"Riddikulus!"
A frilly pink dress suddenly materialized around the torso of the troll, who nearly dropped his club in surprise. Harry couldn't stop himself from smiling, and the whole class erupted in laughter.
"Well done, well done! Malfoid, you're up next!" said Professor Lupin.
This was their second lesson with the boggart, and it was even better than the last. Hard for it not to be, considering the last one was cut short. Harry shuddered just remembering it. The boggart assumes your biggest fear, and for him it took the form of a dementor.
"What kind of fear do you reckon she has? Being a frigid witch like she is, and all." Ron whispered to him.
"Probably a kitten." Harry snickered.
"Or a hippogriff." Ron replied.
The boys started chuckling to themselves, earning an irritated look from Hermione.
Malfoid stepped forward, wand at the ready, staring down the boggart. Harry wondered what form it would take. He didn't really know her that well, after all. Maybe it really would be a hippogriff. Harry remembered how proudly she told him that her father would be pushing to have Buckbeak executed, as if she expected him to be happy also. It shouldn't have attacked her, that's true. But to kill it?
The troll began to dissolve, shifting its form as it approached Malfoid. Like smoke, its skin began to melt to the floor, coalescing into a pair of black boots. The boggart shifted and changed, forming the bottom of a cane and a lonely pair of legs as it continued to rise upward. Malfoid looked uneasy. The confident pose she wore only moments before was replaced by one of apprehension.
"Riddi... Riddikul-" She was clutching her wand in fear, barely able to speak from breathing so fast. Tips of long platinum hair began to form on the unfinished torso of the boggart, and Harry noticed the top of the cane had formed into the head of a silver snake.
Malfoid turned and quickly ran out of the classroom, keeping her head down, and the boggart turned its attention to the student behind her, morphing into some sort of arachnid.
"Well that was a letdown," Ron whined, "We didn't even get to see what it was."
"Would someone be so kind as to check on Miss Malfoid? I can't leave the boggart unattended." Professor Lupin called out.
Harry's legs moved before his mind did. In fact, he was the only one who moved at all. Harry ran through the classroom door, and saw platinum hair swish around the corner at the end of the hall. He remembered his own encounter with the boggart, and the terror he'd felt. Thank goodness for Professor Lupin. Harry ran even faster after her as she turned to rush up the stairs.
"Malfoid!" He called, and she whipped her head around to glare at him.
"Don't look at me!" she shouted back.
Harry didn't listen. He never listened to what she told him to do anyway, so why start now? Hasty footsteps echoed around the stone walls of the spiral staircase as they both hurriedly ran up the tower. This was the astronomy tower, the highest tower in Hogwarts, and Harry did not forget that fact as his legs began to burn. Reaching the top, he pushed open the door, panting. This tower had tall archways exposed to the outside, and the floor was dusted with a light layer of snow.
"Malfoid?"
She didn't answer. Malfoid was nowhere to be seen. But he heard her, sitting behind one of the telescopes, sniffling to herself. Harry wiped his brow and sat on the other side of the telescope from her. Silence.
"That was your father, wasn't it?" Harry asked, softly.
Draconia stayed silent.
"The boggart, I mean." Harry quickly added.
She snorted. "I know, Potter."
An owl hooted in the rafters above.
"It's a foul thing to put in a classroom, something that takes on your biggest fear."
"I wasn't scared."
"Right."
"You wouldn't understand."
"I know how difficult family can be."
She sniffled, "I can imagine it would be difficult, yes, being raised by that oaf Hagrid like one of his beasts."
Harry started to regret even coming here.
"I wasn't raised by Hagrid, you dolt."
"Grew up in the wild, did you? Figures."
Harry really started to regret even coming here.
"I'm just kidding, Potter." she quietly added.
A gust of wind blew through the tower, then subsided. Harry rubbed his hands together to keep warm.
"You're right though. I don't know much about families. I haven't got one, not really. I was raised by my aunt, but to her I was more like, I dunno, a house elf or something."
"I'd like to meet her, I think her and I could get along." Draconia chuckled through a cracked voice.
"Not likely, she's a muggle after all."
"One of the good ones, I guess."
Harry rolled his eyes. This was like trying to pet a snake.
"Even she's not as bad as my Godfather. Sirius Black, if you'd believe me."
"You're right, I don't believe you."
"It's true. He was friends with my mum and dad."
"You're serious?"
"No, he's Sirius."
Draconia giggled. It was the first time Harry ever heard her laugh not at someone's expense.
They sat there in silence for another moment, backs to one another behind the telescope. Snow was blowing through the archways, and Harry shivered.
"What was it like?" Draconia asked.
"What was what like?"
"The dementor."
"Oh... I suppose... it was sort of like... I felt like I'd never be happy again."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"It was a dementor too, that knocked you off your broom that day, wasn't it?"
"Yeah."
"I'm sorry." she said, with a softness in her voice he'd never heard before.
