This is Magic: Ereri Harry Potter AU! Fanfiction

Chapter 9: Sudden News

As the two first years headed to Care of Magical Creatures together, Levi inconspicuously walked closer to Eren, who radiated heat like a furnace. The days were getting shorter and the cold had crept in out of nowhere.

Levi despised winter. The season entailed shivering, runny noses, and getting sick, which meant the spreading of germs. Levi pulled his striped Gryffindor scarf over his mouth further. Just the thought of winter put Levi in a bad mood. Christmas was also coming, along with his birthday. He had yet to tell Eren, mostly because he didn't want the brunet to make a big fuss. Levi never celebrated Christmas or his birthday, and he was content to keep it that way.

The raven sidled up closer to Eren, this time bumping shoulders with him. The brunet gave him a glance paired with a small smile. He too wore a scarlet and gold scarf, wrapped around his neck tightly to combat the cold weather. Since it was only the beginning of November, there had been no signs of snow yet. However, temperatures were dropping rapidly. 

"Why does this class have to be outdoors?" Levi complained as a shiver went through his body.

"Oh come on, Levi, it's not that bad," Eren laughed.

They made it to the shack with a few minutes to spare. Eren's attention peaked when he spotted a strange animal in one of the pens. Levi seemed to shrink backwards. He was unwilling to go near a vile, nasty, and wild animal. The creature seemed to have wings and talons, but it stood on four legs. It obviously had the body of a lion, but it's head was that of an eagle.

"Today's lesson: how to feed a griffin," the voice came from Professor Mike's house. Said man walked around the side of the house and approached his class. The first years shuffled nervously. None of them wanted to go anywhere near the griffin's sharp beak. "It's simple, really," Mike assured them. "You just grab the ferret by its tail, get Greyfeather's attention, and sling it up above his head. He'll jump up and catch it in his mouth. Easy." The professor proceeded to dump a bag of dead ferrets in front of his class's feet. "Now, who wants to go first?"

After a few silent moments, nobody had volunteered. Professor Mike sighed. "Alright, since there are no takers, I'll have to pick on someone. Jaeger, how about you?" Eren blanched, his eyes widening comically.

"U-um, I don't think that's a good idea, professor-" Eren stammered, but Mike was having none of it. The tall man grabbed Eren's shoulder and steered him towards Greyfeather while shoving a ferret into his shaking hands.

"Look, you already have his attention." True to Mike's words, the griffin fixed yellow gaze on Eren. He stomped his leg impatiently. "Now, just chuck it up, and he'll do the rest." Eren took a tentative step forward. The brunet took a deep breath, tensed his body, and threw the ferret high. Right over his head.

Eren could've sworn his life was over. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Greyfeather darted forwards, spreading his wings to lift him up. His front legs kicked out in excitement and his neck extended in midair as he snapped his beak around the ferret. Just as the griffin's talons were about to slash Eren, the boy was knocked to the side.

Eren hit the ground hard and grunted as another figure fell onto him, adding to the impact. The figure turned out to be Levi, who got up and scowled at Eren deeply. "What the hell, you idiot?? Who throws a piece of meat right above their head? You could've died," the raven ranted, smacking Eren upside the head. Eren rubbed his head and glanced at his friend sheepishly.

"Sorry..." he replied. Levi just scoffed and hauled himself up, then held out a hand to help Eren up as well. Eren gratefully took it and stood up. It took a while for the boys to brush off all the dirt that had gotten on them, but Levi insisted on being completely clean.

The raven made sure to keep Eren far away from Greyfeather for the rest of the class. Other students who were not as reckless as Eren succeeded at feeding the griffin, and Eren looked on wistfully.

By the end of the last period, Levi and Eren were stacked with homework. As usual, the boys holed up in the corner of the school library, making sure to keep quiet. Well, sometimes Eren had trouble with his noise level, but Levi was always there to keep him in check.

About an hour into their herbology assignment, Eren started to nod off. Every so often, Levi would nudge him, and the boy would snap out of his sleepy state, but it was becoming more and more difficult to stay awake. In just a few minutes, Eren was out like a light. His head rested on Levi's shoulder. Brown hair tickled Levi's cheek as Eren breathed in and out steadily.

"Jeez," Levi sighed, running a hand through Eren's hair. "You're hopeless."

Hours passed. Levi studied diligently as the light from outside became dimmer. Not once did Eren wake from his peaceful slumber. It was only at 6:00 that there was any form of interruption. It came in the form of an excitable professor.

Although Hanji was usually bubbly and energetic, the professor wore a grim expression on her face. She approached the table almost reluctantly. Levi, being as sharp as he was, knew that something was wrong instantly.

"What is it," he deadpanned, boring his gaze into Professor Hanji's serious face.

"Certain events have occurred... Levi, I need to talk to Eren in my office," Hanji explained. The raven haired boy frowned.

"Alright, I'll come with him."

The professor shook her head and smiled gently, yet the smile was far from happy. "I'm afraid you can't do that, Levi. It's a personal matter. Eren must come alone."

By this point, said boy was waking up from his short nap. He blinked blearily and focused his sights on the professor. "Professor Hanji? What are you doing here?"

"Eren, you need to come with me. Alone," Professor Hanji stressed the last word, shooting a glance at Levi. Levi's eyes narrowed and he leaned towards Eren defensively.

"I want to go, too," he declared stubbornly. Eren looked at Levi with confusion, then looked back at Hanji.

"Yeah, I want Levi to come. Why wouldn't he be able to?" he questioned, rubbing the heel of his palm into one teal eye to try and clear his vision.

"I-I just...It's just...Ahhh," Hanji sighed as she bit her lip, conflicted. "Fine. Fine, okay. Come on boys, let's go." Without another word, the professor turned on her heel and walked out of the library's doors. Levi and Eren scrambled out of their seats, their textbooks and work forgotten as they followed Professor Hanji unquestioningly.

Her office was a few flights above the library, in a separate tower. Hanji held the wooden door open and ushered the first years in.

"Sit boys, sit," she gestured to the two guest seats vaguely. Making her way around her mahogany desk, the professor straightened her glasses and shuffled around some papers on her desk distractedly. She glanced up at the boys, who had already sat down and were watching her expectantly.

"Yes, well, um. You see," she mumbled, running her hand through her hair. "I-I'm afraid that I have rather bad news. Terrible news, actually. Almost as bad as the news that Gary Fitzgerald got in 1374 when his fatal experimental practices left half of London in shambles-"

"Professor." Levi's sharp voice cut through Hanji's pointless babbling, and the woman quickly closed her mouth. She inhaled through her nose, then let out a large breath.

"Alright. Eren, I have terrible news. I know that this is rather sudden, but it seems that, um, well... y-your parents were found murdered in their home two days ago."