Harry Potter and the Wyvern's Crown

Chapter Three: Rebunda

Two days later in the afternoon was Care of Magical Creatures. Down by Hagrid's shack, The Gryffindors gathered with the Slytherins who had bothered to take the subject again. Harry cautiously watched for Malfoy, in order to point him out to Raven in warning (which he had forgotten to do during Potions, the only other class they shared with the Slytherins), but he never showed. Hagrid took role call, then walked the class over to the paddocks, where several misty looking creatures were lounging about.

'These 'ere are mysticats,' Hagrid leaned over the fence and gave the closest one a pat. It's head became a little more solid as he stroked it. 'They're quite tame durin' the day, but stay outside the paddock so there's no worries about them runnin' from yeh, or takin' a nip at yeh. Give 'em a chance to snif yer 'and and then you can give 'em a pet or two.'

The students pressed up to the paddock walls, reaching through the enclosure to stoke the magnificent beasts. Harry was about to remark on the softness of their fur to Raven when he noticed she had left his side. He saw a moment later that she was inside the paddock. He stood up with a jolt as she calmly sat down. Several mysticats swirled around her, covering her cloak with dew. She smiled at them, her lips moving softly. Hagrid noticed her a moment later. His eyes bugged out, then a huge smile broke across his face, 'She's a natural, she is,' He looked down, 'Wot's 'er name, 'arry?'

Harry lost his chance to answer as Draco Malfoy (who had apparently arrived late on purpose) answered for him. 'Her name is Raven Hawksmoor,' He looked as though he wanted to add a derisive comment, but didn't, 'I daresay I hope she doesn't get hurt in there. I hear her mother is almost as wealthy as my father.'

Hagrid's eyes bugged out from his face and he launched himself towards the paddock, 'You there! Get out!'

Raven looked up, unconcerned. Holding a nearly solid mystikitten in her arms, she stood and walked over to Hagrid, 'They're quite tame, sir,' The kitten in her arms yawned, 'And very sleepy. I don't think I'm in a lot of danger. I used to own several mysticats.'

'You did?' Hagrid seemed confused, 'But they're native to North America.'

'I'm Canadian by birth, sir.' Raven let the kitten drop out of her arms and climbed back over the paddock wall, 'Muffy, James, Mynx and Tigra. Or so we called them. They always came with the fog from our marsh, and begged around the door for scraps. My mother let me feed them,' She got a wistful look on her face, 'I do miss them.'

'Ahh, sure you do,' Hagrid sympathized with her, 'when you care for animals you do get attached to them, don't ya?'

Harry knew what Hagrid was talking about. Every time that he'd had to leave a creature he'd raised he had broken down in tears, particularly his pet dragon, Norbert. The last, and worst time it happened, however, Malfoy had managed to get a death sentence for one of Hagrid's favourite Hippogriffs, Buckbeak. Harry glared at Malfoy, daring him to say something out of line. Malfoy coolly didn't respond, and with a flick of his robes, turned and walked away. Hagrid taught the rest of the class about feeding, breeding, care and natural life of the beasts. Harry noticed that Hagrid seemed more confident about his teaching this year than in others. He also noticed that Raven wasn't paying attention. She was watching the mysticats, and oddly, they were watching her.

Soon the lecture was over, and the sixth year Gryffindors headed for Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration class. Ron was puffing beside Harry, and shook his head, 'We've got to bring brooms or something. All these stairs are ridiculous!'

'That's riddikkulus, Weasley,' A rough voice called as a teacher brushed by them.

Hermione grinned, 'Hullo, Professor Lupin!'

Several of the students halted and others squeezed by them. Lupin smiled softly, his face looking as weary as ever, though his eyes were bright. Harry thought for a moment as the sixth years each took their turn telling them about their summers, Hermione especially. And though he seemed agreeable, Lupin's exhaustion was apparent. Harry knew that being as the full moon had only been a few days ago, Lupin had just come out of his wolf phase. Being a werewolf took a toll on the body, as he'd told them in their third year, explaining his sickness that took him from their class once a month. But Snape supplied Lupin with a potion that rendered him harmless during his phase. Harry turned to introduce Raven to him when he saw her acting quite peculiar. She was pressed against the wall, her face as pale as Lupin's. His eyes met hers. 'Miss Hawksmoor, isn't it? Miranda told me about your exemplary marks in Defence Against the Dark Arts. Congratulations.' His head tilted, 'But I shouldn't keep you from class. Off you go now.'

