AN- Hi! I'm Back! Well I've not got much to say this time. I'm just going to pick up where I left off last time.
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' Watch where you're going you oaf!' the boy screamed at Harry.
Harry's face was completely devoid of emotion as he asked ' What're you doing to that owl?'
' None of your f***ing business!'
' I don't think it likes you. I don't blame it.' Harry calmly said in return.
' Shut the heck up! Who do you think you are? Your probably nothing but a mudblood.' Said Malfoy as he swung at Harry.
Harry didn't move a muscle. Malfoy's fist connected with Harry's cheek and Harry's head snapped back.
' Teach you to talk to a Malfoy like that.' he muttered as he moved to go around Harry. Harry grabbed the cage from Malfoy as he was walking by.
' I don't think this bird did anything to deserve being YOUR owl.' he said. There wasn't even a mark on his face. Years of Dudley's "fun" had toughened him up a lot, not to mention his training at the Dojo.
' What do you think you're doing? I paid for that!' Malfoy said swinging at Harry again.
This time Harry blocked the punch by swatting it to the side. Malfoy swung again and again and each time Harry just blocked it. Malfoy was looking rather enraged by Harry's lack of emotion so Harry put the bird and the cage down just in time to use both hands to stop Malfoy from tackling him. He grabbed Malfoy's wrist and under his shoulder and, turning, he threw him back to the top of the isle. He took out several galleons and dropped them on the floor in front of the other boy.
' There, now I'VE paid for it.' and with that Harry turned and walked out of the store. He knew that the boy would just get a different owl but at least maybe now he wouldn't be so arrogant.
Harry hadn't had a chance to look at his new owl but now that he did he couldn't understand HOW Malfoy could possibly say that this wasn't a wonderful animal.
The owl had calmed down almost immediately after Harry had taken her (at least Harry THOUGHT it was a her...) from Malfoy and was now preening her ruffled feathers back into place. It seemed that she knew Harry wouldn't be like Malfoy.
Harry had thought that she had been a midnight black in the shop but now she was a pure snowy white. Harry wasn't sure what type of owl it was but he though that it might be a snowy owl as she was all white. In fact the only part of the owl that wasn't white were her eyes, which were a startling bright green, matching Harry's exactly.
' Well what do you think, huh? Would you like to come to Hogwarts with me?' Harry asked the bird.
She turned her head at the sound of his voice and her eyes seemed to be telling Harry not to ask silly questions. Harry thought she had a VERY expressive face for a bird.
' Heh heh. I guess anyplace without Malfoy would be okay with you huh?' Harry chuckled.
Just then Hagrid came out of the Leaky Cauldron a couple stores down and spotted Harry right away.
' Harry, I thought I told yeh I would buy your animal for you?!' Hagrid said as he came up to Harry.
' I know you did but... Well there was a complication...' Harry replied looking down at his feet. At the time that he had taken the owl from Malfoy he hadn't been thinking about the consequences of his actions. In fact he hadn't really been thinking at all, just reacting to the way the bird was being treated. Now however he was beginning to think that maybe he shouldn't have intruded on something that hadn't really been any of his business.
Seeing the look on Harry's face Hagrid knew at once that something was up. He couldn't see Harry's eyes behind his glasses but he could tell that Harry thought he was in trouble.
' Well we can talk about that later, right now let me see what yeh got there.'
' I'm not too sure myself but I think it's a snowy owl or something. Do you know if it's a male or a female?' Harry asked handing over the cage to Hagrid.
' Hmmm... Well I can't say fer sure but I think I know what kind of owl it is. And it's definitely a girl, but I think we should go back and ask at the shop... Come to think of it why didn't they tell you when you paid for it? Or does that have something to do with the "Complications"?' Hagrid asked trying his best to sound amused in order to reassure Harry that he wasn't going to be in any trouble.
As he was saying this Hagrid saw the Malfoy boy walking out of the Animal Emporium with a scared looking eagle. The boy looked quite annoyed and this gave Hagrid some idea of what was troubling Harry. Especially when he saw Malfoy rubbing an obviously sore backside...
' Tell yeh what. Let's go find out what kind of owl we got here. If I'm right then you made a good choice and will have a faithful and useful animal for Hogwarts.' And with that they headed back into the shop Harry had come out of.
Once inside Harry glanced around quickly for Malfoy and then relaxed seeing that he had already left.
