The Boy in the Cupboard

Chapter 12

Harry didn't have a good first day of his second year, though Professor Sprout was kind enough to modify a pair of earmuffs to fit Padfoot. Harry was quite happy to pull Mandrakes out of pots, but protested repotting them by dropping pots and scattering soil while the Mandrakes continued crying. Padfoot pulled on Harry's sleeve, but Harry balked.

The first transfiguration lesson didn't go much better when McGonagall told the students to turn beetles into buttons. At first, Harry was content to let his beetle crawl all over his hand, but soon he collected both Ginny and Colin's beetles before going to rescue the beetles at other tables. McGonagall wasn't pleased and neither were most of his classmates.

At lunch, Neville said "Professor Trelawney saw the Grim in my teacup," while Ron smirked at Padfoot. Hermione seemed extremely skeptical about the class as a whole. Padfoot thought Divination would have been a more relaxing class, if it weren't for Harry's fondness of smashing glass.

Padfoot was very relieved when the second-years had Defense Against the Dark Arts after lunch, instead of Care of Magical Creatures like Neville, Ron and Hermione. At least in today's Defense lesson, there weren't any creatures that needed freeing. Remus had mentioned third-years would be facing a boggart in their first lesson. Harry would surely open any cupboard door before the lesson had even started.

Sirius wondered how Harry would have done with the hippogriffs Hagrid had introduced to the third-years in Care of Magical Creatures. Hearing about it at dinner, Ginny lamented "I wish we'd seen a hippogriff today instead of those ugly mandrakes."

One hippogriff, named Buckbeak, might have needed liberation after all. According to Ron, Malfoy had, quite stupidly, insulted Buckbeak, who had attacked.

That evening in the common room, Ron and even Hermione were just as unfocused on homework as Harry was on therapy exercises (Harry kept watching Crookshanks warily while Hermione worried about Buckbeak). They all gave up and went to visit Hagrid in his hut.

Hagrid had clearly been drinking, convinced he'd be fired after the first day of school. Malfoy was reportedly bandaged and moaning in the hospital wing. Hagrid didn't offer his usual rock cakes, and didn't stop Harry rummaging around searching for them; Sirius did.

"Malfoy's faking." Ron said, and Neville nodded.

"We'll back you up, Hagrid." Hermione promised. Ginny, who wasn't even there, agreed, and Colin begged to go to the Hippogriff pen for photos. Hagrid, for once, wasn't eager to show off a creature after what had transpired earlier.

Harry, scowling at his hunt for food being thwarted, left Hagrid's hut and headed toward the Forbidden Forest.

"Harry, no! It's forbidden!" Hermione shouted. Harry ignored her, already among the trees. Padfoot growled and tugged at Harry's robe until it ripped.

"WHAT D'YEH THINK YOU'RE DOING, EH?" Hagrid roared, temporarily sobering as he lifted Harry easily and carried him, kicking, back to the open grounds. "I'm already in trouble for Buckbeak, I'm not going to be caught letting you into the forest!"

Remus might have been right to worry about raising teenagers. Harry gave Padfoot the slip on every opportunity, often heading toward the Forbidden Forest. His escapades would have worked better if Padfoot couldn't track his scent.

Sirius could understand- what teenager wanted an adult, especially their guardian, hanging around constantly, even in dog form? But he still couldn't leave Harry alone. It was quite clear that Harry could wander somewhere dangerous, or even still eat something he shouldn't.

"Bugger off" became one of Harry's most-used phrases. Ron joked about Padfoot having fleas as Harry attempted to shove him away.

Harry frequently sought out Peeves. "Let 'em loose," he'd say to the poltergeist, who somehow had a sack full of spiders or a scorpion. Harry clearly enjoyed the chaos of escaped creatures, and just as clearly wanted these incidents to be private, even though Sirius was one of the greatest pranksters in Hogwarts history.