He headed up the stairs with a speed born of being part animal and they followed him partway, but had to turn off and enter the Transfiguration classroom, almost regretfully.

Being as half the class had stopped to talk to Professor Lupin, Professor McGonagall gave them a dark look but instructed them to sit, and began to teach the lesson almost immediately. They were going to be doing some of the hardest magic in the class this year, turning straw into gold, stones to bread, cats into mice, and if they were good enough, they might begin on Animagus magic by the end of the semester. The class broke into whispers about that. Harry was rather surprised to hear that, and pleased as well. His father had been an Animagus, which made him quite confident that he might be able to become one as well.

'Now, I know you've all seen me perform what seems to be rather simple magic when it comes to transforming one's self into an animal, I'm going to hand around papers right now...' She picked up sheaves of parchment off her desk and made her way around the classroom quickly, placing one before each student, 'That clearly state that until I have cleared you for Animagus training, you are not to endeavour any on your own, upon threat of expulsion. Is that clear?' Her voice had raised to a startling pitch, as she paused before Ron and Harry's desk. Ron nodded quickly, as did Harry. She slapped a piece of parchment on the table before each of them and continued. 'I've seen it happen far too many times in my teaching career. Some foolhardy sixth year gets stuck as half an owl, or a cat and they miss half their classes under going painful treatments to get them back to their original form.' She slapped a paper down before Hermione, and drew one for Raven.

Raven held up a hand, 'I don't need one, Professor.'

Professor McGonagall's glasses slid down her face, then she nodded, as though remembering something, 'Yes, quite right.' She turned to the last three students, 'I know some of you will not even get to try this magic. It all depends on how well you do in these classes. If your bread tastes remotely like gravel, can you imagine how turning into a dog might be for you?' She placed a sheaf before the last of the group. 'Now sign them and return them to me, where I will check your name off,' Slowly they lined up and handed them in. Harry headed right for Raven's desk, who was sitting, calmly, rubbing her finger along her wand. A few dark purple sparks emitted from it.

'Why don't you have to sign one?'

'Yeah,' said Ron, squeezing in beside him, 'why do you get off?'

Hermione pushed them both aside as the Professor tapped her wand against her desk, a light shower of blue sparks flicking from the end, 'Back to your seats. Today we will warm up with a simple match to pin, then we will move on to an old favourite, teapot to tortoise!'

A few of the students groaned, including Neville Longbottom, who had never once managed to turn his teapot properly into a tortoise, even though it had been his exam from his third year. Many students had the same trouble. Hermione was pleased with the prospects. Harry grabbed a handful of matches and turned five or six of them into pins to warm himself up before eyeing his teapot dubiously. He looked over at Hermione and Raven's table. A large tortoise and a smaller, lighter coloured turtle were already sleeping on it. The tortoise raised his head and hissed softly. Raven looked bored, Hermione's cheeks were quite pink. Obviously, the tortoise was Raven's, which meant she had just shown up Hermione. Harry grinned, then raised his wand, picturing a largish tortoise where the teapot now sat. He waved his wand over it, altering the image in his mind's eye and willing the teapot to follow and for some reason, his mind slipped back to a time when he had waited like this, when Malfoy was going to attack him and he had to block it with his wand. He saw in his mind's eye, a tortoise, but it had grown a snake's head, much like the one that had come from Malfoy's wand. It reared at him. Harry shook his head, took another look at Raven's tortoise then tapped his wand against the pot.

There was a shot of pain in his scar.

Harry fell backwards with a shout, and it was lucky he did. A snake lunged out of the empty tortoise shell and missed him by a bare inch. Half the class screamed. Harry shouted at the snake, feeling his lips move differently from what he knew he was saying.

'Down! How dare you! DOWN!'

Ron's eyes got a little wider, but he kept an eye on the snake as it lowered its head, looking rather embarrassed. Harry got up, rubbed his scar irritably, and picked up the snake on the end of his wand.

'I'm quite sorry,' it hissed softly, 'I was surprised.'

'You're not the only one,' Harry muttered softly back at it, then looked up, focusing on Ron until he felt safe to try and speak English again. 'Sorry about that. My mind must have wandered.'

