> A Horse at Hogwarts > by ponygirl825 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Dangerous Wishes > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enchanted Hue sighed and closed the book she had been reading on magic. She wasn't a unicorn, but she desperately wished she was. Since she had started school she had watched all the unicorn gals drool over the unicorn guys. She was so jealous, she wished that the unicorns would invite her to a slumber party or just to hang out after school. Some earth-ponies and pegasi got invited sometimes, but only if they were rich or dressed like it every day. Hue wasn't really into that kinda stuff, makeup and all that jazz. She only wore a bit of eyeliner so that she looked feminine with her short hair of different shades of blue. She knew there had to be some reason she was so interested in magic, despite not being able to use it. I mean, magic was in her name wasn't it? Enchanted Hue, that was her, the earth-pony outcast that read books to learn skills she would never be able to use... and yet, what if there was a way? Hue's ears perked up in excitement. She had gotten the best idea ever, she knew an alicorn personally, a pony with more power than you could imagine. Not just any alicorn, in fact, but Princess Twilight, the princess who had gotten her cutie mark in magic and who had been taught personally by Princess Celestia! This was perfect!! She jumped up, grabbed her book and ran for Twilight's crystal castle. If Twilight couldn't help her with this, then nopony could. ~~~~~~ "And so you see, that is why...is why..." Twilight growled, she always messed up that part. Princess Luna had asked her to do a speech about the beauty of night to some young fillies and colts, but her speaking skills were, not quite proficient. She was so caught up in her practice that she didn't hear the clipping of hooves running down the hall. She only noticed after the doors to the throne room burst open, revealing a very out of breath Enchanted Hue. She jumped a bit, but quickly recovered and ran over to see what was the matter. "Enchanted Hue? What is it? Is there something attacking Ponyville?!" she realized she hadn't even given her time to catch her breath, so she waited patiently. Then finally, Enchanted Hue was able to reply. "Can you...turn me in-into a unico-UNICORN?" Twilight was taken aback. "Excuse me?" "Do you know how?" "Well, I might be able to find out how-" she started "Really?!" Hue asked, her face lighting up. "Well, yes, but it would be very risky and probably illegal." Hue's smile faded. "Oh," She started to leave, "thanks anyway Twilight." Twilight tapped a hoof to her chin, "Was there a specific reason you wanted to be a unicorn?" Twilight asked, making the small mare turn back around. "Well, I've always loved magic, how it was magic, but there was a science behind it too. Since I've been a little filly I've been captivated by magic, but I've never been able to use it." She said, smiling a bit. "I just thought maybe you were powerful enough to help me make my dream come true...but I guess we all have our limits, huh?" Hue sighed, her light blue ears folding back. "I guess I'll see you in a couple days for studies." she said, turning to leave once more. "Hue, wait! I can't help you, but I think the Princess can! Spike?" she called, the little dragon appearing next to her, he never wanted Twilight to be disappointed in her "Number One Assistant". "Yes ma'am!" he stated, saluting her. "I need you to send a letter to the Princess, I have a favor to ask of her," she smiled looking at Enchanted Hue, who looked hopeful but confused. But she trusted Twilight, and would later thank her for sending that letter... > A Strange New World > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enchanted Hue stood in the doorway of her room, scanning the walls for any last minuet additions she might want to add to her bag. She found one. She pounced onto her bed and was propelled up by the springs, allowing her to reach the item in question, a book containing recopies for potions, good for both pranks and actual uses. She flipped open one of her saddle bags with her muzzle and slid the book in. Now they were really packed. She turned off the light and closed the door. She proceeded into the living room, where a familiar face was standing, stroking one of Hue's leopard geckos. "Thanks for watching my geckos while I'm on this trip." She said, walking towards Fluttershy. "No problem," she replied, a smile on her face as she gently placed the lizard back in its aquarium. "I don't have a lot of reptiles, so this will be a fun experience for me." "I really do appreciate it. I don't know exactly where I'm going, or what I'll be doing, but I trust the Princess." Hue said, not letting it show how knotted up her insides were. "Lock up when you leave, and the vet's address is on the counter in case anything happens." Fluttershy nodded in response. "Have a good trip!" she shouted (well, as much of a shout that could come from her,) as Hue walked out the door. Off to Canterlot I go, she thought, feeling like the knots from earlier were getting tighter. -------- Enchanted Hue arrived in Canterlot a few hours later. She slowly stepped off the train. She tried to sort out her thoughts and block out the noise of the ponies around her. The princess had asked Hue to meet her at "Doughnut Joe's", a little doughnut and coffee place just off of Carousel Lane. She wondered why the Princess of Equestria would ask her to meet in such a trivial little shop rather than the Royal Courtroom or something. She supposed it didn't matter, there was some reason it had been chosen, maybe the princess just really liked the doughnuts there. Enchanted Hue set off for "Doughnut Joe's". When she arrived, she realized that ponies must have seen her walk in, because the place was packed, not to mention the huge crowd huddled in front of the windows, and the countless flashes from press cameras. She pushed through the crowd until she got to the door. A bodyguard stood in front of it, he was wearing an earpiece and dark shades. "Name," he spat. "E-Enchanted Hue, sir," Hue stuttered. Her ears laid flat against her head as the entire crowd of ponies turned to stare at her. She heard murmurers and whispers in bits and pieces. "...the mare Celestia's seeing..." "...only a foal..." "...at the tender age of fouteen..." "...thought she was eighteen..." Sixteen. Hue thought bitterly, as both of those guesses had been two years off. The guard pulled his shades down to the tip of his muzzle, obviously also surprised that Celestia had scheduled an audience with a young mare. He eventually pulled them back up. "The Princess is just there," he again spat, pointing to a table right next to the window where, you guessed it, the hoard of ponies was crowded. "Thank you," Hue almost whispered. She slowly made her way to the table the RULER OF EQUESTRIA was seated at. Her breathing quickened the closer she got. She looked at the ground, refusing to chance even a glance at ANYPONY. She stopped when she finally reached the table in question. Ears still folded back, she closed her eyes and knelled. "Oh, no need to be so formal," said a sweet soft voice. It sounded confident, but also welcoming. Enchanted Hue stood and looked the princess in the eye. She was five times as beautiful in the flesh. "Have a seat won't you?" she asked, gesturing to the chair next to her own. Enchanted Hue took off her saddlebag, placed it on the ground, and climbed into the chair. Celestia levitated a doughnut on to Hue's plate and another onto hers. "Eat," she commanded, "you look starving." Hue hesitantly took a bite after nodding. "I've been so nervous i couldn't eat this morning." she said, immediately regretting speaking without being told to. The princess, to Hue's surprise giggled. "No need to be so nervous," she explained, taking a bite of her doughnut. "So," she said, wiping her muzzle with a napkin, "you want to learn magic?" Hue nodded. "Well, I can't turn you into a unicorn, I don't have the authority unless you do something extraordinary, beyond extraordinary, there's also a bit of destiny in it too." she said, winking at Hue. "But," she continued, "there is a place that can teach you magic." Hue looked at her confused. Celestia smiled. "Follow me, I'll explain on the way to the