A Brother To Basilisks (a Drarry fanfic)

Chapter 37: Announcements

Harry heard a wave of shrieks follow him as he walked into Hogwarts, and looked around, blinking. Yesterday, he had thought all the students at Hogwarts had got used to Dash, and over the summer, most of the people in Hogsmeade had, too. Were they frightened because they saw how big he'd grown?

Then he realized that it was a line of trembling first-years backing away from him, and sighed. Of course they would have had no chance to get used to Dash, any way he appeared.

Promise me you won't frighten them, Harry told Dash sternly as he took his place at the Gryffindor table and watched the ceiling of the Great Hall swirl with stormclouds.

Not even the one that looks like a mouse? Dash filled Harry's mind with the memory of a small straw-haired boy whose nose had twitched as he backed up. I might need to practice with him when I don't have real mice. You know how easily I run out of them.

Harry snorted and sat back against his chair to watch the Sorting, knowing Dash was in one of those moods where arguing with him would be useless. I'll make sure the house-elves have enough mice even for you.

Unless I get hungry for elves, too.

Harry had had enough. Even if no one else could hear what was running through Dash's mind, he could. He tapped Dash sharply on the tail, just at the point where the most delicate scales overlapped each other and there was a weak point. Dash went back to sulking, which was fine with Harry.

He glanced up at the High Table and noticed Snape nodding to him. Harry nodded back. He knew Snape would probably still have to be hard on him in class, but everyone else was free to think that the nod was a silent promise of revenge for something. Harry knew a lot of things other people didn't.

Sometimes that was lonely. But when it could protect him, Harry didn't mind keeping the secrets.

The Sorting seemed to go more quickly than usual; either there were fewer Gryffindors or there were less kids in general, but Harry hadn't been paying attention to either number, and when he asked Dash for help in remembering them, Dash wasn't inclined to help. Harry did notice when Dumbledore stood up near his seat, though. He had a grave expression on his face that Harry didn't understand.

Ron seemed to have been paying more attention to the number of professors than Harry did. "Blimey," he whispered. "We don't have a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor again?"

"Maybe Dumbledore will teach us himself," said Hermione, although she didn't sound very hopeful. "I heard that he used to be wonderful at that, even though his specialty was Transfiguration. After all, he defeated Grindelwald."

"Dumbledore doesn't have the time," Ron started to object, and Harry poked him in the side. After all, Dumbledore was just about to talk, and he was probably going to answer that question if Ron would only listen.

Strange that you're in the mood to listen to Dumbledore, and not to me.

Harry didn't bother poking Dash. He could think back to him that that was silly and he would always want to listen to his basilisk, and listen to Dumbledore, at the same time.

"I have several announcements to make, each of them a pleasure to make known," said Dumbledore, and then his face fell a little. "Except the first one. I am sad to announce that there will be, this year, no Quidditch at Hogwarts."

"What?" Harry thought Ron's voice was the loudest, but it was pretty much a massed shout from all the Gryffindors, except Hermione. She looked a little pleased. Harry noticed Slytherins and Ravenclaws and even Hufflepuffs fuming, too, leaning over to talk to each other or casting looks of loathing at Dumbledore.