Harry Potter and the New Marauders (A Harry Potter Fanfiction)

The Best Laid Plans...

XV

The Best Laid Plans...

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"Harry, what yeh don' un'erstand is the canine nature," Hagrid was saying, as they sat at Hagrid's kitchen table - drinking. Whatever Hagrid was serving, Harry didn't know; all he cared about was that it was strong.

He'd left Teddy and the boys in the Hospital wing with Madame Pomfrey, as they'd insisted on doing their homework with Freddie so that he didn't fall behind. Teddy was totally convinced that his idea to cure Freddie's terminal illness would work, but what was bothering Harry was the fact that none of the Weasley clan seemed to be trying to discourage it.

Not even Percy.

"Madness!" Harry spluttered. "Complete, total madness! Teddy thinking we'll let him bite Freddie and convert him! The lot of ‘em'll wind up in Azkaban!" He slurred the word; it came out sounding like "Azz-ker-bun". Hagrid poured him another.

"Perfesser Malfoy may yet find a cure," Hagrid placated him, "Don' give up yet. Much as I hate ter say it, he's good at wha' he does."

"I wish Snape wuz here," Harry sighed. "Or Sirius." (It came out sounding like ‘Shnape' and ‘Shiriush'). Harry thought for a moment. "No, wait! Not Sirius - he'd go right along with Teddy! Merlin!" Harry swore, "I'm missing Snape! Hell must have just froze over!"

"The only way yeh'll stop Teddy is ter lock him up somewheres," Hagrid advised, "Like I told yeh, the wolf-side o' Teddy's nature's got them other boys locked in like they're his own pack now. He'll do anythin' ter protect ‘em,includin' givin' up his own life. Tha's just how wolves are. I ain't sure who the Alpha male is, but prob'ly Argos. An' it seems Teddy's the Beta. Where's Argos hidin', anyways?"

"Hosp-PUH-pital," Harry burped. "Pardon me! He won't leave the boys. He's such a good dog. Showed up when Teddy was toddling, after the War, you know. Andromeda just had a fit." Harry took off his glasses and wiped them on his sleeve. "Can you believe she didn't have anything to say about this?" Harry nearly knocked his drink over. "After all we went through with Teddy when he was a puppy? I mean, a baby!" He paused again, staring off into space for a moment. "You seen that Giterash-thing again?"

"'Gy-trash'," Hagrid laughed, "An' I think someone's had enough fer tonight! But no, I ain't. An' tha's why Argos won't leave them boys. An' Fluffy, he's jus' wantin' ter get even with tha' thing. Ain't you, Fluffy? Who's my good puppy?" Hagrid crooned.

Harry blinked at the sight of the monstrous three-headed dog lounging on Hagrid's bed. If it weren't for the fact that Fluffy had terrified him so badly during his own First Year, he might have felt differently about the beast.

"I can't believe Teddy runs around with him," Harry yawned, jerking a thumb at Fluffy. "Bad influence. I bet it was hisidea..."

"Now yer just bein' silly, Harry," Hagrid replied, as Harry put his head down and began to snore.

"Well, tha's that problem solved fer tonight, anyhow," Hagrid congratulated himself. "Although they sure were easier ter deal wit' when they wuz kids!"

Fluffy just seemed to smile and panted.

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As anxious as Teddy was to discuss his plans with Freddie, the presence of the Weasley Clan - as well as Madame Pomfrey's and Malfoy's care giving - didn't afford him the chance. He'd been admitted to Hospital that next day, willingly, to give Malfoy his thirty days.

And he was beginning to regret it already. The dark looks from Malfoy (which just dripped of "detention") and the other occasional visiting teacher weren't all of it, though. If Freddie wasn't being poked or prodded, then Teddy was being poked and prodded into providing samples for more tests. Finally, after Malfoy had hooked him up to what looked like a very old Muggle-style kidney dialysis machine to drain his blood, Teddy yawned and began to feel sleepy.