castle." she said getting up, but before leaving she placed her payment for the doughnuts on the counter, and proceeded to fill Joe's tip jar a quarter of the way with bits. His eyes widened. "Thank you, Princess!" he exclaimed. She's such a great princess. Hue thought before climbing into the Princess's chariot alongside her. The elegant chariot was pulled into the sky by two pegasus royal guards, off towards the majestic Canterlot Castle -------- "Hogwarts?" Enchanted Hue asked confused. "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," the Princess corrected. "Classes start in a few weeks, and I know the right people to get you ready in that time. We'll have to work quickly though, there's a whole list of things you'll need." "But, I don't understand, you said the school was in a castle more majestic than Canterlot's own, where is it located? And I've never even heard of a place where other ponies can learn magic," The Princess smiled. "You'll know soon enough. But, I do think we need to get on that supplies list..." > Diagon Alley > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Princess, where are we going to find all this?" Enchanted Hue asked the Princess as she led Hue down a back road in Canterlot. "It says, 'All students must be equipped with a one standard size two pewter cauldron, and may bring, if they desire, either an owl, a cat, or a toad.'" Celestia smiled at the young mare, "You can only find it if you know where to go," she stated, leading Hue behind a pub called, "The Salt Lick". There was a stone wall behind it. The Princess stepped in front of an indented brick in the wall, and, with her horn, tapped five surrounding bricks. The wall started to shake and the bricks started shifting. When it all finally stopped, there was an opening, what looked like to the inside of a shop. Celestia nudged you forward, and you looked back at her, then carefully stepped through. She turned around and waited for the Princess to follow. She stepped through and led Hue further into the store. They reached the counter and Celestia rung the bell, as nopony was standing there. "Just a moment!" a voice called out from somewhere in the rows of shelves filled with small, rectangular boxes. When the one behind the voice came forward, Hue jumped behind the Princess with a gasp, for it was no pony, but rather a strange, hairless, ape of some sort. The Princess chuckled. "Don't be afraid, this is a good friend of mine, Garrick Ollivander." "Good to see you again Princess!" the strange...creature exclaimed. "You as well, Garrick," she replied. "Do you have the things I asked you for?" "Right here," he said, lifting a pile of items onto the counter. "Everything except her wand, of course." "Wand?" Hue asked. "Yes," said 'Garrick'. "I couldn't choose it for you because, as everyone knows-" "The wand chooses you," Celestia finished. Enchanted Hue was very confused, but decided the Princess knew what she was doing, and so she was patient. The creature went down one of the rows and grabbed a box off a stack of boxes that looked exactly the same. He opened it and handed what looked like a dressed-up stick to Hue. She looked at the Princess with a look of confusion. "Well go on," she said, "give it a wave!" Enchanted wrapped her hoof around it as best she could and swished it in a "C" shape. A burst of what looked like magic flew out of the end and destroyed a vase behind the counter. "No, no, not that one," Garrick said, fetching another. Hue quickly put the wand on the counter, afraid to cause more damage...at least until he gave her another wand to try. She repeated the process and this time knocked down a light that was hanging from the ceiling. "No, no, definitely not." he shook his head and retrieved another. More scared now than the last time, Hue carefully grabbed the last wand. But this time, there was no need for her to wave it, as when she grabbed it, a soft wind felt like it came from the ground. "Well done! That wand there is made out of wood from a weeping willow tree, a very rare wand!" Hue looked at the wand, realizing she had no idea how this was going to work. ~~~~~~ "Princess, what was that creature we saw earlier today?" she asked Princess Celestia during dinner. Celestia had insisted in Hue staying at the castle until classes started. The Princess smiled. "That, my dear, was a human." "Human?" "Strange creatures," she said. "They have very different life styles along with very different looks. You'll be going to school with humans." Hue sighed. What if they didn't like her? What if she had to spend all her time at the school alone because she didn't get accepted as anyone's friend? She hoped that wouldn't happen, and tried to think of all the positives coming out of this. Though she never would have admitted it, she was scared. She was scared to go to this school, but if she would be able to learn magic, it would be completely worth it. > Leaving the Land of Equines > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please don't throw up in front of the humans Hue thought to herself as she double checked her bags for Hogwarts. The fact that her stomach was in more knots than when she went to meet the Princess didn't make it easy to concentrate though. "Oh good, everything's here," she said stepping back, observing her small stack of bags. "Not everything," said a voice from behind. Hue turned around to see the Princess carrying a cage on her back. Using her magic, Celestia gently place it on the ground, and took off the cloth that was covering it. Hue gasped as she saw a beautiful barn owl. Its back feathers were a mocha-brown, its stomach and chest covered with feathers of an off-white color dotted with spots the same brown as its back. Its face was rimmed with a thin line of brown feathers that got gradually darker as they went down to its chin, and its face was a snow-white. "She's yours. Give her a letter and she'll know just where to take it. I expect letters about how your magic studies are going." Hue nodded and turned back to the owl. "Ivory," she said. "I'm going to call her 'Ivory'." The Princess chuckled. "I think that's a great name for her." "Y-your highness," stammered a voice. The Princess and Enchanted Hue both turned to see a small colt about Hue's age. He was grey with a mane with two different shades of orange, not to mention his horrible acne. "Where are the bags you wanted me to get?" Hue looked from the colt, to the bags, back to the colt. He was really small, she didn't know how he managed to carry ponies' bags up all those stairs, much less down them. "They're right here," Hue said, pointing a hoof at the small stack of bags. "But I insist you let me help you." "A-are you sure miss? I can get-" "Positive," she cut him off, throwing two of the biggest ones on her back and grabbing the ring at the top of the owl cage in her mouth, leaving only three medium sized ones for the colt. He walked over to retrieve them. He managed to get two on his back, and the Princess helped him put the last one at the top of the stack. The bags were placed in the back of a chariot pulled by two pegasus royal guards, and the Princess and Hue stepped inside. What happened? Hue thought to herself. I'm sitting in a royal chariot with the Princess of Equestria headed to Canterlot station, where a train is going to take me to a school full of these, human creatures. She looked at Celestia who gave her a smile. "Nervous?" she asked, already knowing the answer from the look on the young mare's face. "A bit," Hue mumbled. "Don't be, I'm good friends with the headmaster there, he'll help you as much as he can, and if anything goes wrong, you can always talk to him about it. Did that help your nerves at all?" "Yeah, actually, quite a bit," she said, honestly surprised that it had. "Good." ~~~~~~ "Here's your train ticket," the Princess said, handing Hue the small piece of paper. Hue looked at the ticket confused, then at the Princess. "Princess, it says the train leaves from platform '9 and 3/4', there's no such thing, is there?" she asked. Her trolley turned a bit to the right and Hue quickly tried to regain control. "Of course there is, they wouldn't put it on the ticket if there wasn't," she replied. "Follow me." Enchanted Hue obeyed and followed the Princess to an area between platforms "9" and "10". "You see the wall between