Brooms, Dogs and other odd Things
When the Slytherins woke up that next Monday, It was to a notice on the board. Flying lessons would be taking place that Thursday afternoon. It would be all houses, this year. Harry watched as Rose seemed to growl at the note before leaving the common Room with Draco. The animagi had a phobia of heights, he remembered.
As they headed to Herboligy that Thursday after lunch Rose staired out towards the forest frowning before turning to the group and asking," Do either of you know much about the Forbidden Forest?"
"I asked Uncle John about it once, He said a family of Acromantula and a herd of Thestrals live there," Harry replied wondering why she asked. Draco hummed," My father said that there are werewolves."
"There was one, once," Rose hummed in reply before turning to Nevile and Duddley. Nevile shrugged," Da only mentioned that it wasn't forbidden before Dumbledor was headmaster and my Mum said that it's part of a Reserve for magical creatures."
Duddley shook his head," Don't know much about it. I once heard Posine Ivy talking about it, back in Gotham but I didn't pay much attention to it."
"How is Kay doing by the way?" Harry asked and the conversation drifted to what the villagiant had been doing outside of her mask.
No one could find Rose after potions class, but Harry was sure she was in the library or hiding in one of those passageways only she could find* so he didn't bother with it as he followed his classmates out to the courtyard where they would be taught flying. It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the forbidden forest, whose trees were swaying
darkly in the distance. They stood next to a broom each as they waited for the rest of the students to show up.
Once they did their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, grey hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk.
“Well, what are you all waiting for?” she barked. “Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up.”
Harry glanced down at his broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles.
“Stick out your right hand over your broom,” called Madam Hooch at the front, “and say ‘Up!’”
“UP” everyone shouted.
Harry’s broom jumped into his hand at once, but it was one of the few that did. Hermione Granger had simply rolled over on the ground, and Hannah Abbot's just stayed still. Nevile's, Harry noticed, twitched once before bonking Ronald Weasley in the nose and zooming off. Madam Hooch stared after it a little bewildered before she said," Right, Longbottom there is a spare broom in the spile closet just inside the door. Password is Broomstick."
As Nevile jogged off to get his broom, the lesson continued.
“Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard,” said Madam Hooch. “Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle— three — two —One”
Harry kicked off the ground and he felt lighter than he had ever before on the ground.
After she was sure that everyone could ride at least three feet up she let the more experienced riders fly off in a mock race.
Goldstine, from Ravenclaw, suggested a seekers game twenty minutes in when he held up Nevilles Seeker-scope. Harry looked to Draco, then to Bku Mancair, who looked to Blazie who looked to Duddley before the four boys agreed they would join. Anne-Perks from Hufflepuff raised her hand too and said," Can't leave us badgers out of this game."
"We would be foolish to even think it," Mancair replied. Goldstine gave the Seeker scope to Hermoine, who Harry remembered had done a summer session of baseball with Duddley that summer.
Hermoine threw the sphere hard and fast, and the five seekers zoomed off after it and Harry saw, as though in slow motion, the ball rises up in the air and then starts to fall. He leaned forward and pointed his broom handle down next second he was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the Seeker-scope, wind whistled in his ears, mingled with the screams of people watching. He
stretched out his hand a foot from the ground he caught it, just in time to pull his broom straight. He felt a hand graze his shoulder as he slowed only to find Draco near neck and neck to him. He smiled at his friends as Hooch blew her whistle.
"Constantine-Chandler, That was some wonderful flying. I would talk to your Head of house and Quidditch Captain about trying out for your team next year," She said to him as the class ended.
"Not next year, this," A voice said from the entryway. Marcus Flint was standing there with Rose and Professor Snape.
Hooch looked between the two before asking," First years usually don't play on teams."
"True, but there are no rules against it," Snape replied before looking toward the other student. Harry followed his line of sight to see Weasley taunting Hermoine. Duddley looked like he was about ready to throw himself in between the two but was forcing himself to hold back. Harry couldn't hear what was said.
"Mr Weasley!" Snape shouted at the top of his lungs. Harry guessed that Snape heard what was said by his tone of voice.
The entire courtyard fell silent as Weasley turned red at the tone in the professor's voice. Professor Snape walked over to the group of children as he said," 50 points from Gryffindor, Mr Weasley and Detection with me tonight. If I ever hear you so much as utter those words again, you will be expelled from Hogwarts, is that clear?"
