You're Being Hugged, Harry

by David Silver

25 - Beyond Belief

"You did it. Again." Snape scowled at Dumbledore. "You are making a mockery of our traditions."

"We've accepted one, and they've been no trouble at all. Such a delightful owl breed." Dumbledore smiled jovially. "Perhaps you should get one."

"I should imagine not." He slapped a balled fist on the desk. "You are as aware as I that they are sapient magical creatures. And not available at any market I'm aware of. Like owning an especially agreeable dragon, still a test of will and dangerous aside. And you're allowing students to do this?"

"To compare them a dragons is unjust." Dumbledore looked to Hagrid. "What is your opinion on them?

"Me?" Hagrid wasn't officially a teacher. But he was the resident magical creature expert. "Agreeable hardly describes them. Excitable but empathetic, I'd trust one with an infant, and know that the babe was being watched closely. The only thing that concerns me, and not even in a frightened way, is I think they may be learning a sort of magic of their own."

Snape leaned back with a grunt. "My worlds fall on deaf ears. The favoritism you show Harry and his friends is on naked display. There will be consequences for this."

"Don't be so dour." Dumbledore spread his hands. "A new semester is upon us. Let's look forward to new chances to teach our students well."

---

"This is getting worse and worse." Malfoy squinted at the strange crew on his train. "I didn't even know they allowed magical beasts in with the students."

Harry waved him off. "Relax. I'm a student."

"Sure, whatever." He waved at the rabbits and the other pony present. "I can count a lot of not students. You may be a halfblood, but that doesn't excuse the rest of you."

Arnavon inclined his head. "Owls are allowed."

"I am also an owl," noted Tillybell, looking nothing like an owl. "I would offer to deliver a letter for you, but I belong to Ronald. Maybe if he sends you a letter?"

"Oh, then we could deliver it." Arnvaon nodded quickly. "But only then."

"You're fooling not a person in sight." Malfoy squinted at the not-owls. "Nothing but favoritism. I bet you cheated to even get on the team, let alone the spot you got. I heard they gave you a top of the line broom on top of that!"

"They gave me that for fixing your mess," huffed Harry, crossing his arms. "Buzz off already."

Draco shoved Harry, sending him rocking back. "Think you're all that?"

Gregory Goyle was there just as Harry looked ready to maybe fight back, looming large with an intimidating glare.

"Calm down in the train," called a conductor. "Fighting is expressely forbidden."

Draco sank, his two minions perching nearby. "Let's settle this where we won't be interrupted, if you're half as brave as you pretend to be."

Harry snorted exposively, but Flurry was there to get in the way, preventing him from doing anything foalish, at least in the moment. "Fine. Name the place."

So Draco did. "Not that I expect you to be there, coward." He laughed. His minions laughed. A good time was had by all, at least those on his side.

"Trophy room, fine." Harry ignored him from then on for the ride. He looked instead to Ronald. "Did you see that? What a tosser."

"He looks serious..." Ron considered the back of Draco's head. "And he has friends. Good thing you got those too."

Flurry fluffed up in fury. "I'll be there!"

"No, you won't." He pushed gently at his sister with a hoof. "It'll be hard enough getting one pony through the halls at night without setting anyone off."

Ron put an arm between them. "I'll bring Hermione. That's two of us to match his two goons. Any more and we're jus' showing off at that point, I figure."

This seemed to soothe Flurry, sitting back. "If she's coming. I can trust her to have her head on straight... Don't get in trouble!" She shook a hoof at Harry. "We're just getting back. Hardly the time to get on everyone's notice."

A shame he didn't pay much mind to that advice.

---

It was a dark and calm night. They, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, snuck down to the trophy room. They had to slip around prefects watching for students out when they shouldn't be. There was a student, a fellow gryffindor, sleeping on the job. They went past him and got into the main room.

But there was no Draco, just a lot of trophies. Harry looked around with a bit of a frown. "We're on time, aren't we?"

Hermione checked her watch. "To the second." But a noise reached her. "Trouble's coming."

All three of they dashed behind cover as footsteps grew louder quickly. "Someone's in here, and they're going to pay for it." One of the least pleasant enforcers of the local rules. They couldn't just wait and hope to be missed!

That and Ronald jumped in fear, knocking a suit of armor to the floor with a great crash. It was no longer time to consider their move. It was time to run. They fled through the halls, chased hotly by what sounded like two people. The precept and that sleeping student, no longer sleeping.

They had been told the third hallway was forbidden. They had been warned! A pity they were still being chased when they reached it. It was go inside, or surrender to their furious pursuers. Running felt like the better option, and they scurried inside.

Pressing inside, the noises of chase died behind them, fading away to the quiet of the forbidden hallway they weren't supposed to be in.

"Look there." Hermione pointed to a trapdoor leading even further into the unknown.

A pity it wasn't alone. A great beast, standing so tall it brushed the ceiling approached them, three sets of scowling eyes locked on them as hungry drool fell to the ground from its slathering yellowed jaws.

"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school? If any dog needs exercise, that one does." Ronald did his best to lift the mood, but its effect was negligible on the three headed dog approaching them with death gleaming in its eyes.

