Wolfbite (A Harry Potter Fanfiction)

Chapter 4: Talons

Chapter 4: Talons

Reggie got sorted into Slytherin like I thought he would. He spent too much time with our parents over the past two years, so it was inevitable. Siri thinks he's a lost cause now, but I won't give up on him. He's my brother. He's family. Nothing else matters but that.

**

Leo awoke early the next morning and immediately turned to look at Ron's bed, his eyes narrowed as he slowly crept over to it. He looked all around the bed for Pettigrew but found no sign of him. He's either hiding or in bed with Ron... which is actually quite disturbing when you recall that he's a thirty-four-year-old man. Leo shook his head in disgust as he got ready, packing his books and the Marauder's Map into his bag as he headed downstairs through the common room down the Grand Staircase and into the Great Hall.

He poured himself a glass of orange juice – he had always found pumpkin juice rather unsettling – before piling his plate with scrambled eggs, sausages, and potatoes. Fred and George joined him not long after, arriving with the other students slowly trickling into the Great Hall. McGonagall then came down the Gryffindor table, handing out schedules and asking Leo to give his friends theirs when they arrived. He gave a mock salute in response before looking over his schedule and noting that he had Ancient Runes first thing.

Harry suddenly appeared, dropping into a seat next to George. Hermione sat down beside him shortly after.

"New third-year course schedules," said Leo, passing them over. 

"What's up with you, Harry?" George asked.

"Zabini," said Ron, sitting down on George's other side and glaring over at the Slytherin table.

Leo and George looked up in time to see Zabini pretending to faint with terror.

"That little git," George said calmly. "He wasn't so cocky last night when the Dementors were down at our end of the train. Came running into our compartment, didn't he, Fred?"

"Nearly wet himself," said Fred, with a contemptuous glance at Zabini.

"Draco said he screamed like a little girl," Leo grinned. "Wish I could've been there for that."

The twins chortled at this, recalling the incident before they both sobered up.

"I wasn't too happy myself," said George. "They're horrible things, those dementors..."

"Sort of freeze your insides, don't they?" said Fred.

"You didn't pass out, though, did you?" said Harry in a low voice.

"Forget it, Harry," said George bracingly. "Dad had to go out to Azkaban one time, remember, Fred? And he said it was the worst place he'd ever been, he came back all weak and shaking... They suck the happiness out of a place, dementors. Most of the prisoners go mad in there."

"Aye. Dementors bring out the worst memories in people," Leo said around a mouthful of sausage. "Given our history, it's no wonder we had such a negative reaction, Harry. Don't worry about what other people think, just focus on you."

Harry gave a grim sort of smile at this before helping himself to sausages and fried tomatoes. Hermione was examining her new schedule.

"Ooh, good, we're starting some new subjects today," she said happily.

"Hermione," said Ron, frowning as he looked over her shoulder, "they've messed up your timetable. Look — they've got you down for about ten subjects a day. There isn't enough time."

"I'll manage. I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall." 

"But look," said Ron, laughing, "see this morning? Nine o'clock, Divination. And underneath, nine o'clock, Ancient Runes. And —" Ron leaned closer to the timetable, disbelieving, "look— underneath that, Arithmancy, nine o'clock. I mean, I know you're good, Hermione, but no one's that good. How're you supposed to be in three classes at once?"