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| SNUFFLES |
song: you're somebody else by flora cash
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ARA WAS PLEASED TO GET OUT OF THE CASTLE after lunch. Yesterday's rain had cleared; the sky was clear, pale grey just like her eyes, and the grass was springy and damp underfoot as they left for their first-ever Care of Magical Creatures class.
Ron and Hermione weren't talking to each other. Ara and Harry walked beside them whispering to each other as they went down sloping lawns to Hagrid's hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Then they spotted three only-too-familiar backs ahead of them that they realised they must have these lessons with the Slytherins. Malfoy was talking animatedly to Crabbe and Goyle, who were chortling.
Ara had once tried to be nice to Draco Malfoy before they even started Hogwarts when they met for the first time in Diagon Alley. However, he quickly showed her that he was not someone worthy of her time, seeing as he had stared at her as if she was some dirt on his shoe and called her a 'Muggle-Loving-Bloodtraitor'. From that day on, Ara despised his guts, and despised their shared blood, Ara saw him as nothing more than a classmate with ego and prejudice issues.
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 moment Ara thought that Hagrid was going to lead them to the Forbidden Forest. She didn't have the nicest memories there, the last time she was there it was nighttime. 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. Other people took theirs out too; some, like Harry, had belted their books shut. But Ara had opened the book without any problem, having stroked the spine moments earlier.
"Hasn'—hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" said Hagrid looking crestfallen, but then Ara lifted her hand up, informing Hagrid that she had been successful, and he gave her a proud smile. "Well done, Ara."
The rest of the class shook their heads.
"Yeh've got ter stroke 'em," said Hagrid, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. "Look—"
He took Hermione's copy and ripped off the Spellotape that bound it. The book tried to bite, but Hagrid ran a giant forefinger down its spine, and the book shivered and then fell open and lay quiet in his hand.
"Oh, how silly we've all been!" Malfoy sneered. "We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess!"
"I—I thought they were funny," Hagrid said uncertainly to Hermione.
"Oh, tremendously funny!" said Malfoy. "Really witty, giving us books that try to rip our hands off!"
Ara's anger was building up, she wanted Hagrid's lesson to be a success, and Malfoy was being anything but helpful. She was about to say something but Harry beat her to it.
"Shut up, Malfoy," he said quietly.
Hagrid was looking downcast.
"Righ' then," said Hagrid, who seemed to have lost his thread, "so—so yeh've got yer books an'—an'—nwo 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 will have a fit when I tell him—"
"Oooh, your father? Merlin's beard, how terrifying," said Ara sarcastically.
"Careful, Black, there's a dementor behind you—"
"Oooooooh!" squealed Lavender Brown, pointing toward the opposite side of the paddock.
Trotting toward them were a dozen of the most bizarre creatures. They had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and heads of what seemed to be giant eagles, with cruel, steel-coloured beaks and large, brilliantly orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly-looking. Each of the beasts had a thick leather collar around its neck, which was attached to a long chain, and the ends of all of these were held in the vast hands of Hagrid, who came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures.
"Gee up, there!" he roared, shaking the chains and urging the creatures toward the fence where the class stood. Everyone drew back slightly as Hagrid reached them and tethered the creatures to the fence.
"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid roared happily, waving a hand at them. "Beau'iful, aren' they?"
Ara watched the creatures in awe, they were truly beautiful.
"So," said Hagrid, rubbing his hands together and beaming around, "if yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer—"
No one seemed to want to go. Ara, Harry, Ron and Hermione, however, approached the fence cautiously.
"Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' hippogriffs is, they're proud," said Hagrid. "Easily offended hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do."
Malfoy, Cabbe, and Goyle weren't listening; they were talking in an undertone.
"Yeh always wait fer the hippogriff ter make the firs' move," Hagrid continued. "It's polite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh, bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn' bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt. Right— who wants ter go first?"