Harry ducked to the left with Hermione. Ronald jinked to the right, and they all had a head trained on them. It was a fine time to scream, which none of them held back the urge to do, fleeing abjectly from the huge terror just behind them. Harry's magic took grip of the door, throwing it open before they got to it and slamming it shut behind them. All three of them threw their bodies against it, fighting against the tremendous bulk of the dog that wanted to come out and play.

They barely, all three of them, got the door just closed enough to bring down the latch, sealing that place and its dog(s?). They weren't being chased, it sounded like, from within or without.

They started up the stairs back towards their rooms, catching their breaths, but safe for the time being. "That thing was there for a reason," argued Hermione. "It was guarding that door."

"Wonder what for." Harry turned an ear back towards the locked door that led to it. "I don't think I want to find out tonight. I'm just glad we all got away without getting into more trouble."

"Well, me." She pointed up. "I'm going to bed before we get in trouble, or just expelled. Try to stay out of anymore hair brained schemes." Hermione took her leave to escape that journey.

Ron nudged Harry with an elbow. "Jokes on her, ain't it? You got hair everywhere. Bet you got some on your brain."

Harry snorted at that. "That joke was bad and you should feel bad." Still, they were smiling and got back to their room without getting into further trouble, minus having to explain to their waiting owls and sister what they had just been doing.

Flurry stomped a hoof. "What?! What a coward. He started the fight, then he wasn't even there?!"

A soft knock came from their room's door. Harry turned quickly for it. "Who is it?"

"Just me." Hagrid opened the door gently despite his size. "Good to see you all back. To be honest, a little surprised any of you are even awake. Figured ah'd leave a note fer you and be on mah way."

That was when he saw the owls had reproduced, with two of them in view. "He really did it. What's your name?" He was looking at Tillybell with a big smile, his entire day made.

Tillybell reared up. Defensively? It was hard to say. "You are large."

"As are you," noted Hagrid. "The name's Hagrid. I keep an' eye on the magical beasties, which you are one of."

Arnavon waved at him with a matching smile. "He's nice! He helped me find my magic."

"You found it then?" Hagrid swatted Arnavon on the shoulder. "Good fer you. Yer friend sounds like a lady, but that's assumin' a lot."

"She is." Arnavon moved in next to Tilly. "Meet Tillybell. We're partners. We'll get married."

"Oh!" He clapped his hands together with a strong pomf. "Congratulations to you both! I hope I'm invited to the event."

"Yes!"

"Maybe." Tilly inclined her head at the large human that managed to meet her height even when she was standing up, an unusual feat for most critters. "Are you nice?"

Hagrid slapped his belly with a deep laugh. "I like to think so! Haven't met a magical beast I can't make friendly with, given enough time." He offered a sizable hand. "Up to givin' it a try?"

Arnavon slipped between the two. "She is mine." He blushed despite his words.

Harry applied a hoof to his face. "Being nice seems to be a metaphor for finding attractive with the tsuki, I think. He's worried you're putting the moves on his lady friend."

"Oh! Not the first I've encountered that." He withdrew his hand. "Still, a pleasure to meet you both. I don't want to come between you."

Harry pointed past Hagrid. "You came for something, right?"

"Oh, yes!" He folded his arms over his front. "You see, you've got a host of magical creatures." He waved at the two rabbits and a pony present. "All fine things, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't be doing my part without sayin' ye should be gettin' some trainin' in the matter."

Harry tapped at his chin. "Does the fact that I am, technically, one of those count?"

"Not so much." He tapped Harry right at the end of his nose. "We have plenty of half wizards that have exotic heritages. They need to learn how to deal with it just the same. 'Sides! Two of 'em aren't ponies like you, and one of 'em's winged, which you ain't!"

Harry rubbed over the poked spot. "That winged one is my sister."

"All the same." He didn't seem at all detered. "It'll be good for you and them to learn more about it. I wanted to squeeze in Care for Magical Creatures into yer schedule. I know it's a bit early for any electives, but it's early fer you to be havin' so many magical friends around!" He fixed Ron with a glare. "That goes for you too! Second in the school with a tsuki owl. Very friendly, as owls go, but needing care specific to them that owl tips won't cover. 'Sides that, we'll go over how to treat owls too!"

Aranavon sank to all fours, looking more amazed than anything else. "You know special tsuki things? Harry, learn the special tsuki things, please."

Tilly nodded eagerly at that. "Yes. You and Ron. We're going to work so hard for you. You can learn how to treat tsuki just right." She stepped in, still on her hinds, and grabbed Hagrid in a tight hug that he returned, the two giants having quite the proper hug of it. "I'm already taken," she casually reminded, sitting next to Arnavon. "Good hug, though."

Flurry was looking far more doubtful. "I can take care of myself."

"Sure," laughed Hagrid. "On yer own, but yer stuck in this school for a while. Let yer brother be good."

Author's Note:

Ooof, they are too precious!

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Comments

[Booster Spice]

Theyre still so scared they havent thought, if that room is so dangerous, who left the door open?

Maybe tomorrow when thres The Great Flying Tsuki Siblings holding a show?

[harts fire]

yep Draco is a tosser in this story , good.
and sadly Hagrid is a bit on the slow side.

[howard035]

I can't wait for Hagrid's class!

[tsaukpaetra]

Teach the special Tsuki things? Well there will need to be a thing to know to teach first!