I said goodbye to my brother and headed towards Care of Magical Creatures. It was a long class so it would be the last of the day. Besides me was Cena. “Lunch was more interesting then I thought it would be.” I ignored the comment so he continued to prattle on. “Your brother is a quiet one but when he talks he certainly has something to say.” Ethel sighed. “Your point, Cena?” He shrugged. “He’s more interesting then I thought.” Wibert shook his head. “That doesn’t mean anything good.” Cena shrugged, “Neither is pissing off one of the few Slytherins the Gryffindor’s like.”
I shrugged. “So?” He shook his head in disappointment. “Just warning you they’ll like you even less.” Ethel narrowed her eyes. “That girl has Fred wrapped around her finger.” Wibert nodding his head. “It’s pretty embarrassing.” Ethel sped up so we could reach class quicker. “She’ll see at the first quiditch game of the year.” Cena smiling. “Fred is the Beater on the team. Ophelia always comes in a Gryffindor scarf to support him.” I couldn’t help but choke a bit on those words. “You mean she shows up in another house’s colors? Our rival house?” He nodded his head. “Ophelia gets away with a lot being a Pure Blood Burke.” Wibert made a small tsk sound. “Going against social convention like that should have some sort of punishment.” Cena put his hand on my shoulder. “Muggle Cops apparently have strong tendencies towards these things.” I nodded my head in understanding. Wibert’s father was one of those?
…
We stood in a group by Professor Hagrid. Around him was a small pen of sorts. Inside looked to be a group of large unusual cats? “Any of ‘yer know what these are?” A boy from Ravenclaw raised his hand. He also was someone with a large smirk on his face. Where all handsome boys like that? Smirky. “Tir, should’a known it be you.” He nodded his head and answered the Professor. “They’re full blooded Kneazles, Professor.” Hagrid nodded his head. “Good. You’er not as dumb as last year’s students.” A large smile on his face. “They couldn’t tell a Kneazle from a house cat.” The students all laughed. I hadn’t known it was a Kneazle. I didn’t even know there were Kneazles…
He walked towards the pen. “Now let’s see which ones will be know how to handle a Kneazle.” The gate to the pen opened slightly and he pointed at it. “Go on.” A hufflepuff girl raised her hand. “Aren’t you supposed to instruct us on what to do, Professor.” The half giant laughed. “Sometimes ‘yer best to start with ‘yer insticts.” She nodded her head. I watched everyone slowly walking in. Myself sticking towards the back of the group.
Professor Hagrid leaned down towards me. “Don’t tell me ‘yer afraid of felines.” I shook my head. “I just never knew Kneazles existed until today. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do?” He laughed. I found myself stumbling forward from an awkwardly hard push from behind. “ Approach them first.”
Cena started laughing at me. There was a conceited looking brown and orange Kneazle on his lap purring. He charmed a female cat…. Of course, he did. I looked around at the other students. Some were chasing the Kneazles, getting scratched by them or trying to corner them in groups. I sat down where I was trying to remember what regular cats like.
I noticed that in the pen around us there was a lot of plants. Didn’t cats like to rub and play with plants and flowers? I pulled up some of the flowered weeds around me and swished them around slowly on the ground. After a few moments, a black and brown spotted cat crept towards me. It seemed to still be on alert so I didn’t move. It was best to let it come to me. The cat pounced on my pile of plants. When I didn’t respond it looked up at me. I slowly moved my other hand to reveal more weeds. The Kneazle leaning forward curiously.
“You don’t need to be worried.” I whispered as I slowly moved my hand towards the cat. The Kneazle relaxing as it pawed at my hand. “How did you calm it down so quickly.” I turned to look up at that Tir boy and another boy besides him. When the Kneazle saw Tir it jumped into my lap and started to hiss at him. I placed on of my hands with weeds in front of him before slowly petting him to calm him down. “You don’t like cats do you?”
The boy besides him shook his head. “It’s more like cats and everything else don’t like him.” I used my free hand to pat the ground besides me. “It may help to sit down. No one wants to be towered over.” They both nodded and sat down. Tir went to lean towards the cat when I stopped him. “This guy already wary of you. If you want to charm a Kneazle for the class you should try another one.” Tir withdrew his hand and nodded. The other boy introducing himself. “I’m Li.”
I pointed at the two directions on how to mimic me. Li leaned in curiously. “Why aren’t you just talking.” The kneazle looked up at him wary. “Because he doesn’t trust me yet. If you weren’t sure about someone would you want them to shout at you?” The two shook their heads no. “I wouldn’t.” “That would be awful.” I helped the two lure their own Kneazles in to their laps. Mine had just started to fall asleep.
Tir turned to look at me once he got a Kneazle comfortable on his lap. “Thank you.” I smiled at him. “You seem like the type who doesn’t say thanks often. Should I pretend to be honored?” He nodded his head. “You definitely should be honored.” Li besides him chuckled. His Kneazle swatting him to stay still and not move too much. “It’s you that should be honored. She got an animal to actual be near you for once.” I smiled at Li. “It’s that bad?” He nodded his head. “Worse then you could imagine. He even repels bugs.” I cracked up laughing. “That actual sounds pretty handy.”