Most of the class backed farther away in answer. Even Harry, Ron and Hermione had misgivings, but Ara was still in a state of awe by the creatures, so she stayed put. The hippogriffs were tossing their fence heads and flexing their powerful wings.
"No one?" said Hagrid, with a pleading look.
Ara then turned to Harry, and a smirk began to make its way to her face.
"We'll do it," said Ara, as she grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him with her.
Harry shook his head at her but she gave him a pleading look. He sighed and reluctantly followed her, mentally cursing her for convincing him.
There was an intake of breath from behind them, and both Lavender and Parvati whispered, "Oooh, no, Ara, Harry, remember your tea leaves!"
Ara and Harry both ignored them as they climbed over the paddock fence.
"Good, you two!" roared Hagrid. "Right then—let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak."
He united one of the chains, pulled the grey hippogriff away from its fellows, and slipped off its leather collar. The class on the other side of the paddock seemed to be holding its breath. Malfoy's eyes were narrowed maliciously.
"Easy, now, Harry, Ara," said Hagrid quietly. "Yeh've got eye contact, now try not ter blink. . . hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much. . ."
Ara's eyes began to water from being opened for so long, but she refused to break eye contact with the creature, not wanting to disrespect it as its orange eyes stared into her grey ones.
"Thas' it," said Hagrid. "Tha's it, you two. . .now, bow. . ."
Both Ara and Harry bowed, they had to tilt their heads to be able to maintain eye contact. The hippogriff was still staring haughtily at them. It didn't move.
"Ah," said Hagrid, sounding worried. "Right—back away, now, you two; easy does it—"
But then, the hippogriff suddenly bent its scaly front knees and sank into what was an unmistakable bow.
"Well done, yeh two!" said Hagrid, ecstatic. "Right—yeh can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!"
Ara wasted no time in approaching the creature but when she looked back at Harry, she could see that he seemed hesitant, thus she grabbed his wrist and made him come with her.
"The things I do for you," Harry grumbled under his breath.
They moved slowly toward the hippogriff and reached out toward it. they patted the beak several times and the hippogriff closed its eyes lazily, as though enjoying it. Ara and Harry smiled at each other.
"See? You're still alive," Ara said, still stroking the hippogriff, and Harry rolled his eyes, but still, there was a small smile present on his face.
The class broke into applause, all except for Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were looking deeply disappointed.
"Righ' then, you two," said Hagrid. "I reckon he might' let yeh ride him!"
Now this wasn't something Ara signed up for, she thought the only thing they would do was pet him, yes, she was one of the best fliers in the school, but a broomstick did what its owner told it to do, it was tamable, but a living animal had a mind of its own. Could it be dangerous? Yes. Would Ara still go through with it? Absolutely.
"Yeh climb up there, jus' behind the wing joint," said Hagrid, "an' mind yeh don' pull any of his feathers out, he won' like that. . ."
Ara and Harry looked at each other, and she finally shrugged, "Guess I'll be experiment one then,"
She went to go first, but Harry stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, "I'll go."
"You look like you're about to throw up your breakfast," Ara raised an eyebrow.
"I'll go first," Harry insisted. "Just in case. . ."
And before Ara could object, Harry put his foot on the top of Buckbeak's wing and hoisted himself onto its back carefully. When he thought that it was safe enough, he offered a hand to Ara to help her get on behind him, she immediately took it and hoisted herself up behind him, missing the slight look of flusteredness on Harry's face.
"Go on, then!" roared Hagrid, slapping the hippogriff's hindquarters.
Without warning, twelve-foot wings flapped open on either side of them; Ara just had time to wrap her arms around Harry's waist. Buckbeak started flying around the paddock, at a speed that Ara hadn't quite experienced on a broom. She laughed in joy as she took in the beautiful view before them when they rose into the sky. When she turned her head to see Harry's reaction she saw that he had his eyes closed.