those two platforms?" Princess Celestia asked her, pointing to the wall in question. "Yeah," "Run straight at it, and you'll find yourself on platform '9 and 3/4'." "You want me to run at a wall?" she asked, thinking the Princess had finally lost her mind. "Hue, do you trust me?" Celestia asked. "Of course Princess-" "Then you'll run at the wall, I'll be right behind you, I promise," she ordered, and gave Hue a reassuring nod as she lined up the trolley to go straight at the wall. Hue pulled her head down close to the handle of the trolley and ran as fast as she could. When she got inches from the wall she closed her eyes and began to slow down. When she opened them, she was in a place filled with the humans. She stepped away from where she assumed she came out, and soon saw the Princess materialize out of the wall. "Woah," was all she could say as she looked with amazement at the wall. She turned the trolley so she could load her things on the train and passed the platform sign. "9 3/4". ~~~~~~ The whistle for the train sounded as Hue said one final goodbye to the Princess and hopped aboard. She almost passed out when she realized she'd have to find a place to sit, and probably she wouldn't have the luxury of sitting alone. Which meant... "I'm going to have to talk to the humans," she whispered, but inside she was screaming. She carefully stepped up the stairs in front of the train door and glanced through the windows of the compartments. She finally found a compartment that wasn't completely full. Inside sat a dark haired boy with round framed glasses, a red haired boy, and a frizzy haired girl. Ears folded back, and a rock in the pit of her stomach, she slowly opened the door a crack. "Um, I-I'm so sorry to bother, but d-do you mind if I s-sit here? E-everywhere else i-is f-full." she stuttered, sounding a bit like Fluttershy. They stared at her in shock for a moment, or maybe it was amazement, Hue couldn't really tell. Finally the dark haired boy spoke up. "O-of course, miss?" he asked waiting for her to finish. "M-my name's Ench-chanted Hue," she continued to stammer. "Lovely to meet you, I'm Harry Potter, he's Ron Weasley, and that's Hermione Granger." he extended a, well it looked like a hoof, kinda, but it was like it had little arms on the end of it, she counted five, to shake. She accepted it and placed her hoof on top of his, "Hoof-with-Arms" and shook. "Pleasure," Hue said managing not to stammer this time. The Red haired boy opened his mouth to say something. "S-so miss, Enchanted Hue, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly are you?" he asked, trying to be as polite as possible. "Ronald!" shouted the girl, Hermione, as she glared at him. "I-I'm a pony, I live in Equestria and I'm coming to Hogwarts so I can learn magic." Hue sated. "I-I'm a fourth-year," she added. "Is this your first year going to Hogwarts?" Harry asked, eyebrows raised in surprise. "Y-yes," "That must be nerve-racking," noted Hermione. "Definitely, every other person knowing the ins and outs of the school and you stepping in for the first time-" "What Ron means to say is," Harry interrupted seeing the panic grow on Hue's face, "if you need anything, just let one of us know." "Absolutely," chimed in Hermione. "Sure, anytime," Ron added. Enchanted Hue was so glad she had chosen this compartment, and she was a lot less nervous now that she had someone to help her break a fall if she had one. This wasn't going to be as bad as she thought it would. > The Beautiful, Magnificent, Magical School > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- On arriving at the school of Hogwarts, Hue was taken aback at the magnificence of the school. It was a castle, just as the Princess had told her, but it was even larger than she thought it would be. It sat atop a hill and she knew that it would look even larger when she got inside. ~~~~~~ When the huge group of students got off the train, Harry's name was called by someone. "Potter! Potter!" the voice yelled. Harry, Ron and Hermione kept on walking, paying no attention to it, so Hue did the same. Eventually though, the human behind the voice grabbed Harry's shoulder and turned him around. "Odd, it's almost like you're ignoring me," it said in a sly tone. Hermione and Ron stopped and turned, and Hue copied, seeing Harry getting stared in the eye by a boy their age. He had platinum blond hair that was combed neatly, and eyes like crystallized pools of water. "What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry asked, hate dripping off his words. Normally Enchanted Hue would have said something, but this boy didn't seem like he deserved anyone's kind words. "I just wanted to see if the rumors on the train were true," he said, looking over Harry's shoulder. "What rumors?" asked Hermione, scowling at the "Malfoy" boy. He Pushed Harry out of the way and started walking towards Hue. She Backed behind Hermione who gave her a reassuring hoof-thing on her head. "So they are," he said, taking a knee in front of Hue. Her mane fell over her face as she pulled her chin to her chest. "Partially, they said it could speak," he spat. Hue winced at being called an "it". "She's not an it, Draco," said Ron, finally giving a name to the boy. "And she can speak," continued Hermione. "And if you don't back off, you'll be telling your father about your black eye." finished Harry. Draco didn't listen. "Well, then if you can speak, say something," he commanded. He waited a minuet and Hue said nothing. "Huh, maybe it's stupider than you thought, Potter." "What did you call me?" Hue asked in a low growl. Draco smirked, and turned back to face her. "I said, you are nothing but a stupid horse." He blinked and then there was a hoof coming straight at his face. He was knocked back and his nose started bleeding. He scrambled to get back on his feet, and once he did, he bolted from the station. Harry, Ron and Hermione all turned to Hue in shock. Her ears folded back down and she backed up again. "Sorry," she mumbled. "Don't be," exclaimed Ron, "that was bloody brilliant!" "Really?" "Absolutely!" Harry concurred, "The only other person to punch Draco Malfoy in the face was Hermione! And it was brilliant then too!" Hue blushed. "I-I just couldn't take how he was talking to you, Harry." "I almost punched him too," said Hermione, leading the group out of the station. "because of how he was talking about Enchanted Hue." Hue smiled, she was glad she had chosen to sit with the three of them. ~~~~~~ When she got to the entrance of the school, she saw an old human standing in the hall leading into the school. He smiled when he saw them walk through the door. "Hello miss Granger, mister Potter, mister Weasley," he greeted the three of them. "Hello, Headmaster," replied Harry. "And of course, welcome to miss Enchanted Hue," he said, motioning towards her. "Welcome to Hogwarts," he said nodding at her. "Thank you mister-" "Dumbledore," he finished. He looked back up at the trio of humans. "You three may head into the Great Hall, miss Hue, you come with me." The four of them obeyed Headmaster Dumbledore. Harry, Ron and Hermione headed into what Hue assumed was the "Great Hall", and Dumbledore took Hue down another hallway. "Um, m-mister Dumbledore, sir? If you don't mind me asking, where are we going?" "Since you are a fourth year and this is your first year at Hogwarts, you have yet to be sorted into a house, and I'm sure you wouldn't want to stand up at the front with a group of first years, whether you were a human or not." He chuckled, finding what he had said rather humorous. "So you will sit up at the front with the professors and I until all the first years have been sorted, I'll say a few things about you, and you'll be sorted." Hue nodded and followed the man through a door. He led her behind a grand table where many other humans sat, there was one particularly large one, with a beard bigger than her head, and next to him a particularly small one, with a curly mustache and a pair of small circular frame glasses, a bit like Harry's, that sat on the tip of his... muzzle...? The Headmaster motioned to a seat next to his own and Hue sat in it. She tried to slink down and be as invisible as possible. She dot nervous enough standing in front of a crowd of ponies, imagine her discomfort when the room was filled with beings not even the same species