His love for Potions I ✔

Chapter 26: Sirius and the cat

It wasn't that Draco couldn't ignore the cat instincts if he wanted to. He could. His was a complete, perfect transformation. It's just that sometimes he didn't particularly want to be human. The cat didn't feel pressure the same way, it didn't have anything to live up to. Give it something to kill and a warm place to sleep and it was happy.

He was lying on his side panting in the grass, cursing the long walk back up to the castle in this form - he was almost to the forbidden forest, though not under the shadow of the trees - when he saw a large orange kneazle moving purposefully away from the castle.

Curious. Draco got to his feet, stretched, and stalked cautiously after it. It was a horribly large cat, at least three times his size, and having to switch shapes to defend himself was beneath his dignity. Better not to be seen.

Draco topped a small rise and dropped flat to the ground on his belly, because that was Sirius Black talking to that cat, crouched in the shade of a dell behind one of the first trees of the Forbidden Forest.

Could he catch him? Could he be the hero of the school, for once? On the other hand, should he catch him. After all, Sirius Black was supposed to have been one of the key supporters of the Dark Lord, trusted to infiltrate the inner circle of the other side, a closely held secret only revealed upon the Dark Lord's death. That wasn't the sort of person you crossed.

He could get an Order of Merlin. Maybe a Firebolt from his father - and facing down an adult wizard would definitely make his father change his mind about worrying about Draco going soft in Dumbledore's pernicious influence.

On the other hand, rushing in to get himself killed was a Gryffindor thing to do....

Jaws closed around the knape of his neck, picking him up like a kitten and carrying him towards Sirius Black. Draco squirmed in panic and rage, but mostly panic.

"You again," Black said.

Draco paused. Again?

"You can understand me?" Black asked.

Draco lashed his tail and squirmed. The huge orange beast put him down on the grass and Draco shook himself. His fur was going every which way, it was awful.

"Cats are getting smarter all the time," Black said, sounding a little lost. Good. Someone other than Draco should be feeling confused right now. Perhaps he should just wander off, while Black was thinking....

Crookshanks hissed warningly. Draco flattened his ears at the beast, keeping a wary eye on it.

Crookshanks hissed warningly. Draco flattened his ears at the beast, keeping a wary eye on it.

"But Crookshanks doesn't trust you. Sorry, cat, but I can't take the chance."

That - that was a knife. No, thank you.

With a rush of the still unfamiliar magic, Draco was human again, stepping backwards and drawing his wand in one motion, leveling it between Black's eyes.

"I'll thank you not to move, cousin."

"That hair - Malfoy. Narcissa's boy."

"Draco," Draco agreed, taking another wary step back, having one second to feel something furry behind his ankles before he was falling backwards.

It wasn't gentlemanly to swear. Draco thought the worst thing he could, and then Black was wrestling with him, and Black had his wand. Wonderful.

Black pointed it at him and barked a word.

Nothing happened.

He shook it briskly, and absolutely nothing happened.

"What's your wand core, boy?"

Draco looked up his wand at Black and decided that he and Black were going to be friends. Cousins should be friends.

"Unicorn."

"Ah. Never was any good with unicorn. Strange wand for a Malfoy."

"May I have it back, please? After all, I can't be any help without a wand."

"You. Help."

"Well, certainly. We're blood, aren't we?"

"...you can get up."

"Wonderful."

Draco got up and brushed the grass stains off his robes. Ugh, peasant problems.

"I need a rat."

"To eat?"

"No. I need Ronald Weasley's rat."

"Ronald Weasley's rat is dead. There was a great deal of fuss about it, two months ago. Killed by this cat here, I believe."

"He faked it."

"The rat faked it," Draco said, and cut off his snide remark at Black's dark look. "Of course, cousin. As you may imagine, I am aptly suited to the task of locating your missing... rodent. I would be happy to assist you, if you do something for me."

Draco straightened his tie, and hid his fear behind a blank mask.

"I need you to steal a hippogriff."