"Hey, Wonder Boy, open your eyes!" said Ara, shaking his shoulder a little as she grinned.
Harry hesitantly opened his eyes, and his eyes widened at the view, it was one of the most beautiful ones he'd ever seen. They were overflying the forest, miles of trees overtaking the scenery, they were high enough that they could catch a glimpse of the water of the lake that glinted as the sun reflected on it, the wind threw back their hair, making sure nothing obstructed their view. A smile crept its way to Harry's face as Ara rested the top of her chin on his shoulder, he turned to look at her smiling face.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Ara said, looking at the breathtaking scenery.
"Yeah, yeah it is," Harry smiled at the look on her face before looking at the view once more.
After a couple of more moments, Buckbeak finally decided to land.
"Good work, yer two!" roared Hagrid as everyone except Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle cheered. "Okay, who else wants a go?"
Emboldened by Ara and Harry's success, the rest of the class climbed cautiously into the paddock. Hagrid untied the hippogriffs one by one, and soon people were bowing nervously, all over the paddock. Neville ran repeatedly backwards from his, which didn't seem to want to bend its knees. Ron and Hermione practised on the chestnut, while Ara and Harry watched.
Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had taken over Buckbeak. He had bowed to Malfoy, who was now patting his beak, looking disdainful.
Ara turned to look at Malfoy and a thought made its way to her head.
"Oi, Potter," she whispered, gaining Harry's attention. "I bet you a galleon that little Malfoy will mess something up."
"You're on, Black," Harry whispered back with the smallest smirk.
"This is very easy," Malfoy drawled, loud enough for Ara and Harry to hear him. "I knew it must have been if useless Black could do it. . . I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you?" he said to the hippogriff. "Are you, you great ugly brute?"
It happened in a flash of steely talons; Malfoy let out a high-pitched scream and the next moment, Hagrid was wrestling Buckbeak back into his collar as he strained to get at Malfoy, who lay curled in the grass, blood blossoming over his robes. Ara just watched the scene unfold, beyond amused, it was well-deserved in her opinion.
"I'm dying!" Malfoy yelled as everyone except Ara panicked. "I'm dying, look at me! It's killed me!"
"Yer not dyin'!" said Hagrid, who had gone very white. "Someone help me—gotta get him outta here—"
As Hermione ran to hold open the gate for Hagrid, Ara turned to Harry.
"Cough up, Potter," she said as she extended her hand to get her money, Harry rolled his eyes and gave her the galleon.
Very shaken, the Care of Magical Creatures class followed at a walk. The Slytherins were all shouting about Hagrid.
"They should fire him straight away!" said Pansy Parkinson, who was in tears. Ara just rolled her eyes at her dramatics.
"It was Malfoy's fault!" snapped Dean Thomas. Crabbe and Goyle flexed their muscles threateningly.
They all climbed the stone steps into the deserted entrance hall.
"I'm going to see if he's okay!" said Pansy, and they all watched her run up the marble staircase. The Slytherins, still muttering about Hagrid, headed away in the direction of their dungeon common room; Ara, Harry, Ron, and Hermione proceeded upstairs to Gryffindor Tower.
"D'you think he'll be alright?" said Hermione nervously.
"Course he will. Madam Pomfrey can mend cuts in about a second," said Harry, who had had far worse injuries mended magically along with Ara.
"I wish I had had one of those. . . ." Ara trailed off, thinking hard. Harry noticed that when she was concentrating, her eyebrows would furrow a bit and she scrunched her nose slightly. "Oh! yes, the—the felly-tone thing."
"What thing?" Harry said, confused.
"Oh, you know! you live with muggles," she said, but when Harry said nothing she continued. "Those things that can take pictures and videos."
And Harry finally realised that she was talking about telephones and he shook his head with a small laugh. He always found it amusing that Ara was highly intelligent but knew nothing about Muggles. However, he did enjoy the fact that he knew some things she didn't.