as her. She folded her ears back and slouched over acting like her hooves were the most interesting thing in the world. ~~~~~~ The sorting seemed to last hours when in reality it was only a few minuets, thirty at most. With each name the old woman in front of the table read, another butterfly appeared in Hue's stomach. She was shaking and shivering as if she were cold, but at the same time was sweating. When the last first-year was sorted, the old woman took her place on the other side of Enchanted Hue, and the Headmaster took her place next to the stool with the speaking hat on it. "Everyone, I have an announcement before the feast begins." the Headmaster turned to Hue. She nodded, ears still folded, still full of butterflies, and walked slowly to where the man stood. There were whispers and murmurs as her hooves clicked against the floor. "is that a horse?" "It's official, the Headmaster's lost it." "Horses aren't naturally different shades of blue, right?" Dumbledore turned back to the students. "This is Enchanted Hue," A few laughs and chuckles erupted around the room, no doubt her name sounded absurd to them. Dumbledore silenced them with a cold look. He then resumed his speech. "She is here to learn magic, just as the rest of you are, and I expect you to treat her with respect, just as you would any other student," He said, lifting the hat from the stool allowing Hue to hop onto it. The hat was then lowered onto her head, and she jumped a bit as it shouted, "Ha! Well, aren't you something? Hmm...right, okay. Hmm... Honest and kind, generous and loyal, able to make others laugh, and a great leader as well. Hmm... Better be, GRYFFINDOR!!" the hat yelled across the hall. Hue was not met with cheers and applause like the first years had been. Dumbledore lifted the hat from her head and gestured towards the Gryffindor table. She hopped off the stool and, ears folded, head lowered, walked to the table. Her face felt like she had been nuzzled by Princess Celestia's pheonix. Her face felt more and more like she was next to the fire bird. "Psst...Hue!" a voice hissed, she looked up to see Hermione seated a few feet away patting the space on the bench next to her, a sweet smile across her face. Hue smiled back, walking over and hopping onto the seat. Across from her sat Ron and Harry. They smiled at her too and Ron gave a light wave. "Welcome to Gryffindor," said Harry coolly. "Now, without further ado, let the feast begin," Dumbledore announced, as he waved his arms in an outward motion. The tables were suddenly flooded with food of all different kinds. Huge meats sat on shining platters, as well as a large bowl of greens that caught Hue's attention. Not far from Ron was a ginormous pie with a tower of ice cream scoops on top of it that he was eyeing greedily. "Don't make yourself sick, Ron," Hermione said noticing how excited he looked. "Uh, right," he replied, snapping out of his thoughts. Hue had to make sure she didn't make herself sick either. Her stomach was still in knots, but the food looked really good, and she hadn't eaten anything for a while. She finally gave in and enjoyed some of the feast. It was the best meal she'd ever eaten. ~~~~~~ Hue followed Harry, Hermione, and Ron up to the Gryffindor dormitories after dinner. They were all tired, after the trip to the school, the sorting, the feast, the Headmasters announcement of the Triwizard Tournament, and the stunning entrances of the other schools, they were all ready to collapse. Oh, and of course giving Malfoy a bloody nose, that part was good too. "So," Harry said, filling the silence, "how do you like Hogwarts?" "It's magnificent! I haven't even learned any magic yet!" She exclaimed. Her eyelids felt as though they were getting heavier every second. She gave a yawn and Hermione directed her to the girls dorm. Hue had been given a Gryffindor tie, a robe, a Gryffindor scarf for Quidditch games (whatever Quidditch was), and her belongings had been brought up. Hue couldn't wait to learn more about this world and this school and magic, but for now she needed her rest. She laid down on her four-poster bed, and closed her eyes, Harry's words echoing in her mind, Welcome to Gryffindor She felt more than welcome, she felt almost at home. She liked the thought of that. Home. > The Day That Malfoy Changed, Immensely > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enchanted Hue was happier than she had been in a long time today. Today, she had been at Hogwarts for over a week. The smile on her face grew wider and wider as she thought about all the things she had learned, chemical reactions of certain plants if you put them in a potion, millions of different types of magical plants, spells and charms, how to defend herself against magical creatures, and more. Plus, she had made more friends. Fred and George Weasley, Ron's older brothers, reminded her much of Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, who often took her on prank runs with them. The Weasley boys were hesitant at first, seeing as she was pretty small, and had hooves, but they found her size helped when setting up some more complicated pranks, like when they had her squeeze into a hole in the wall they couldn't fit in. The look on stupid, Slytherin Pansy's face was priceless, she never expected her book to explode with fireworks when she opened it in the middle of the silent library, most people wouldn't have either. Neville, a boy who was constantly getting stuck in sticky situations, met Hue when he almost blew his face when he added a wrong ingredient to a potion. Hue knew the counter ingredient, so there was no explosion. They started talking and studying Herbology together after that. Ginny Wealsey was a sweet girl that asked Hue for moral support a lot when she was about to talk to Harry. Though Ginny wouldn't tell her why she was so nervous around Harry, Hue figured it out. But there were four people who's relationships hadn't changed with Hue, Harry, Ron Hermione, and Draco. He still hated her and she still hated him. He was a stuck up, rude, rich brat. And Hue hated him for it. He saw her as a low-class animal that shouldn't be allowed in the school. But her hatred for Malfoy couldn't ruin today. She was proud of her accomplishments, and the friendships she'd made, all in just a week! And to top it all off, today the champions for the Triwizard Tournament were to be chosen after classes. She felt bad for Fred and George, who wanted to be in the tournament, but were under the age of seventeen, and therefore, were not allowed to compete. All three of them thought it was rubbish. She skipped towards the wing where the champions would be chosen, but was stopped when someone from behind grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her upwards, as a mother cat would to her kittens. Her tormentor's face came into view and instantly her mood turned sour. "Where do you think you're going? The gamekeeper's house is where the filthy animals belong," Malfoy said, slyly. Hue kicked and kicked, but to no avail. "Let me go," "Or what? You'll have Potter come and save you?" he said, making her cheeks turn a bit pink. He always treated her like she was weak, she hated it. He put his free hand to his forehead and leaned back slightly, imitating a damsel-in-distress. "Save me, Potter! Save me!" he wailed. He dropped her, making her let out a small, "Oof," as the air left her lungs for a moment. Crabbe and Goyle laughed as she lay on the ground. They turned to leave. She stood up slowly, and started pawing the gravel with her hoof. She remembered a trick Apple Jack had taught her once, and set herself up for it. She ran, full speed towards them. Inches before running straight into Goyle, she spun around and lifted her hind legs, and bucked as hard as she could, sending the boy several feet in front of the other two. Draco and Crabbe turned around, after watching Goyle fly forwards, to look at Hue. She looked up at them, snarled, and they ran. She then walked over to Goyle, who was attempting to get back on his feet. He lifted his head, and was nose to muzzle with Hue. "Boo," she whispered, getting into the doggy "play with me" position. He scrambled to his feet and ran for it. Hue stood up straight and headed in after them. When she got inside, she found Harry, Ron, and Hermione sitting together and trotted over