Tir’s cocky smile faded. A much meeker anxious one appearing. “Now you are just trying to make me look bad in front of a pretty girl.” I looked between the two shocked. Tir’s confident smile returning. “I think I froze her.” Li shook his head no. “It seems like you broke her.” The two laughing. The Kneazle in my lap turning to look up at me slightly curious and worried.
Tir leaned forward to the annoyance of his cat. “Relax, I came over here for the house points.” Li nodding his head. “And to get a look at the girl who is pissing off the Potters and Weasleys so much.” I looked at them shocked. “It’s only been a few days. How is it that bad?” Tir shrugged. “Right now there is an army of all them in the school.” Li nodded his head. “You can’t throw a stone with out accidentally hitting one of them.”
I scratched my Kneazle behind his ear. If he was comfortable maybe I would soon be. “It’s not like I’m going out of my way.” The two nodded their heads. Tir commenting on it. “Shannon’s been going on about it for two days. It seems James is giving him hell about his baby brother.” Li continued. “Shannon’s already said he is going to ask you to back off.” I looked at the two annoyed and skeptical. “Why are you telling me then?” The two smiled. Tir speaking first. “The more worried Shannon is the worse he will be during the first game coming up.” Li nodded his head. “He’s a bloody annoying chaser.” This was about quidditch…
“Look’y ‘ere. It seems we’ve found a Kneazle whisperer in our bunch.” said the Professor. The three of us turning to look up at him. Li smiled at him. “She even got it to be by Tir.” Everyone in the class looked shocked. Was his repelling ability really that bad! He pointed down at the Kneazle. “That one ‘ere is a Narky one. Doesn’t let anyone near ‘im.” I looked down at the cat. He certainly suddenly looked on edge. I slowly started to pet him again to calm him down.
Professor Hagrid laughed. “Fifteen points to Slytherin.” I looked up at him shocked as my housemates cheered. He turned to look at Tir. “Five to Ravenclaw.” Professor Hagrid pat Tir’s head. “You finally got something to like yea.” Ah, it was pity points. Tir seemed content either way. His house celebrating his new found accomplishment of Kneazle friendship. Professor Hagrid turned to me. “Keep up the good work.” I nodded my head and walked away. People were much more difficult than animals. Should getting a large cat to sit on your lap really be that amazing?
I turned to look around. Scorpius seemed to have one near-ish to him. Albus was getting hissed at by one. Ethel seemed to be playing a game with one while Wibert watched. I started looking for Shannon. My eyes scanning over the red robes. I didn’t know which one he was. Li noticed and pointed him out. “That one there is Shannon. He’s by Chelsey Thomas.” Tir narrowed his eyes. “She’s Gryffindor’s seeker.” Again with this Quidditch…
Tir leaned closer towards me. Why was he whispering in my ear? “She is a bit of a problem child. Chelsey is dating our seeker Griffin.” I looked back at her. She didn’t really seem to care about the class. Instead, she was laughing with friends. “Why are you telling me?” He leaned even closer to me. “Because her best mate has a thing for me.” I flicked his forehead so he would lean away. The Kneazle on his lap got spooked and ran off. A frown on his face. “Don’t even think about having me involved with what ever plan you have.” Li shrugged. “I thought a friend of Cena’s would be more willing.” Cena… I turned to shoot him a glare. He only smiled at me.
Tir looked at me annoyed. “I’m not doing this because I want you. I just need you to hang out with me tomorrow.” Li leaned back with a smile. “She’ll get so annoyed and run to Chelsey.” Tir nodded his head. “Then both Chelsey and Shannon will be off their game.” I rolled my eyes at them. “Your Griffin is still dating her.” An evil smile appeared on his face. “Don’t worry. Griffin will have his head on straight for the match.” I looked away from him. I really don’t want to know…
Li smiled. “Surely, an arrangement can be made. Your house is always up for some sort of deal.” I turned my head on him. “What do you really have that I could want?” Li’s smile suddenly got even darker than Tir’s. “I knicked something off of Albus. When he realizes it is gone… Well, I’ll say he knicked it in the first place from James.” That could be more trouble then it was worth… Whatever this thing was… “Fine, annoying Albus with that may be enough to get him to leave me alone.” The two nodded their heads. “So, what do you specifically want me to do?” Tir smiled. “All you have to do is spend tomorrow with me.” I nodded my head and the two wondered away to ‘find the Tir’s Kneazle’.
Cena came over carrying his Kneazle in his arms. She was purring in her sleep. Cena was dangerous. He sat down next to me. “What did those two want?” I sighed. “Apparently, Tir was charmed by my beauty.” He looked at me skeptically. “Compared to the others he’s dated…” I rolled my eyes at him. “What does it matter. I’m not planning to date him.” A smile returned to his face. “Oh? Just going to have some fun?” I flicked his forehead. “Get your mind right. Nothing like that.” Cena rubbed his forehead in irritation. “Then what?”
I started to rub the Kneazle on my lap. “I just agreed to hang out with him tomorrow.” He cracked up laughing. “I wonder how Albus will react to that.” I flicked him again. Cena throwing his hands up in defeat. “Fine, fine. I won’t tell Albus. I can’t stop the others though.”
I sighed heavily. Whatever this thing was it better be worth it. I’ll just hand it to James and get my peace back after this.
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