"Sorry for what?"
"Nothing."
He heard her teeth chatter. It really was cold up here. Harry stood up, and poked his head around to look at her. Draconia was looking away from him, holding her knees to her chest. Her eyes were red, and she was shivering. Harry took off his robe and wrapped it around her.
"Come on Draconia, let's get back to class."
She nodded, and stood, wiping her eyes and straightening her hair. She wasn't a snake. She was just a girl.
"Gryffindor robes are scratchy. What kind of street animal is this made of?"
Harry only rolled his eyes, and smiled. Maybe just a little bit of a snake.
"Hagrid, exactly what is that?" Ron Weasley asked, nervously.
"That, Ron, is a hippogriff." said Hagrid. "Now, the first thing you want to know about hippogriffs is they're very proud creatures. Very easily offended. You do not want to insult a hippogriff; it may just be the last thing you ever do."
"Just like me." Draconia Malfoid mused. It was a beautiful creature, as much as she hated to admit it, and as much as she hated being there. It took twenty minutes to walk to this part of the forest, and she was already dreading the return. Despite her efforts to keep her robes from touching the ground, the hems were still covered in dirt, and her shoes caked in mud. Disgusting.
"Now, who'd like to come and say hello?" Hagrid asked, smiling expectantly. The other students didn't share his enthusiasm. Nobody raised their hand.
"Come on up Harry, come on up!" Draconia's lingering amusement dropped. Of course famous, celebrity Potter is always the center of attention. Still, better him than her. She swatted a fly buzzing around her face, and wiped the sweat from her brow. It was hot, and humid, and she just wanted to leave. Potter was making a show of it. Of course he was. Feeding the hippogriff. Petting the hippogriff. Her eye twitched. Why was this proud, elegant creature allowing him to do that? Didn't Hagrid say it was dangerous? Had it no dignity?
"Well done! Well done! I think he may let you ride him now." Before Harry could react, Hagrid picked him up and placed him on top of the hippogriff. Draconia rolled her eyes. Stupid Potter and his showboating. Stupid hippogriff. Why was it so comfortable with Harry? Suddenly, the hippogriff spread its wings, and took flight. The sudden takeoff caught her with such surprise that she dropped her wand. She quickly picked it up before anyone could notice. Everyone was too busy cheering for Potter and his stupid bird. The two soared over the tops of the trees, and slowly disappeared into the distance.
The initial shock subsided within her, replaced with a simmering irritation.
"Do you think that's acceptable, Hagrid?" Draconia spat.
"Well I... err..."
"Do you even know where he's going, Hagrid?"
"Well you see the thing about Buckbeak is..."
"Who is Buckbeak?!" she shouted.
"Watch your mouth, Malfoid" Hermione chimed in, "You're speaking to a professor of Hogwarts!"
"Watch yours, mudblood. A beast just took off with a student, and we don't even know where it went!"
"What do you care?!" Hermione retorted, closing the distance between the two, raising her wand, "You hate Harry anyway!"
Draconia froze.
"I-I care about the integrity of this institution. More than can be said for you, G-Granger." Draconia stuttered, crossing her arms.
"Relax girls, relax. I trust in Buckbeak and he trusts in me. Hippogriffs are very smart creatures you know, you see one time I..." Draconia tuned him out, storming away from both of them. She settled on a rock, taking care to clear her robes from the dirt, and pulled out her textbook, pretending to read it. Before long, she started hearing the flaps of wings, and the excited chattering of the other students. Draconia stubbornly continued to stare at the book she was holding. The flapping grew louder. She reluctantly looked up as the beast gracefully glided through the trees above her, landing with hardly a sound. Potter was grinning from ear to ear. He almost looked... She slammed her book shut and stood, relieved that this stupid class would finally be over. Everyone around her was cheering for the two, Potter and his bird. Some dangerous creature.
"Oh please," Draconia muttered, pushing other students out of the way as she approached the hippogriff, "You're not dangerous at all, are you? Great ugly brute!"
"Malf-" Hagrid started, raising his arms.
The hippogriff reared up on its hind legs, screeching as it raked its sharp claws across her forearm. She fell backwards into the dirt, yelping in surprise. The beast continued to screech and flap its wings as Hagrid hurried to calm it. The pain hit her next, and she cried out, feeling the warmth of her blood seeping into her clothes. Her hair was splayed out in the dirt as she muttered to herself incoherently, gripping her forearm as tears welled in her eyes.
"Hagrid! She has to be taken to the hospital!" Hermione shouted.
"I'm the teacher, I'll do it!" Hagrid blurted, fumbling as he bent down to pick her up.
"Don't touch me!" Draconia shrieked, attempting to push herself up, before collapsing into the dirt again from the pain. Her blurry eyes darted around, looking for Harry.
But Harry wasn't looking at her. Or Hagrid. Or any of the other students. He was staring at Buckbeak, clenching his wand so tightly his knuckles were white.