to them. Ron tousled her mane, and Harry nodded with a smile. Dumbledore said a few words, then the first name appeared out of the Goblet of Fire. He caught it out of the air and unfolded it. "The Drumstrang champion is, VIKTOR KRUM." There were cheers and applause and pats on the back as the worlds best seeker made his way to the front of the room. Another paper appeared, a frilly, nicely folded, paper fan looking paper. Dumbledore read this name too. "The champion of Beauxbatons is, Fleur Delacour!" There were cheers and applause as she too made her way to the front. The Goblets Fire produced a paper once more. Dumbledore again unfolded the paper. "The Hogwarts Champion, Cedric Diggory!" More cheers and applause as the Hufflepuff boy stood and walked to the front of the room. He reminded Hue of a vampire for whatever reason. "Excellent! We now have our three champions," Dumbledore started, "but in the end, only one will go down in history. Only one will hoist this chalice of champions. This vessel of victory. The Triwizard Cup!" he said pointing to an object covered with a cloth. It was yanked off so all could see the beautiful item. A trophy, a goblet with snaking vines etched into it and the cup made out of a glowing mineral, like enchanted ice. For all she knew it was enchanted glowing ice! The words TRIWIZARD were carved into the cup. She hoped Cedric won, so she could see that beautiful item next year too. There were more cheers and applause at it's magnificence. Professor Snape stepped forward, towards the Goblet, with a confused look on his face. Dumbledore turned to see that the goblet's flames were roaring again. Another name flew out of the cup. Dumbledore snatched it out of the air, and quickly unfolded it. "Harry Potter." he mumbled, almost inaudibly. "Harry Potter?" asked Hagrid, the game keeper and a close friend of Harry's. "No, no," Harry sank down into a seat from where he had been standing. "HARRY POTTER" yelled Dumbledore, surprising everyone in the room. Hermione pulled him out of his seat. They bickered in whispers for a moment, before Hermione pushed him forwards. He slowly made his way to the front of the room, as people started to yell things out. "He's a cheat!" "He's only fourteen!" "...not nearly of age!!" There were many things Hue didn't know about magic, but there was something about this that wasn't right, and not just the fact that harry never put his name in the Goblet. ~~~~~~ I was two days from the first Triwizard Tournament challenge, and Hagrid had showed Harry what they would be fighting the night before. "Dragons?!" Enchanted Hue asked, amazed at the thought of majestic dragons, infuriated that someone would make children fight full grown dragons, and terrified at what would become of Harry. "I have to tell Cedric, he's part of the Hogwarts team, I can't leave him in the dark." Harry said in reply. The further down the hallway they walked, the more people were wearing those stupid buttons. One moment they had Cedric's smiling face, the next they turned green and above a squashed picture of Harry's face it said in big bold letters, "Potter Stinks". "Part of the Hogwarts team indeed," Hue muttered, giving dirty looks to anyone wearing one. They eventually found Cedric in a common ground area on a bench with some of his friends. He jumped up when he saw Harry. "Can we talk?" he asked. "Uh, sure." he said, following Harry a few feet away from his friends. Harry told him about the dragons, and Cedric tried to then convince Harry that he told them not top wear the buttons. Harry acted like he didn't care. He walked away and saw Ron coming. "Stay here, I'll be back in a minute." Harry said, stopping hue. He and Ron had been arguing since Harry was chosen as a champion. Ron thought Harry really had cheated the system, but he hadn't. She trotted up when Ron and Seamus walked away. Harry met her halfway in front of a big tree. They began to walk before a voice stopped them. "Why so tense Potter?" It was snooty and rude, and it seemed to come from above. They both glanced up and sighed. Draco was sitting on a branch in the tree. Draco continued. "My father and I have a bet you see, I don't think you're going to last ten minutes in this tournament." Harry stopped and looked at Malfoy with a glare. Draco hopped down. He walked forward, his groupies following behind. "He disagrees. He thinks you won't last five." he said, smirking when his pets all laughed. "I don't give a damn what your father thinks, Malfoy!" Harry said, walking towards him and giving him a shove. "He's vile, and cruel. And you're all pathetic." He started to walk away. "How dare you!" Draco hissed, pulling out his wand, but he was too slow. Professor Moody came out of nowhere and uttered a spell. With a swirl of light, a ferret stood where Malfoy had moments ago, no, the ferret was Malfoy! He started to scold the ferret and insult it as he levitated it up and down in the air. Professor McGonagall came running up. "Professor Moody, Professor Moody, what are you doing?" she asked, panic in her voice. "Teaching," was all Moody replied as he continued to try to make the ferret sick. McGonagall stared wide-eyed as she realized what was happening. "Is that-is that a student!?" she exclaimed. "Technically," Moody started, "it's a ferret." Hue looked up at Harry and was happy to see one of his rare genuine smiles. A smile that meant, "he wouldn't be this happy again for a while, so make this moment last". Moody turned Malfoy back into a human and there was a bit of a chase around the tree. Then eventually, McGonagall ended the fun by scolding Moody for using transfiguration as a punishment. He then took Harry away to talk to him. So Hue was left on her own. She decided to head to the library. Where else? She was particularly engrossed in a potions book when she started thinking about Malfoy and what he had said earlier. It had particularly irked her today, the way he spoke of Harry. She smiled as she thought of what he looked like being turned back into a human. His usually neat hair had been sticking up at odd angles everywhere. It was kind of cute... Hue sat straight up, face almost as red as Big Mac's fur. Malfoy-Malfoy was a human, not a pony, Hue didn't even think that was legal! Able to speak or not, humans and animals weren't supposed to be in a relationship. And also, he was...DRACO! A stuck up jerk whose only interest was making sure people knew he was a rich pureblood wizard. She tried to think of how she could get revenge on him instead of how adorable he was. Then she remembered something. Her book. The one book of hers that she brought from Equestria. There was a recipe for a potion in it that could turn anything into a pony. It was usually used for pranks, turning your dog or a rock into a pony, but she realized how she could use it. She raced to the Gryffindor dorms. She dug through her belongings until she found it. The cover had worn away from years of use. She found the potion and realized that the ingredients would be easy to get and the potion terribly easy to make, she could have it done in an hour. The only thing she would need to ask for would be Harry's invisibility cloak. ~~~~~~ The potion was finished and she had it in her hooves. She had the cloak, and she was following a group of Slytherins to the Slytherin dorms. There she could complete her plan. The plan that no one knew about but her. She followed them and listened to the password. Pure-Blood. Of course that was the password. Hue silently slipped through the door, just before it closed shut. She watched the girls climb one flight of stairs and decided her best bet of finding Draco would be to go up the opposite one. She eventually found the door to the boys dorm. She searched around a bit before seeing a sign on a door. The gold plaque read "Malfoy" in swirled letters. Of course he has a separate room. Hue thought, annoyed at his spoiled ways. She slowly opened the door to see him sleeping in a four poster bed twice as big as all the others. She crept closer and closer to the bed. When she was right next to it she flipped the cloak off her head, making it look like her head was disembodied and floating. She held out the small bottle full of potion. Draco had made a jab at her a few weeks ago, about he could easily live for more than a month with hooves, but was amazed Hue