Harry Potter and Claire Smith Adventures: Book Three

Emotions

Chapter 4: Emotions

Claire, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting in the Leaky Cauldron as Harry told them about his aunt.

"Why in Merlin's name would you blow up your aunt, Harry?" Hermione said.

"It's not like I meant to do it," Harry said. "Though she did deserve it."

"She must of really irked your nerve for you to blow her up." Claire said.

"She did," Harry replied. "She was badmouthing my parents."

"Honestly, I'm amazed you weren't expelled Harry." Hermione said.

"So am I," Harry admitted. "Forget expelled, I thought I was going to be arrested." He looked at Ron. "Your dad doesn't know why Fudge let me off, does he?"

"Probably, 'cause it's you, isn't it?" Ron shrugged. "Famous Harry Potter and all that. I'd hate to see what the Ministry'd do to me if I blew up an aunt. Mind you, they'd have to dig me up first, because Mum would've killed me. Anyway, you can ask Dad yourself this evening."

"Have you got your new school supplies?" Hermione asked.

"Yea," Harry answered. "You?"

Claire nodded. "We went shopping earlier this week."

"I got a new wand, by the way," Ron said, pulling out his new wand from his pocket. "Brand-new wand. Fourteen inches, willow, containing one unicorn tail-hair."

"Did you see the Monster Book?" Claire asked. "When we asked the manager at Flourish and Blotts about them, he looked as though he were about to cry. Those books look like something Hagrid would give to us for a gift."

"By the way Hermione, why did you buy so many books?" Ron asked, remembering that Hermione had bought three bulging bags full of books.

"Well, I'm taking more new subjects than you, aren't I?" Hermione said, "Those are my books for Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, the Study of Ancient Runes, Muggles Studies-"

"Muggle Studies?" Claire questioned. "You do realize that you're a muggleborn, right?"

"Of course, I do," Hermione said, earnestly. "But it'll be fascinating to study them from the wizarding point of view,"

"Are you planning to eat or sleep at all this year, Hermione?" Harry asked.

Hermione ignored them. Suddenly, they heard a hissing and squeaking noise. Hermione's cat, Crookshanks and Ron's rat, Scabbers, ran out from underneath the table they were sitting at, Crookshanks chasing Scabbers.

"Scabbers!" Ron exclaimed, grabbing his rat.

"Crookshanks! No! Bad cat!" Hermione scolded the cat as she caught him.

"Bloody hell, Hermione! Keep an eye on that bloody monster away!" Ron yelled at her.

"Maybe you should keep an eye on your bloody monster!" Hermione snapped at him.

"Enough!" Claire exclaimed, stepping between the two. "Both of you should be keeping an eye on your pets! Now, I want you both to stop arguing! That's all you two've been doing since day one and frankly it's getting annoying! If you're just going to have a yelling match then go do it somewhere else."

Hermione and Ron still glared at each other, but then they both headed upstairs, slamming their doors to the room.

"Or you can go to your rooms, I guess," Claire muttered, sitting back down in front of Harry.

"Since when does Hermione have a cat?" Harry asked.

"She got the cat earlier this week. Ever since then it's been trying to eat Ron's rat and the two have been fighting over it non-stop." Claire explained. "I don't know what Ron expects though. Cats eat rats and as much as Hermione tries to prevent Crookshanks from going after his rat, you can never truly stop it because that's their feline instinct."