"You can't expel me for words," Weasley stubbornly stated. Harry raised his eyebrows at the red-heads words as Snape snarled at the boy," Watch me. and 50 more points from Gryffindor for that comment."
"Add sixteen points to that," Hootch added before frowning," Class dismissed."
Harry walked with Dudley and Hermoine to the library where they were working on their homework when the Weasley Twins stopped them.
"Heard what happened at Flying practice," One said. The other nodded," Don't know where he got that from. We've told Percy and Charlie."
"What can they do about this?" Dudley asked as they walked.
"Forge, why don't you tell 'em," Fred replied. George smirked," He'll tell mum and dad, and Professor McGonagall."
"She can be scary, I have heard," Harry replied as they reached the library. George nodded," Very Scary. And our brother Charlie's a Prefect."
"He can take points then. Alright, Hermoine do you want to study here or somewhere else?"
The brunette frowned at the library door, asking," Where else can we go?"
"I know a place," Rose's voice came out from the library with Mancair. Hermione nodded," Please."
Rose turned to the other and said," Meet me tomorrow night before curfew at enclave behind the tapestry of the three bears on the second floor."
"I will see you there, then." He replied before walking off towards the Ravenclaw common room. Hermoine then asked," Where are we going then?"
"Follow me."
Rose guided the group of three down to the ground floor underneath the start of the stairs before they went up by three cases and to a portrait of a snake charmer.
"Hello, Porta," She spoke to the portrait. A snake slithered from the basket and hissed back," Heiress, How are you?"
"I am well, my friends and I would like a place to study away from the other students."
"Of course," The snake replied and the portrait swung back reviling a small study that had a few dark oak desks and a small potion set up. Rose hissed some more to the snake and its charmer before saying," The password is Quicksand. Don't ask why, Porta will tell the whole story. Now, the door only opens before Curfew unless you a parslemouth so don't try hiding in here afterwords, you'll get stuck."
Rose motioned over to the potion lab area and said," If you want to practice Potion techniques, bring in an upper year. The twins or Charlie. Someone that's vetted please."
She leaned back on a loveseat before sighing," Other than that no rules for this place besides what's said in here stays in here."
Harry nodded as Hermoine asked," Who else knows of this room?"
"The twins, Charlie, Draco, and Neville for now. Oh, and Professor Snape and Professor Flitwick," She replied as she pulled out her Defence book from her bag. Duddley nodded as he sat across from her and got out his herbology essay on Devil's Snare. Hermoine sighed softly before pulling out her potions essay and finishing it.
The next night.
Harry was finishing the new essay that Snape assigned them for the first week on Flobberworm mucus when the common room door opened. Professor Snape and Flitwick stood there Harry frowned, as did the upper year Slytherins as Snape asked," Constantine-Chandler, Would you go get Mr Malfoy and send him to the hostable wing. After use my fireplace in my office to fire-call you Uncle and Master Lupin."
"Yes, Professor," Harry said before running to the room he shared with Draco.
Snape turned to Flitwick and said," Mr Mancair was the last one to see Ms Griffens, He is in your house yes?"
" I will get him. Severus, do you know how she got out there?"
"I haven't a clue."
Harry woke Draco with a bang from his wand. The blond frowned as he grumble," Har... it's past midnight."
"It's Rose.
Draco rubbed his eyes berley as he asked," Whot?"
"Severus needs us in the hostable wing. Something happened to Rose," Harry replied as he grabbed his cloak and dragonhide boots from next to his bed. Draco frowned as he grabbed his dressing robe and slippers before asking," What happend?"
"Don't know, Severus came into the common room with Flitwick. I heard that their looking for Mancair now."
"Bkue? As in the boy my father belives to be Rose's twin?"
"Same one I suspet. Come on, I've got to call Uncle John on the way."
The two walked out of the common room followed by Farley who said that Snape wanted her to watch the two. Neither said anything as they headed to Snape's office and Harry grabbed a handful of floo powder, thought about if John had anything going on and threw the greenish-black powder into the roaring fire as he called out," Undergrove Manor, Elderfair, England. Lord Constantine-Le'fay study."