could do it her whole life because she was stupid. It wasn't very original, but she remembered it and thus, brewed the potion specially so it would last exactly six weeks. Over a month. She took the bottle and carefully poured a drop of it into his open mouth. She decided to leave the bottle in his room, that way if she was suspected, then they would be totally thrown off guard finding the potion in the victim's room. Now all she had to do was sneak back to the Gryffindor dorms and wait for morning. ~~~~~~ Draco awoke early that morning. He felt different, but didn't know why. He tried to get out of bed and walk over to his mirror, but fell flat on his face. He opened his eyes and looked at his feet to see if he had tripped on something, but instead gave a horrified shriek. His feet weren't feet at all, they were hooves. "CRABBE, GOYLE!!" he shrieked again. As soon as he got to the Great Hall, he was going to have a little chat with miss Enchanted Hue. ~~~~~~ Hue was following Harry, Ron, and Hermione, chatting with Hermione about some interesting books she had read, when a snobby, but rather angry sounding voice called her from behind. "ENCHANTED HUE!!!" it bellowed. Hue turned to see a small (and rather attractive) pony being carried by Crabbe and Goyle. The colt's robes were five sizes too big, and his Slytherin tie. He jumped out of their arms and immediately regretted his decision because he, once again, fell flat on his face. "Crabbe, Goyle, what are doin' bringing that thing in here?" Hue asked "I thought the gamekeeper's house was where filthy animals belonged?" The colt struggled to get to his hooves. Hue wasn't far away now, he tackled her to the ground. "I know you did this to me!!" he shouted, muzzles inches apart. Enchanted Hue thought it was her turn to have some fun. "Draco? You look...different. Did you do something new with your hair?" she asked, batting at one of the dangling strands with her hoof. Ron, Hermione, and Harry were all doubled over in laughter. Draco turned red, this was a most undignified form to be in. Hue pushed him off her and got to her feet. "Hey, Hey Draco, why the loooong face?" Hue asked, jokingly. She turned around to see Hermione was crying she was laughing so hard. It would have gone on, had McGonagall not turned the corner at that moment. She gasped, stared for a moment, and finally spoke. "Mister Malfoy?" she asked, obviously very confused. "I-I woke up like this, miss," he said, giving the professor a look of innocence. "It was her!" he said, pointing a hoof at Hue. "She did this to me!" "Both of you, come with me, now." she turned on her heel and started towards her office. Crabbe and Goyle picked up Draco once more and followed her. Hue, worried she might get expelled, followed the lot. "Using a potion on another student," McGonagall said giving a diapproving look to Hue, whose head was lowered and ears were folded back against her head. "You are lucky I don't expel you." she stated very blatantly. Hue glanced over to see Malfoy looking pleased that she was being punished for her actions. That was when she lost it. "I only did it because he called me stupid!" Hue yelled pointing a hoof accusingly at Draco. He started to look nervous. "I-I don't know what she's talking about!" he lied. "He called me a dirty animal and told me he was amazed a stupid creature like me could survive with hooves. He said he could easily last a month so that's what he's going to do, the potion will wear off in six weeks and there's no cure he just has to wait it out and I'm sorry!" Hue took a deep breath after blabbering for so long. To her surprise McGonagall had listened carefully to every word. "Very well, you will both receive detentions and Miss Hue, you can help mister Malfoy with whatever he may need until the effect wears off." She explained. Hue decided it was best to accept her punishment gracefully. "Yes Professor." "Professor, could you repeat that, I could've sworn you said, "you will both receive detentions?" he asked, somehow confused as to why he was in trouble. "You insulted a student Mister Malfoy, it sounds like you have been insulting her for a while now," she said, shooting a questioning look at Enchanted Hue. She nodded quickly. Draco growled and glared at Hue. "You may both go." As they left the room, Draco stumbled and, once again, fell. Hue giggled. "Would you like to learn how to walk with four legs?" she asked, extending a hoof and blushing a bit. He unconsciously folded his ears back. He accepted the hoof but quickly let go of it. "No, I can walk just fi-" he didn't get to finish because he had fallen once more. Hue bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing. "Come on, look, it's easy it's just, front left, back right, front right, back left. See?" she modeled the walk cycle for him. He eyed her, then cautiously got up. His legs wobbled a bit, but he then put his front left forward. He then pulled up his back right and placed it on the ground forward a bit too. He repeated the process with his front right. He was walking without falling, walking very slowly, but nonetheless, walking. He quickly looked at the clock, and took in a quick breath of air. "Oh, no! We're going to be late for Potions! Snape'll have our heads!" he exclaimed. He tried to think of a faster means of transport. Crabbe and Goyle had left, no doubt to get themselves to Potions on time. Then he got an idea. "Carry me please," he demanded. Blushing a bit more than before, Hue looked at him surprised. "Come on, McGonagall said you had to help me whenever I needed it, did she not?" Hue finally gave up. She walked over to Draco and he climbed on her back so that their bodies made an "X". "You're-huff-heavier than I imagined," Hue barley managed to get out. "I'll feel bad for you later, when we're not about to be late to Potions." he assured her. "Now mush!" he yelled. Moving as fast as she could with a fourteen-year-old colt on her back, she started towards the Potions classroom. She started to slow down when she saw the doors. "Come on, come on!" Draco shouted. "We're already fifteen seconds late!" She got to the door and burst through it, seconds before collapsing. Professor Snape looked at the two ponies with a surprised look on his face. Draco jumped up and dusted himself off. "Bloody horse," he muttered under his breath. Snape recognized Draco's voice and his expression changed to one of confusion. Hue continued to lay on the floor, panting and sweating. Draco walked over to where Goyle was sitting and he hoisted him onto the seat next to him. Hue slowly got up and walked over to where Harry sat and took her spot next to him. Snape then spoke. "Mister Malfoy?" he asked, walking over to his spot. "Y-yes sir?" "Would you care to tell me why miss Hue and yourself were both late?" "Uhm, because I can't figure out how to work these blasted hooves?" "Care to tell me how this transformation happened?" "Psh, ask her." he snarled, pointing at Hue. "Well?" Snape asked, lokking up at the mare. "I, created a potion that turned him into a pony," she mumbled, lowering her head. Snape raised his eyebrows. "Rather advanced for your age," he said, making most students turn to stare at her. "Most don't learn transfiguration potions until their seventh year. How did you learn it?" "I-I read it in a book I brought with me," she said nervously. He nodded. "Impressive. Turn to page three-hundred and ninety-four." he returned to the front of the classroom. Hue let out a sigh of relief. She looked up and made eye contact with Ron who gave her two thumbs up. She smiled and shook her head. Day one of horse Draco was going okay. > Is He Really So Bad? