Another Weasley (FTM OC)

Chapter 4: Blood and Birds

The next day Cayden felt so awkward. All his friends were making fun of Harry, even Pansy who Cayden had previously thought wouldn't stoop that low. He wanted to get up and leave early. He could barely even eat with everything. Eventually he got the courage to get up and leave the dining hall. He got to the halfway house and to his surprise Harry was there not a second later.

"I-I'm sorry about them." Cayden says. "I didn't tell them I swear I don't know how they found out I-"

"It's alright, Neville told basically everyone." Harry laughs at his friend clearly hiding his anger.

"Well that was stupid of him, your friends should learn to keep their mouths shut."

"Big talk for someone with your friends." Harry says with an actual laugh then Cayden follows.

"Yeah I guess both of our friends have their flaws." Cayden says.

"Right we aren't the crazy ones." Harry says. The two boys smile. "Thanks for the gift."

"I swear its not cursed." Cayden says almost on instinct.

"Yeah I know." Harry laughs.

"Sorry I meant what I said in the note." Cayden says sheepishly.

"Yeah, I guess working with cursed items all summer you have to be careful."

"Does it work?" Cayden asked, "I mean I can try to make it stronger I know what happened on the train was probably not you know so if its not doing well I can-" He stumbles over his words trying to feel like he is doing something to help his friend.

"I actually wasn't wearing it on the train, stupid I know but I had been wearing it all summer and I didnt feel like I was being watched anymore so I thought oh it's safe at hogwarts I can take it off now." Harry jokes.

"What gave you the idea it was safe here, you know who popping out of a professors skull, or the dangerous monster under the girls bathroom." Cayden jokes back.

"Yeah I guess you're right, it's probably hogwarts magic that we didnt die because if those things." Harry thinks out loud.

"Oh wonderful we got the school that protects us from the dangers it attracts." Cayden sighs. Honestly he was just hoping this year would be semi normal but the train ride had cut that pipe dream short. "Why were there even dementors on the train in the first place?"

"I guess they were worried Sirius black would try something." Harry shrugs. Unfortunately for the two of them their conversation gets cut short as people start to flood out of the dining hall and into their first classes. They didn't even get to say goodbye they just disappeared into the sea of students.

They don't end up seeing each other again until Care of Magical Creatures. Draco isn't all that interested in the subject but Cayden had some interest. It was nice to see Hagrid and Fang again, after all that happened last year he was glad to see the two reunited. He introduces them all to the lesson but not before Draco starts complaining about it all. Hagrid is actually pretty calm, he seems sad but still he just shows everyone how to open up their books by stroking their spine which no one had been able to figure out over the summer. Cayden opens up his book from the rope he had gotten to bind it. Hagrid looks worse and worse the more Draco talks, clearly he had only wanted to make the class fun. Harry tries to tell Draco to shut up but he doesn't so Cayden elbows him in the ribs. Finally hagrid starts his lesson with the largest creature Cayden had even seen. He had lived in the magical world his entire life but the creatures he was used to dealing with were no larger than a dog. This thing was massive. Hagrid introduces it as a hippogriff and Harry volunteers to be the one to go up to it. Cayden holds his breath until the hippogriff finally bows to Harry and he pets its beak. Hagrid then had the rest of the class make their attempts on hippogriffs. Cayden having a strong sense of self preservation decided to stay back and watch how the bird-horse hybrids react to the others before attempting himself. Draco did not. He ends up insulting the hippogriff and the bird, being rightfully offended although Cayden would never tell him that, snaps at Draco hurting his arm. Cayden immediately rushes over to Draco, putting pressure on the wound and Hagrid leads the hippogriff away. Draco wont stop screaming that he is dying.