The fire turned green as Zed's face appeared in front of the three Slytherins. She looked at Harry ans asked," Are you alright?"
"I am... I need to contact Remus and Uncle John. Is he up?"
"He's in the House of Mystery at the moment. I don't know if it's connected to the floo network."
"Is he in a ritral or talking with someone?"
"A ghost... what happened?"
"Rose. She's in the hostable wing," Harry replied.
Zed nodded," Remus is here right now I'll get him, I'll talk to John. You two head up to the Hostable wing and let Severus know alright?"
"Yes, Aunt Zed."
Rose Griffens watched shocked as she watched a pure white entity fight something that looked and felt like her Uncle when he was a wolf but much crueller. Every time the white entity clawed at the beast she felt pain in the same spot. She screamed as her magic flared out towards the two entities pushing both from her.
Madam Promfy struggled to get close to the young lady that was brought to her hostable wing. The wing's doors slammed open as the young Malfoy, and Constantine-Chandler children walked into the room with Farley.
"Mr Farley, if you would please keep Misters Malfoy and Constantine-Chandler back please."
"Yes Madam," Farley replied as he held the two young Heir behind him as Snape and Flitwick came up behind them with Mancair.
"Promfy what has happend?" Flitwick asked. She frowned as she pulled out her wand and a vial of dreamless sleep," I don't know. She's seemly blocking me from coming clouser but I don't know why."
"Do we know what happed before Hagrid found her at the edge of the forest?"
"No...the claw marks have a rassemblement to a werewolf's, but there hasn't been one in the forest since '77," She replied. Severus frowned as he stepped closer to the girl slightly before saying," It's a third wanning gibus tonight. There isn't a werewolf documented that would be agitated this time of the month."
"No there isn't," John spoke. Harry turned to him and ran towards the magician and hugged him. John patted the lad's back as he said," There is something resembling a werewolf's claw marks however, a demon-like creature known as Droiiformes."
Promfery frowned and asked," What is the danger to this creature?"
"She will be in a coma for awhile and by the next full moon we should know for sure if she will wake properly. If she douses she may be a werewolf."
Remus frowned," How douse that work?"
"It's how the original werewolf of the isles was created," John replied before sighing and rubbing Harry's back in comforting way," I want to know how one got onto the grounds. The wards around Hogwarts should protect students from entities like the Droiiformes and other such dark beings."
Severus shook his head," I would like to know that as well."
The Next Day
Harry and Draco where on their way to the study room when they saw Weasley and two Hufflepuff in the hallway. The two Hufflepuff where corned and harry saw Duddley move behind the redhead poised to defend the two girls. Harry motioned to Draco and whispered," Go get Snape or Sprout."
"You sure?"
"Positive."
"Alright."
Draco left towards the teachers lounge while Harry whispered a quick levousa to a nearby table and slid it behind Weasley poised to slide it underneath him if needed to, as Dudley said," Weasley leave them alone."
"What are going to do about it, Dursley?" the redhead said as he made a move towards Harry's cousin. As he did Harry motioned his wand forward moving the table to knock the boy down. Harry waved over to the there Hufflepuff and said," You two better get going. Snape will be here to help deal with this."
"Thank you, Heir Constantine-Chandler," One said.
"Just Harry, I think."
She hummed," I am Hannah Abbott and this is Megan Jones."
"How dod I do, Mis Jones," Harry smiled at her and she waved. The two girls left as Snape arrived with Draco and Sprout in tow.
As they arrived Weasley was getting up off the floor. He grounded as he saw snape who looked at the boy and asked Harry and Duddley," What Happened?"
"I saw Weasley booking Abbott and Jones from the stairs and he started to chase them this way with his rat. He was ranting about how Hugglespuggs are useless lumps and once Potter was found he would get rid of them and Slytherins. Said something else but I couldn't quite understand it much. Something about Death Eater spawn and the end of Wizmount, I think."
Sprout looked ferous as Snape stared at the Griffindor and as he said," He's lying. He attacked me unprovoked. And Constantine knocked me over."
"I did. but only so Abbott and Jones could get away, which they did," Harry admitted. Just then the two girls came running back Hannah huffing as she said," what is a Cerburs doing here?"
Snape sighed and asked," Was the door unlocked?"
"Yes... wasn't a spell or lock on it either," Hannah replied.