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It had been a week since Draco's...transformation. Enchanted Hue had been spending a lot of time with him, but she felt something she didn't want to admit. She was falling for Draco. She was so annoyed with herself for it, but there was no denying it. She thought about telling Hermione, but she didn't want to lose a friend from something so stupid. She had to tell somebody eventually, but today was not the day. Draco had made his displeasure clear when he realized that the Yule Ball was coming up later this week, and he'd not be going, as no one was going to ask a horse to dance. Harry had managed to walk away from the first Triwizard challenge alive, which was reliving. Harry had gotten the golden egg, which apparently held the next clue, but Harry had yet to decode it. Ron had realized Harry hadn't put his name in the goblet, and their friendship had been bonded. Hue had found a hobby, sketching. Whenever she felt stressed or found the perfect picture, she would sketch it. Hue was a bit disappointed when she realized she wouldn't be going to the Yule Ball either, unless Harry asked her. But that would be, weird, to say the least. As Hue walked down the hall, she saw Draco leaning against a tree gazing out upon the Black Lake. His mane was being blown by the soft breeze. She blushed more than a bit at how nice he looked just then. She grabbed her sketchbook before he moved and sketched a quick version, deciding to fill in small details later. Once she finished she approached Draco. He looked over his shoulder when he heard footsteps. "Hey," he said casually. "Hi," Hue replied, still blushing a bit. She had to make some kind of conversation. "So, what do you think the next challenge is gonna be?" "Don't know," he replied, shrugging. "As long as Potter can't handle it, I'll enjoy it," Hue changed the subject completely. "What do you have against Harry?!" she yelled, surprising Draco. "I-I just, he's too, perfect. He's always there to save the day, but what have I done? Nothing. I'm rich, I'm a pureblood, my father works for the Ministry of Magic, but all anyone cares about is Potter, Weasley, and that filthy mud-blood Granger-" "Don't you ever call her that again!" Hue shouted, inches from his face. "I am so tired of you disrespecting everyone! This is why I'm your only friend!" "I don't need friends! I don't need this school, and I don't need you!!" he shouted, getting angrier by the minute. He only realized what he had said when he saw the tears forming in the corners of Hue's eyes. His expression softened. "I-I didn't, I'm," he stuttered, but Hue wasn't listening, she ran for the school. "Hue!" he called after her. He was better with his hooves, but not as good as Hue. She sprinted out of his sight. He ran as fast as he could, which wasn't nearly as fast as Hue, towards the school. He ran down the hallway looking for any sign of her. He spotted Neville and ran towards him. "Longbottom! Have you seen Hue anywhere?" he asked frantically. He nodded. "She ran up to the Astronomy Tower, she seemed really upset," he said, eyeing Draco suspiciously, but Draco didn't notice. He ran to the Astronomy Tower. When he finally reached the top, he heard soft sobs, but couldn't see much in the dusk light. He followed the sound and eventually found Hue, laying on the floor, head in hooves. She heard him approach and looked up. She glared at him. "What do you want, I thought you didn't need me." she spat. Draco cringed at the harshness of her words. He had never seen her like this. He knelt down next to her and nuzzled her neck. He blushed a bit, but he didn't know why. "Hey, listen. I'm really sorry about what I said. I didn't mean it, I was just annoyed that my only friend was also on the 'Potter is Perfect' bandwagon." he said, waiting patiently for her response. "I'm not." "Huh?' "I never said Potter was perfect, no one is, but he's still my friend and it makes me angry when someone says something rude about my friends. If it was someone else talking about you, I would have reacted the same way. And calling Hermione a-" she stopped and shook her head. "It's such a disrespectful and cruel thing to say. Promise me you'll never say it in my presence again?" she asked looking up at him. He smiled and they both blushed. He rested his head on top of hers. He didn't know why he had, it just felt right. "Promise," he whispered. They sat like that for a while before Draco sat straight up. He realized why he had blushed at seeing her and why he had rested his head on hers. He couldn't believe it, she was a horse! Well, he was too, but only temporarily! He was a human! He couldn't feel this way, he just couldn't- "Is everything okay, Draco?" Hue asked. His usually white furry face turned a deep shade of red. "Uhm, y-yeah, I just uh... f-forgot something in uh.. woo, it's getting late, I'd better eat my bed and sleep in the Great Hall! See you tomorrow!" he stuttered nervously before racing out of the room. He had to keep himself from loving her. ~~~~~~ The next few days, Draco avoided Hue as much as possible. He would walk slowly as to nut run into her in the halls and be the last to leave class. One day in potions, Draco was waiting for everyone else to leave when he noticed a small leather book at Hue's place. He picked it up and read the first page. Entry one, Today I arrived at Hogwarts. I met a few humans that go by the names of Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter. They are all very nice, especially Harry. I also met a human called Draco. He is a total jerk- He stopped when he realized this was a journal, she probably wrote things in here she didn't want others to see. He flipped to a page further in the book. That was how she felt about him then, but what about now? Entry 12 Draco has been doing better with controlling his hooves, he's able to walk to his classes himself. Professor moody gave me five gold for the recipe for the potion I used to turn him into a pony. I realized something today, I think I've known in the back of my mind for a while, but I really realized it today. I like Draco, as more than a friend. Since I've realized this I've been creating wild fantasies about him asking me to the Yule Ball, but, the way he acts around me, I don't see that happening. I hope I work up the nerve to tell him someday. Who am I kidding, the ball is in just a few days, he's not doing to ask me. "Enjoying her secrets, Malfoy?" a voice startled him. He looked up to see Ron Weasley. His muzzle turned pink as he quickly snapped the journal shut. "I-I was just going to take it to her," he lied. Ron eyed him for a moment, then said, "She's out watching the lake from the Astronomy Tower." "Uh, thanks." "You'd better actually give it to her," Ron warned. Draco nodded and walked out the door, book in hoof. Draco eventually found her. She had her Gryffindor scarf proudly wrapped around her neck. It flowed in the wind in the same direction as her mane. He thought about what she had written as he approached her. He tapped her shoulder and she turned around. She saw the book in his hoof and her light turquoise face turned red. She snatched it with a distressed look on her face. "You, you didn't- how far did you-read?" she muttered, stumbling over her words. "Oh, uh, n-none," he lied. His face turned red to match hers. She smiled. "What?" he asked. "You're blushing. Did you talk to Pansy recently?" she asked him, teasingly. He turned even more red. He propped his front hooves against the rail like she had hers. He was debating whether to ask her or not. He settled on his answer and went for it. "Hey, so you know that, uh, Yule Ball thing is coming up," he mumbled. Hue nodded her head, her ears folding back and her smile turning to a frown. "Did you-I mean, if no one's asked you-" he took a deep breath. "Do you want to go to the ball with me?" Hue blushed furiously, eyes widening in surprise. "Really?" she asked, astonished. "I- you're not- this isn't some prank?" "What, no! Of course not!" "Omigosh! I don't know, I mean, I don't have a dress, you don't have anything to wear... Oh! Got it! Rarity still owes me that favor, I'll write her and ask her if she's not too busy and see if she can come make something!" she pacing the astronomy tower floor. "Rarity?" Draco asked. "The best seamstress in Ponyville, I did her a favor and she promised she would pay me back. I'm gonna go write her right now!" And with that, she ran to her dorm to write Rarity, leaving behind a very happy Draco. ~~~~~~ When Hue walked to breakfast the next morning, there was an extra bounce with each step, and she was even more cheerful than normal. Harry noticed. "Someone's happy about something," he said as Hue hopped up onto the bench. "Yeah, well," Hue started to explain, "someone did something very kind, and a friend of mine is visiting to do something very kind." "What was this very kind thing that someone did?" Ron asked with a mouthful of bacon. Hue blushed. "Uhm, I can't exactly tell you," "Well why on earth