I am not the heir of Slytherin, I am Slytherin.

Chapter 16

"Me, Hermione, Neville and Luna from Ravenclaw."

"So she knows and I don't?" Ron exploded.

"We'll tell you. We are just not sure how to. But you will know before you go to sleep. That's a promise." And with that, Harry and Hermione left for Arithmancy while Neville and Ron for Divination. 

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

It was lunch time and Harry was a bit nervous about telling Ron. Fred and George were not going to stop till they found out either. Harry could barely eat lunch. The others were either discussing their classes or staring at Harry because of the Non-corporeal Patronus. He was very grateful for not having cast a corporeal one. Harry found that he had three corporeal forms. If he blocked out the Salazar side of him, it would be a stag. If he blocked the Harry side of him, it was a Basilisk. If he let both the sides of him merge, it was a chameleon. It would come in handy to hide his identity if ever needed. He was now experimenting with other factors too.

Harry was pleased to get out of the castle after lunch. Yesterday's rain had cleared; the sky was a clear, pale gray, and the grass was springy and damp underfoot as they set off for their first-ever Care of Magical Creatures class.

Harry walked beside his three friends in silence as they went down the sloping lawns to Hagrid's hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It was only when he spotted three only-too familiar backs ahead of them that he realized they must be having these lessons with the Slytherins. 

Hagrid was waiting for his class at the door of his hut. He stood in his moleskin overcoat, with Fang the boarhound at his heels, looking impatient to start.

"C'mon, now, get a move on!" he called as the class approached. "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!" 

For one nasty moment, Harry thought that Hagrid was going to lead them into the forest. Harry had had enough unpleasant experiences in there to last him a lifetime, well, two lifetimes. However, Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees, and five minutes later, they found themselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing in there. 

"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" he called. "That's it — make sure yeh can see — now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books —"

"How?" said the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy. 

"Eh?" said Hagrid.

"How do we open our books?" Malfoy repeated. He took out his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which he had bound shut with a length of rope. A few others had also had it bound shut. Those who didn't gave them funny looks.

"Stroke the spine Malfoy. Easy enough. See," Harry said, taking his book from his bag. The book tried to bite, but Harry ran a forefinger down its spine, and the book shivered, and then fell open and lay quiet in his hand.

Malfoy shot Harry a glare before stroking the spine of his own book, which fell open. He grumbled and Hagrid turned to teach again.

"Righ' then," said Hagrid, "so yeh've got yer books an' now yeh need the Magical Creatures. Yeah. So I'll go an' get 'em. Hang on . . ."

He strode away from them into the forest and out of sight.

"God, this place is going to the dogs," said Malfoy loudly. "That oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him —" 

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry snapped. 

Before Malfoy could retort, he was interrupted.

 "Oooooooh!" squealed Lavender Brown, pointing toward the opposite side of the paddock.