You're Being Hugged, Harry

by David Silver

31 - Pony Magic

"Now, ah mentioned this before." He pat Flurry on the head, next to her horn. "Horned ponies have the most obvious magic. Miss Heart, would you consider yourself skilled at pony magics?"

Flurry sat up proudly. "Very good." The temptation to speak of her growing understanding o human magic was stamped down. That was against the rules, right? "Why?"

"Because that is a valuable lesson." He spread his considerable hands over the class. "They are here to learn. Now, Tsuki, you remember them?" A few heads nodded in agreement, utterances of the same filtering through the classes. "Their magic was largely physical. They can jump better than most things and, if they're willing, they make pretty passable owls. They don't do spells, of their own sort or any others."

Flurry inclined an ear as he explained it. "But I do."

"That she does. Flurry Heart, would you demonstrate? Something small, preferably something that can't go hurtin' nobody in this room."

Flurry considered with a raised hoof. "Well... How about... this?" Her horn glowed and her magic echoed across the tops of the desks in the room, flowers popping up into view from nowhere in front of the startled students.

Hagrid gestured down with the flat of his hand. "That's enough of that, little lady. Now, if anyone wants some extra credit, identify those plants and figure out which may not be local, if ya get what I mean there. Turn that over to your herbology teachers with the flower. Feel certain they'll be glad to see it."

Flurry blinked at the idea as the students plucked the flowers she'd made, working diligently to gather them up properly. "Um. They're just flowers. Why would they be special?"

Hagrid ruffled Flurry atop her head. "Because you're not from Earth. What are normal plants for you are not normal fer the rest of us, get me?"

"Oh." Flurry wobbled left and right. "That means your plants would be new to me. I want to see them."

"Haven't ye been followin' your brother around? Pay closer attention next herbology class. Now, here's something you would not do with a horse, or most other magical creatures for that matter. On a pony, it's possible. You can talk to them, and they will be clear if it's alright or not."

Flurry tensed and drew back a few inches. "Should I be worried?"

"If ya don't want it, it won't happen." Hagrid chuckled softly. "Of the two of us, you may have more magic, so let's not get in a fight about it. Now, as I was sayin'. Flurry, would you like a deep tissue massage?"

Flurry listed to the side with a strained laugh. "Seriously?! You made that sound way too spooky... If you know what you're doing, yes, go ahead."

Hagrid clapped his hands together in a firm single stroke. "Now this, here, is not required for the basic care of a pony. But I did promise a treat for our brave little princess. She came here and put up with us. This is the least ah can do for her. You may as well pay attention, as you can learn a lot about how their muscles work and connect together when you do it, and that makes a lot of other spells work easier."

Flurry fluffed her wings with a smile, anticipation visibly growing. "Should I... sit here? Do you want me to lay down?"

Hagrid dropped to a knee next to the platform that held Flurry. "As I was saying earlier, you can talk to a pony, which makes a lot of things easier, and harder at the same time. Go ahead and lay on your belly to start. He put a hand on her back, guiding her to assuming pony-loaf position. "Let's inspect the spine." It was no dry and clinical examination. He thumped and walked his fingers and made her squeak and wriggle, but she seemed to be enjoying him as he worked into her.

"Ponies have very flexible backs, far more than most humans could hope for. Closer to what you'd expect from a cat. Unlike a cat..." He swatted her near the rump. "They're solid. They can support more than their own weight if they haveta, but they won't unless they have to. Because you told them to won't cut it." He got back to the care, turning to a more deep rubbing motions across her that had her coloring with her eyes closed. "Just like any person, a good care of their sore spots is a fine way to make a friend. Also like a person, if they stop, you stop. Just rude, and a horned one might use their magic on you if you get on their bad side."

A hand went up and Hagrid pointed at the student. "Sir, what about the ponies without horns? Should we be worried about them?"

"They're magical creatures. Being careful is how you start the situation." He guided Flurry onto her side to get her legs and ribs dutifully. "Without a horn, you still have one of those, and if they have to, they will hurt you to get away from abuse. You don't want to be chasing any pegasus. They can fly and will to get away from you. Militaristic by tradition, fighting you isn't entirely outside the realm of possibility." He worked along one of her legs, reducing her to a puddle of pleased pony princess. "The earth ponies can be tougher and stronger. You want to go out of your way to irritate something that can sometimes bite clean through your bones? No thanks. I suggest you skip that." He tickled under her chin, getting giggles. "They're friendly creatures, so just be polite."

Another hand went up. "Do alicorns have that strength?"

"No, yes? Kinda?" Flurry looked up from where she was flopped on the ground. "Sorta... It varies, a lot. If you need it, you can reach for it. But most alicorns aren't walking triple perfect ponies all the time. That'd get tiring."

Hagrid looked Flurry over critically. "How are you feeling? Worth the trouble?"

"Yes," she sighed out, stretching her legs and remaining flopped there. "Can we do it again?"

"I'll make you eat more of what you need," he warned with a chuckle. "You sure?"

Flurry flipped her ears back. "There has to be other things I can eat. I really don't like asparagus."

"I'll look into it." He helped Flurry get her hooves under herself. "And pass it to your brother to give to you. We want that mark nice and bright."