Hagrid carried the cage up to the front counter where a fairly young, and fairly annoyed looking witch sat writing in a book that seemed to be a record of sales. She let out an aggravated sigh when Hagrid put the cage on the counter.
' Look, I already told you...' she started to say but then stopped when she saw Hagrid. She just stared for a moment at Hagrid's belt before looking up... and up and up... to his face.
' Oh my! I-I'm sorry I thought you were someone else. Umm, How may I help you?' she asked.
' Oh yeh don' need to apologise. I saw that Malfoy boy on his way out of here, yeh deserve to be annoyed after serving slime like THAT family.'
At first the witch just looked shocked but then she smiled and laughed. ' I guess you're right. So what seems to be the problem?' she asked turning to the owl. (Harry was staying behind and to the side of Hagrid, as Hagrid seemed to know what he was doing and Harry of course had no idea.)
' Hmm. This is the first owl that Malfoy choose. I was worried that he wouldn't be one to take care of a special animal like this but I saw someone take it from him on his way out. How did you get it?' the witch asked as she inspected the bird in the cage.
Looking up she saw Harry and smiled. ' Ahhh, I see. I think I must thank you Mr....?'
' Uhhh... Just Harry is fine.' Harry replied realizing that she was addressing him. 'But thank me for what?'
' Well this particular owl needs to be cared for and I sincerely doubt that Master Draco could have managed.'
' Ah-ha! So I was right! This IS a Tusuko Owl!' Hagrid exclaimed.
Through most of this Harry had been completely lost and now was no exception. Harry couldn't understand why knowing that the owl needed to be cared for would mean it was a certain kind of owl and he said so.
' Well yeh see Harry she didn't mean that the owl needs to be taken care of but that it literally needs someone that cares about it. Because of that there are NO wild Tusuko Owls and that's also why they are so rare.' Hagrid answered.
' But if there are no wild ones then how did they come to be in the first place?' Harry asked.
' Well I'm not sure about that myself...' Hagrid answered.
' Well no one really knows for sure but there are some theories.' The witch behind the counter said. ' The most widely accepted one is that a young wizard a long long etc... time ago tried to turn herself into an owl for some reason but that she got stuck as an owl and stuck in the owls mind and in essence became an owl with magical properties. The Tusuko owls are her descendants. Some people also think that she was the first one to attempt to become an animagus.' she explained.
' So then this owl has special abilities?' Harry asked.
' Well... most would, but this particular one has yet to show any magical properties other than changing colour to suit her owner... that's actually why Malfoy didn't really appreciate this owls worth.' the girl looked worried, as though she though Harry might feel the same.
' Well Malfoy should probably have a snake anyway.' Hagrid muttered. ' So what do yeh want to do Harry? Keep this one or would yeh like to return it for a different animal?'
Looking shocked at the suggestion Harry answered ' No way! I really like this owl and besides, what other animal could we possibly find with eye's like hers?'
' Heh heh. Alrigh' then Harry I guess she needs a name?' Hagrid chuckled.
' Umm... Yeah I guess so.' Harry replied. ' Does she have a name?'
' No. Sorry she doesn't. I'm not even sure how or where the store owner got her.' The clerk said.
' Yeh don' need to decide right here and now Harry. Give it a while. I'm sure you'll think of a good name eventually. For now though what do yeh say we get a place for you to stay until the first?'
' Okay let's go.' Harry said and they went back to the Leaky Cauldron to ask Tom about a room for Harry.
As the days past Harry spent a lot of his time in his room, as he was almost scared to face a crowd of wizards without Hagrid there to control them and Hagrid had needed to leave for reasons he was unwilling to tell Harry. Since he found his schoolbooks fascinating and since he would have been bored otherwise Harry spent most of his days reading up on his subjects. He figured he'd need any advantage over the other students who had grown up with magic. He decided to call his owl Hedwig, a name he'd found in Hogwarts: A History.
Whenever Harry DID leave the Leaky Cauldron he learned to Hid his scar and blend in with the other wizards so as not to attract attention to himself. It never worked completely but he was at least able to move about Diagon Alley (AN Say it fast-diagonally) without attracting a mob. His glasses did much to hid Harry since, because they were mirror plated, no one was able to see the bright green of his eyes which had become almost as trademark for Harry as his scar.
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AN- Well, that's it till next chapter!
H/H FOREVER!
Bye!