Knowledge is Power

Chapter 3

Nightshade liked Mag's parents until they insisted he get into the cage for the stupid train ride to Hogwarts. He'd hated the cage from the first moment in the pet store when after Mag picked him out the owner shoved him inside. The bars were crushing him, or at least crushing his soul. They weren't exactly touching his body but if he tried to open his wings there was no room! Mag called it claustrophobic, but he called it a mental clusterfuck!

He sat on the bottom of the cage during the entire train ride, eyes tightly closed when they weren't staring in blank horror. Mag tried to talk to him for a distraction, but when he wasn't in the least interested she opened a book and remained occupied with it until they arrived at Hogwarts. The boats were mildly more interesting and Nightshade tried to be interested in the lake but it was difficult through the pressing awareness of the cage bars crushing his very soul, spirit and mind. The lake was interesting because it had minds in it. Not just the slow moving minds of whatever fish or eels lived in there, but the more advanced minds of water people. They thought in words. Not exactly the same words humans did, but still. He knew it should be interesting if only he were out of the fucking cage! There was also a predatory squid in there who he'd be interested in mind plundering to see what it thought about too if only he could focus but that ship had sailed.

When they got into the Hogwarts great hall, things quickly became less interesting and there were way too many loud brats around. Far more than had ever come into the pet store at once, that was for sure. The sorting was boring for him, but Mag was happy to be placed in Slytherin as her parents were, though she professed mentally to him that she wouldn't have minded Ravenclaw either as like her parents, she loved books and learning more about what interested her. Nightshade didn't give a shit, especially what with the cage situation and he happily let her know it in those exact words.

As soon as they were seated at the Slytherin table he demanded the same thing he had yesterday when they'd gotten home from the petstore. "Let me out of the fucking cage! Now please!"

Mag sighed and opened the cage door. "Sit on the back of my chair. Just be good, because I don't see other people having their owls in here so I'm not sure it's allowed. If you don't do anything to attract their notice, hopefully they won't mind," she whispered.

Wordlessly, or thoughtlessly in his case, Nightshade flew to the back of Mag's chair and sat, enjoying the process of not being confined. Mag showed little interest in the students around her, continuing with the reading of her book. Nightshade didn't blame her. They seemed like Tard Baby humans as much as the other owls were Tard Baby owls. He expressed as much and she smiled into the pages of her book.

When the old white haired headmaster introduced the professors, both he and Mag noted Professor Snape, who was head of her house, and Professor Flitwick, head of Ravenclaw house, because her parents had pointed them out at breakfast before they left as people to go to if she ever needed help. Nightshade studied both men for a time then decided that neither was a tard baby. They both had busy interesting minds.

When the food appeared on the table Mag handed him pieces of roast chicken and potatoes so no one would complain if he hopped to the table to have at her plate as he truly wished to do. He decided keeping it real could wait until people got used to him being with Mag all the time. Because he wasn't going to hang out in the tard baby owlery thing and told her as much in no uncertain terms.

//That's fine,// she told him, remembering to think at him this time rather than speaking aloud. //I didn't expect you to. Besides, I'll enjoy the company of having you around. You keep me entertained.//