not?" Hermione asked, looking up from her book. "Because, I just can't," Hue mumbled looking down at her hooves and blushing more. Harry nodded. "We understand," "Hurry up then," Hermione scolded. "We're going to be late to potions! Snape'll have our heads if we're not there on time." > The Guest > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was the day of the next Tri-Wizard challenge. Harry had discovered that if he opened the golden egg underwater, he could hear a song of which the clue to the next challenge was hidden in. He would have to do something in the Black Lake, but he had to hold his breath for over an hour. Even Hermione was at a loss. But luckily Neville, who was very good with Herbology, had known a special plant called Gillyweed that would help him. Hue wasn't exactly sure what the plant did, but she trusted Neville, to some extent. It was rather boring until the end, when the champions started to bring people of value up with them. Hue was sitting with Draco, as Harry was in the challenge and Ron and Hermione were nowhere to be found. When Hermione was brought up by Krum, a worry spread over Enchanted Hue, what if Ron was down there, and that was why she couldn't find either of them earlier? She rubbed her arms as goosebumps spread across her, though she wasn't cold in the slightest. She got even more nervous when Cedric Diggory, the other Hogwarts champion emerged with the Ravenclaw girl, Cho. After what felt like an eternity of waiting, Ron and one of the Beauxbatons students emerged from the inky black water. But, where was Harry, or the other Champion. She looked at the clock, time was almost up! Come on Harry!! She thought, Come on!! Draco must have noticed her distress, because he put a hoof on her shoulder and said, "Hey, it'll be fine. If there's one thing I know, it's that Potter has a talent for narrowly escaping death," Hue wiped her watering eye. "You think?" "I know, it drives me nuts!" He teased, nudging her. Hue smiled, something she never thought Draco Malfoy could make her do. No sooner had she looked back out at the water when she saw a figure burst onto the dock from it. She leaned over to see who it was. She let out a sigh, Harry was safe. Harry was safe. Harry was on the dock and alive! She jumped up and ran down the stairs of the levels of benches and viewing points. She finally reached the bottom level where she saw Harry, huddled in multiple towels, and shivering. Hue barley was able to form words with her mouth. "Harry! Harry, you're okay!" she yelled, throwing her arms around his neck. "Y-cough-yeah, I-I'm okay," he choked. His breathing was uneven and ragged. Hue backed off as to not choke him. She turned around and realized Draco was standing there, with a look on his face Hue didn't recognize, pained perhaps? Hue managed to hear that Harry took second place, but she heard almost nothing else, because all she could think was, He's alive, he's okay, he survived. ~~~~~~ Three days after Harry's near-death and two days before the Yule Ball, Enchanted Hue found herself headed up to Dumbledore's office. He hadn't told her why, but Hue wasn't about to disobey the Headmaster. When she arrived in his office, someone was standing there that she knew rather well, or should she say, somepony. "Hello, darling," Rarity greeted Hue, her ears perking up a bit. "Rarity!" Hue ran towards her and embraced her. "How've you been, Hue dear?" "Wonderful, I've been learning magic, my time here has been the best time of my life!" "Fabulous, dear," "Sorry to break up a moment," Dumbledore finally spoke. "Oh, sorry Headmaster, you wanted to see me?" "Yes, I did, you of course realize your friend is here, she will stay in your dormitory during the time she spends here. She must follow the rules of any other student, and is welcome to the food during meals. That is all," "Thank you Headmaster, thank you," Hue said before turning and leading Rarity out of the office, but not before lifting Rarity's trunk using her wand. Rarity stared for a moment, dumbstruck at what she had just seen, then followed Hue to the Gryffindor dorms. ~~~~~~ "I'm so excited that you're here, Rarity!" Hue exclaimed, setting Rarity's many bags next to her own bed. "I suppose, you can have my bed and I'll sleep on the couch in the common room. Yes, that will work fine," "So generous," Rarity responded, thanks clear in her voice. "So, what ideas have you got for my dress so far?" Hue asked, rather excited. "Oh, darling, I've started on my favorite idea, but if you don't like it, I can make something else..." she stated, pulling the partially done dress out of one of her suitcases. Hue gasped, taking in the beautiful gown. The neck was laced with a lightning bolt, the torso was white, and the skirt held a rainbow of shades of a turquoise-emerald mix, the shades getting darker the closer to the side they got. "Rarity this is fantastic! I love it!" "Well then, I'll finish it!" she squealed. "Though, your letter did say something about a suit for your stallion?" Hue blushed a bit, thinking of the way Rarity had described Draco as, "her stallion". "Do you think you could grab him for a few measurements?" "O-of course, thanks again Rarity!" she called as she ran out of the dorm to get Draco. No sooner had she stepped out of the doorway when she ran into someone. "Look at what we have here," said a familiar smug voice. "Glad you happened to be standing there, Rarity needs some measurements," Hue said, massaging her head. "Um, who?" "That's right, you haven't met her yet. Follow me." She said turning and heading back through the door, with a disapproving look from the fat lady in the painting-door. "That was quick," Rarity said, getting up from the spot she had been sitting. "Rarity, Draco, Draco, Rarity," Hue said, quickly introducing them to each other. "Pleasure," Draco said, cautiously putting out a hoof to shake. "The pleasure's all mine," Rarity replied, returning the gesture. "Hue, do be a dear and grab my measuring tape? And the pattern?" "Of course," Hue said, racing over and grabbing the items. On her return Rarity took the tape with her magic, unrolled it, and held it up next to Draco. This continued until after dark. "Goodness, it's late!" Rarity exclaimed, glancing out the Gryffindor Tower window. She proceeded to take the suit she had been custom tailoring for Draco off and stuffed it away in one of her cases. "I-I'd better get back to my dorm," Draco stuttered. "I'll go with you," Hue offered. She blushed a bit realizing what she had just offered to do, she had just offered to walk through the empty corridors, late at night, alone, with Draco. Well...maybe he would decline? "Alright then, nice to meet you, miss," Bloody hell. ~~~~~~ The entire walk was rather awkward, there wasn't much conversation, and it seemed to go on for an eternity. Finally, they reached the door to the Slytherin dorm. "Well, I suppose I'll see you tomorrow Draco," "I-I suppose," Draco stuttered in reply. Hue turned to leave when Draco had spun her around. Disoriented and on her hind legs, Hue grabbed whatever was in reach, which happened to be Draco's shoulders. Draco grabbed what happened to be her waist to keep her from falling. Once the dizziness had stopped, Hue opened her eyes, and saw Draco's muzzle inches from hers, and bright pink. Hue felt her own face heat up. She wasn't sure, but it seemed like his face was slowly getting closer. She felt her heart start to race. Closer he got. Closer still... "Draco!" a high pitched and scratchy voice yelled. At hearing this voice, Draco immediately let go of Hue, causing her to tumble backwards and collide with the cold dungeon floor. "Uh, hi Pans-" The voice cut off Draco. "Where on earth have you been?! It is so late!" Hue was becoming more annoyed with the source of the voice by the minute. Hue looked over and suddenly understood why. Standing in the doorway to the Slytherin common-room, was Pansy Parkison. Annoying even as Slytherins went. She quickly got to her hooves. Draco walked towards Pansy, glancing back only once with a look of what almost looked like loathing. And before she could bid him goodnight, he had disappeared through the doorway. Pansy then proceeded to slam the door in her muzzle. She realized something as she turned to head to Gryffindor Tower. She hated loving Draco, but at the same time, she loved it.