Professor McGonagall rapped her wand against her desk again, 'I'm seeing teapots instead of tortoises!' The rest of the class moved back to the lesson. She beckoned her dissident student to her. Harry was flushed, well aware that everyone knew about his frightening gift to talk to snakes, but this unexpected bit of magic was a bad sign.

The snake looked up at the Professor, 'Is this one bad, master?'

Harry put his hand before the snake, so it would get the hint and looked up at the Professor. 'I'm sorry.'

Her lips twitched into a smile, and she spoke even quieter, 'You can talk to me now. Put the snake out the window, there's a branch for it to climb down.'

Harry did as he was told, and felt the odd snake-feeling leave him. 'I'm sorry, Professor. I was just thinking...and I...'

The Professor held up her hands, 'Quite alright. At least you got a shell,' Her thin lips were pursed, 'I'd heard about this talent of yours, Potter, but hadn't expected such a demonstration.'

Harry scuffed his toe against the ground, 'Really, I am quite sorry.' He absentmindedly rubbed his scar, 'But for some reason...'

She sighed, then noticed his hand, 'Does your scar hurt, Harry?'

It wasn't often that Professor McGonagall referred to him by his first name. He knew it meant that she was being extremely serious. He touched it warily, then shook his head. 'Not right now, but when that snake appeared...yeah, it did.'

She considered, 'I'm not sure, but you head down to the hospital wing. Report to Mrs. Pomfrey, and have her check you out. I know we've never found anything before, but we should never let a thing like this slip by. Off you go.'

Harry sighed, but didn't refuse. With Voldemort at full power again, it was immensely foolish to ignore something like this. He knew it, and with a shrug as he passed Hermione a disgusted look. 'Now I've got to go to Pomfrey.'

Ron scowled, still waving his hand over his teapot. It was looking rather like a china turtle at this point, but transfiguration spells didn't take hold immediately. 'Oh, do say hi to her for me, Harry.'

Harry ignored him and picked up his things, looking at the empty tortoise shell. As he was leaving a hand caught the edge of his robe. He turned, surprised. Raven was looking at him, a cool anger (or was it concern?) On her face. 'Isn't she the nurse?'

'Matron,' Harry corrected, still unsure, 'But she qualifies as a nurse, yes.'

Raven's eyes became so sorrowful, that for half a moment Harry worried that she might burst into tears. 'You aren't sick, are you?' Her voice was quieter now.

Harry was taken aback, 'Why do you ask?' He glanced up at the teacher, but she was concerned with Dean Thomas' tortoise-colored teapot, which had grown legs and was wandering away. Raven's pale face grew paler, so Harry added, 'I'm not sick, exactly, but my scar hurt a few moments ago.'

'When you spoke to the snake?'

Harry shook his head, 'When I accidentally transfigured my teapot into it.'

Raven muttered something under her breath, then shook her head, 'Were you looking at my tortoise when you were transfiguring your teapot?'

Harry thought a moment, then nodded, 'I was, actually.'

Raven glanced at the ceiling, much like Hermione did if Ron or Harry said something very stupid. 'You didn't...'

Harry realized something, 'You didn't do something to me, did you?'

Raven grinned quickly, 'I did it to my work. I used rebunda, a common copyright curse. All the students at SCI are taught how to use them in their first year. That way no one can copy anyone else's magic on purpose. I suppose you've never learned one?'

Harry shook his head, 'So when I tried to copy your work...it...?'

'If you're using the spell that I used, a little bit of your magic gets altered to push your attention away from my work. If you resist, it can hurt a little bit, or muck your magic up.'

Hermione, who was now standing beside Raven, rather impressed, 'No wonder I didn't even notice your tortoise! I couldn't even really see it until I was done! Rebunda...' She trailed off, a smile on her face.

Harry touched his forehead, 'But my scar hurt. It shouldn't have affected my scar. It only hurts when Voldemort's up to no...'

Hermione hissed at Harry a moment too late. Professor McGonagall was standing in the middle of the classroom, her fists on his hips, 'Some people here a wand's sweep away from a healthy detention. Now, Potter, are you going to take the invigorating session of hard labour, which will do you as much good, I should think, or do I have to grant you a grand invitation to get you where you're going?' Harry blushed, and ducked out of the classroom.