"It's a telephone, not felly-tone, Nyx," Harry corrected her, smiling lightly. "And those don't take photos or videos, only cameras."
"Oh,"
Harry just smiled at her.
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THEY WERE AMONG THE FIRST TO REACH the Great Hall at dinner time, hoping to see Hagrid, but he wasn't there.
"They wouldn't fire him, would they?" said Hermione anxiously, not touching her steak-and-kidney pudding.
"They'd better not," said Ron, who wasn't eating either.
"I'll punch Malfoy in that ugly face of his if something happens to Hagrid because of him," said Ara while eating her pudding.
"Well, you can't say it wasn't an interesting first day back," said Ron gloomily.
They went up to the crowded Gryffindor common room after dinner and tried to do the homework Professor McGonagall had given them, but all four of them kept breaking off and glancing out of the tower window.
"There's a light on in Hagrid's window," Harry said suddenly. Ron looked at his watch.
"If we hurried, we could go down and see him. It's still quite early. . ."
"I don't know," Hermione said slowly, and Harry and Ara saw her glance at them.
"We're allowed to walk across the grounds," said Harry pointedly and Ara nodded in agreement. "Sirius Black hasn't got past the dementors here, has he?"
So they put their things away and headed out of the portrait hole, glad not to meet anybody on their way to the front doors, as they weren't entirely sure they were supposed to be out.
As they walked towards Hagrid's cabin, Ara was glancing around when she caught sight of a big black dog. The first thing that came to her mind was the Grim, but this creature didn't appear malicious, in fact, it seemed quite anxious when it noticed that she had noticed its presence. Perhaps it was just an innocent stray. Its tense figure seemed to relax when she gave a tentative smile.
"You go ahead," Ara spontaneously told her friends, making them all pause their walking, none of the three had seen the dog. "I'll be there in a minute."
"Are you sure you want to be here alone?" said Harry unsurely.
"I'll be fine, Harry," she assured,
"If you feel death coming, just yell," Ron pointed sternly at her.
"As if death would want me," Ara teased and the three hesitated for a moment before they continued their walk towards Hagrid's, leaving Ara alone with the dog they'd failed to notice.
She approached it cautiously, trying not to scare it away as she extended her hand for the dog to smell. When he finished sniffing it, it launched itself at her and started liking her face happily.
"Ok, OK! Ugh, that's disgusting," Ara half-groaned and half-laughed as she pushed the dog off of her. "What are you doing here all alone?"
The dog simply rested his head on her knees and waved its tail happily. It was quite skinny, feeding into Ara's suspicions about him being a stray.
"Do you have a name?" she asked as if the dog could talk. "Oh, right you can't answer. . .well . . .what do you say I call you. . . .Snuffles?"
The dog barked happily and placed his nose on her forehead, it was as if it was trying to give her a forehead kiss. Ara scrunched her nose slightly, this sure was an unusual dog, she raised her hand and gave him a small pet on his head.
"Well, you're a strange dog, aren't you?" she said. It was silent for a moment before she spoke up again. "Do you have a family? You look like a stray. . ."
The dog made a strange noise, which almost sounded offended. She laughed, "Sorry but it's true. . .you haven't sniffed anything suspicious lately?"
Her questions went obviously unanswered as the dog tilted his head in confusion.
"Sirius Black I mean," she clarified as if it would suddenly make him understand, "he's a bad man, very dangerous—"
A bark interrupted her.
"Don't defend him—that's nearly impossible," Ara huffed. She was certain she looked ridiculous, talking to a dog as if he could answer back. But she found herself wanting to talk about her issues with her biological father, and since her friends would probably become worried if she spilt everything that filled her mind, she decided that a random dog was the next best option. "You know. . .I've never really hated someone as much as him, not even stupid Malfoy."
The dog made a loud whine, looking upset by her words.
