to try them out." He looked over at Harry from the corner of his eye. "Uh... Can you fit proper on a broom?"

"'Course I can!" Not that he had ever tried it. "Besides, you know I can stand up, right?" He demonstrated just that, rising up onto his hinds, wobbling a bit with the effort of balancing. "See?"

"That doesn't look super stable." The temptation to try knocking Harry over was there, but Ron resisted that. "Guess we'll find out for sure when you get one. Oh, your mom can afford one, I hope, for next year?"

"Why next year?"

Ron rolled his eyes as if it were just so very obvious. "First years don't get to ride brooms. That's what we are. Freshmen."

"We could just not take a shower for a few days." He waggled his brows. "Wouldn't be so fresh then."

"Get out!" And his ability to resist was exhausted. Ron gave Harry a good shove, knocking him forward onto his hooves easily. "You know that wouldn't work."

"No," laughed Harry, not that offended at being pushed. "But it's funny to imagine."

---

A sharp rap made Dumbledore look up. "Who is it?"

"It's me," called a familiar tone.

"Come in." And in came Hagrid, ducking low to get past the door. "That's a rare sight in this corner of the campus. What's on your mind?"

"Plenty." Hagrid clapped his hands together. "Mister Potter's been attacked."

Dumbledore frowned at the idea. "I heard rumors, but thought it was just that. Are you the first teacher they've told?"

"I can only guess?" He shrugged helplessly at that. "It's not good is what it ain't. A death curse, they said." His fingers wriggled expressively. "Can ye even 'magine it, here?!"

"Unfortunately... There weren't any... losses, I assume?" Surely he would have been informed of that.

"I told you lettin' the owl stay with him was a fine idea." Hagrid looked mighty smug on that point. "Kept him safe. Like a shield, apparently."

"Would that we could all have such a shield." Dumbledore finished whatever note he had been in the middle of, nudging it aside. "But, for now... I think we need to push things forward."

---

Harry arrived at his room, looking satisfied enough with whatever lessons he had. It was to his surprise that his oddly furry owl actually had a letter for him. Harry's horn glowed as he lifted it from Arnavon's fingers. "Thanks."

"Letter, from home?" Ron was coming in, passing Harry. "I didn't hear much about what your home's like. They rotting for ya?"

"Oh yeah." He made a slicing motion with a hoof, his magic replicating it, opening the envelope so he could pull out the letter, folded neatly in half. "Mom and dad's both excited to see what I learn."

"Mine too!" Ron thrust a closed fist into the air, the rest of him flopping over onto his bed. "Thanks to the chums I've made, I feel my odds're good they'll be happy with my grades, come break time."

"Cad--Your mom is very proud," assured Arnavon, sitting up on his haunches, where he was about as tall as everyone else, perhaps a bit taller still. "I tell her what you're doing."

"You do?!" Harry's eyes swept over the letter.

Hello Son,

We are both tremendously proud of you, but also concerned. While your studiousness in class is to be admired, and we both are, we don't like the idea of you being attacked. I was told that this was a safe school. Now, don't be worried

Harry frowned. "Too late for that," he grumbled, but went on reading.

because we have an answer that does not involve you leaving. I know you are having fun, and finding yourself. Both of those are very valuable things. I'd be a terrible mother to deny you either. So, instead, I am petitioning the staff of your school to allow somepony else to join you. You know her quite well. She'll keep an eye on you, and you'll help her study. Everypony wins.

Harry applied a hoof to his face. "Mom! There's no way they're gonna let this happen. We're in the middle of the semester at that!" To say nothing of the fact that his sister was entirely inhuman. Not even half blood to duck behind. She was a pony, 100%.

Now don't you worry. Leave this to me. I know how to chat, one leader of an important place to another. Flurry's been missing you so much! She'll be so happy to join you.

Wishing You The Very Best,
Mom

Harry set down the note with a deep sigh. "There are so many things wrong with this idea."

"What idea?" Ron rolled to face Harry. "Your parents trying to get you to come home early?"

"Worse." Harry tapped at the letter. "They plan to send my sister to join me."

Ron hiked a brow. "Well, alright? What's the big deal? Families go to Hogwarts all the time, the way I hear it. Shoot, look at my family." He looked proud in that moment. "So let them send her. We'll give a hand, show her the ropes."

"I don't have any of those," taunted Harry. "But she's not human. I'm at least half human. She's just not."

"So... what is she, even more horse than you are?" Ron tried to imagine Harry with even more equine attributes, though it was hard to imagine how to make Harry, a pony, even more horse-like. He was a horse.

"We look the same," sighed out Harry. "Though she is a lot more colorful." He thrust a hoof over his back. "She also has wings, and she can use them. But she also has--" He pointed up at his horn. "And she can use that too. I'd say she's at least as talented as I am, maybe more..."

Arnavon suddenly hugged Harry from behind. "You two were special in different ways. In magic you were great. Just, um, different, like I said."

Harry wriggled free of the gasp with laughter. "Stop that! I know, I know. Besides, she seems to think Flurry can protect me, but she's a... she. They'll put her, if she even gets in, with the witches." He waved a hoof about. "Not with us wizards."

Arnavon inclined his head slowly. "I'm not a wizard and I'm here."

"That's because... you did something..." He sank miserably in place. "Which she's going to do. Harmony forfend... How is she going to talk them into becoming my roomie?"

Ron's snickers broke into laughter unevenly. "Get out. Are you serious? They'd never let us share rooms with a lady. That's against basically all the rules they have."

Harry pointed at Arnavon accusingly. "Any more or less than a magical being being allowed to pretend to be an owl when everyone involved knows that he is definitely not an owl."

Ron and Harry both looked at Arnavon. Would Flurry manage?

"That's hurtful." Arnavon crossed his arms. "I get your mail and things just fine. I'm at least a passable owl."

Author's Note:

I feel like things are straying off the path. We were warned! There's a typo in destiny itself, and that means all bets are off.

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Comments

[harts fire]

this is either going to be supper good having Princess Flurry Hart around or really bade or some were between the two.

this is a grate chapter.

[Booster Spice]

Princess FLurry Heart.

You dont want to make her angry.

You wont live long enough to regret making her angry.

You and your whole army.

[Da Fennec]

Wonder what would happen if someone tried the killing curse against an alicorn. Age and experience might be factors can't recall an author exploring that idea

[tsaukpaetra]

Wonder if Flurry will bring Equestrian magic knowledge? Since it's different, it probably won't end up helping "catch up" though, and the classes themselves.... Would any of it even work?