Flurry rolled her eyes. "Why isn't his mark a big deal then? I don't see you torturing him."

"I like asparagus," admitted Harry with a bashful smile. "Sorry?"

"That explains that." He rose to his feet. "Gonna bet yer mom's tried to get you to eat it afore and you sent her packing."

"N-no..." That she was fibbing was a very poorly held secret. "Thank you, for today. Harry, meet you later." She strode from the room without any further delays.

Hagrid nodded to the class. "And that concludes alicorn care tips. I hope you were paying attention. Now, off with the lot of you. Ya got plenty other classes vying for your time and attention."

To Harry's discomfort, chat about pony physiology reached his ears. He had to remind a few that he was not available for testing techniques on, thanks. It felt better to rush to the next class. Fortunately, there was plenty of other things to focus on, being a student at Hogwarts.

---

Time passed, months, all of them learning and growing, but signs were mounting... Harry peered at the sign curiously. "What do they mean?" He pointed at the sign. "What's a Christmas?"

"Winter holiday," corrected Hermione. "Everyone gets to go home."

"Oh." He tapped at his chin thoughtfully. "But my parents aren't expecting me for a while yet. Do you... What do you do then?"

Hermione shrugged at that. "What do ponies usually do?"

"Go to school a lot closer to home?" Harry turned his eyes skywards. "Or plan better, I guess."

Ron slapped his equine friend on the back. "Hey, that just means we get to hang out."

Harry jumped, at the swat and the words. "You're not leaving either?"

"Nope." Ron crossed his arms in an x. "My parents are visiting my brother in Romania, so they won't be there for me to go back to. We're in the same boat."

"Huh, that's lucky." Harry nodded, looking much more relaxed. "I can think of worse fates than spending Hearth's Warming Eve with you."

Ron raised a lone finger. "What eve? That a pony holiday?"

"Um..." Harry pointed to the sign declaring the time off. "Same as yours, different name. I think everyone wants a winter holiday."

"Won't argue that." Ron patted both of them on the back. "Let's not fall behind before then. It'll be a staycation right here, gather, but not until the break happens."

Hermione laughed at the arrangement. "Glad you two have that sorted then. I'll be headed home, if you please, and even if you don't. New topic, but I think there's a book about that Flamel person, but... trick, it's in the restricted section of the library."

Harry let out a suffering sigh, a faint whinny mixed in the noise. "And she's chums with Snape, the librarian. She won't let us just walk in there and snoop around."

Ron lifted his hands in a shrug. "So we be sneaky about it. It's just a book. Grab it and don't let anyone see you."

Harry made an uncertain noise.

Hermione turned away. "I'll keep an eye open for some way to get closer without getting in trouble."

They split ways to head to their classes.

Despite her promises, Hermione wasn't digging up any obvious ways to sneak past Madam Pince, the librarian. She was exceptionally strict when it came to her books, and was known to direly punish anyone that tried to move them out of place, or, even worse, damage one.

So, Harry figured he could be casual about it. He wandered the library as if searching for a tome. Technically, this was true! But the book rested in the restricted wing. He wandered with soft clops up and down the aisles, trying his best to not be obvious about his slowly approaching goal.

"What are you looking for, boy?" demanded that stern voice of Miss Pince.

"Nothing!" squeaked out Harry. It wasn't the best answer, or even a very good one, but it was what came to his mind, panicking in that sudden moment. "Ma'am."

Pince frowned at him with judgement behind her eyes. "You'd better get out then." She pointed the way to the exit of the library. "Go on." When he hesitated, she elevated to a full glare. "Go on -- Out!" She pointed all the more firmly, banishing Harry from the library and ending his attempt to get the book.

---

"You deserve to know." The headmaster of the school leaned onto his elbows at his desk. "Your parents were very brave."

"Were?" Harry skewed an ear aside. "My parents are still very brave, Sir." He dipped his head at Dumbeldore. "Did something happen?!"

"No! No, heavens forfend." He made gentle placating motions at Harry. "But you, Harry, are a human. Humans do not spring forth from ponies, no matter how brave, or kind, and I hear your pony parents are both."

"Very much, sir." Harry sat up with a smile. "Um, but my human parents, sir?"

"You had them, as most other humans have." He brought his hands together, fingers enmeshing. "They were very brave, and sent you to find your new parents to protect you, far from his grasp. You're old enough, you deserve to know." He drew a hand away and extended a finger towards Harry, reaching to run it along the scar across his face. "Didn't you ever wonder where this came from?"

Author's Note:

A reminder of the past. Harry has baggage and all. This has been touched on, but there's so much more.

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Comments

[Amethyst Dragonfly]

"Won't argue that." Run pat both of them on the back. "Let's not fall behind before then. It'll be a staycation right here, gather, but not until the break happens."

Should be
Ron pat

[David Silver]

11667890
Ron Patted.

A fine way to spend a day.

[Booster Spice]

It would take Pinkie to even attempt to compare Harrys and Raritys baggage?

[tsaukpaetra]

It's too bad Harry didn't inform them that being pet is just as intimate as it would be for a human. But would that discourage or embolden them? 😇