"I have every reason to!" Ara defended, "I can't be normal like everyone else, and it's all his fault. Even if he was never in my life he made sure I had it as difficult as possible. . .most of the time I wish I wasn't his daughter. . ."
Snuffles had gone fairly quiet and still, Ara turned and saw that his ears had lowered and his eyes contained unshed tears—if dogs could even cry.
"Well, it was nice meeting you, Snuffles," Ara said gently, her heart giving a painful tug at the sight of the apparently sad animal, her eyebrows drawn together as she gave him a final pat on his fluffy head. "But I got to go, my friends are going to come and look for me soon."
She stood up and walked away without a second glance back, unaware that she had just broken the heart of one of the people who loved her the most.
When she was out of sight, Sirius Black transformed into his human form, a small painful smile on his face, as his heart felt heavy in his chest with regret and guilt. One small mistake had made him lose everything, but now he was even more determined to get part of his happiness back.
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WHEN ARA FINALLY MADE IT TO THE hut she didn't bother to knock, she just barged inside.
"What have I missed?" she said with a smile, as she looked around them all.
"I havn' been sacked, Madam Pomfrey fixed Malfoy best she could," said Hagrid dully, "but he's sayin' it's still agony. . . covered in bandages. . . moanin'. . ."
"He's faking it," said Harry at once. "Madam Pomfrey can mend anything. She regrew half my bones and fixed Ara's broken arm last year. Trust Malfoy to milk it for all it's worth."
"School gov'nors have bin told o'course.'' said Hagrid miserably. "They reckon I started too big. Shoulda left hippogriffs fer later. . . done flobberworms or summat. . . Jus' thought it'd make a good firs' lesson. . . 'S all my fault. . ."
"It's not your fault," stated Ara firmly.
"It's all Malfoy's fault, Hagrid!" said Hermione earnestly.
"We're witnesses," said Harry. "You said hippogriffs attack if you insult them. It's Malfoy's problem that he wasn't listening. We'll tell Dumbledore what really happened."
"Yeah, don't worry, Hagrid, we'll back you up," said Ron.
Tears leaked out of the crinkled corners of Hagrid's beetle-black eyes. He grabbed both Harry and Ron and pulled them into a bone-breaking hug.
"I think you've had enough to drink, Hagrid," said Hermione firmly. She took the tankard from the table and went outside to empty it.
"Yeah, and you might want to let go of those two before you break them," said Ara, chuckling a bit.
"Argh, maybe they're right," said Hagrid, letting go of Harry and Ron, who both staggered away, rubbing their ribs. Hagrid heaved himself out of his chair and followed Hermione unsteadily outside.
They heard a loud splash.
"What's he done?" said Harry nervously as Hermione came back with the empty tankard.
"Maybe he went for a night swim," suggested Ara. Harry gave her a look.
"Stuck his head in the water barrel," said Hermione, putting the tankard away.
Hagrid came back, his long hair and beard sopping wet, wiping the water out of his eyes.
"That's better," he said, shaking his head like a dog and drenching them all. "Listen, it was good of yeh ter come an' see me, I really—"
Hagrid stopped dead, staring at Harry and Ara as though he'd only just realised they were there.
"WHAT D'YEH THINK YOU'RE DOIN', EH?" he roared, so suddenly that they jumped a foot in the air. "YEH'RE NOT TO GO WANDERIN' AROUND AFTER DARK, ARA, HARRY! AN' YOU TWO! LETTIN' THEM!"
Hagrid strode over to Ara and Harry, grabbed their arms, and pulled them to the door.
"C'mon!" Hagrid said angrily. "I'm takin' yer all back ter school, an' don' let me catch yeh walkin' down ter see me after dark again. I'm not worth that!"
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HIIII
poor Sirius :( his and Ara's relationship will thankfully improve tho!!
qotd: favourite clothing piece? I LOVE rompers, they're just so easy to style!
Remember to COMMENT and VOTE!
ILY! See you soon!! <3