HP :Pokemon In Horgwart

Snape's gloom broke off the moment they stepped out of the dungeons.

"I could have jinxed that git if I knew any good ones," Ron muttered as they climbed the spiral staircase.

From the scathing look Hermione threw him, he might as well have said he was using one of the Unforgivable Curses.

"He's a teacher, Ron," she reprimanded.

"He might want to start behaving like one," Magnus said, feeling repulsed.

 Even knowing that Snape had played a pivotal role in Harry's victory in the films, he had no love for the man. His heart was every bit as dark as any Death Eater's.

"Freaking bastard," he muttered under his breath.

Hermione flinched and glanced over her shoulder, as if expecting Snape to be right behind them. Magnus could picture her scrambling to convince the git that she hadn't been part of that conversation. As if Snape would care.

"Why are you even defending him? You knew all the answers, but he wouldn't even look at you. Do you think that was fair?" Harry asked.

For a second, Magnus thought Harry's question might actually win Hermione over. Her bright eyes dulled as she considered the sting of denied opportunities. But then, just as quickly, she pushed it aside.

"It wasn't unfair either," she said while brushing a stray strand of hair from her face.

Magnus could see the stubborn determination in her eyes—she was every bit the character he knew.

"I'll tell you what's really unfair," Michael, who was walking ahead, suddenly turned around, blocking their way on the staircase. They all had to stop. "It wasn't fair for him to take five points from Ravenclaw just because I tried "

"But your answer wasn't right... " Hermione began, but Goldstein cut her off.

"It wasn't wrong either—at least not entirely. And in any case, my answer was right. What did I get for it? Just a 'Correct... yet...'" Goldstein spat in clear disgust. Even Hermione couldn't come up with a response. Her mouth opened and closed helplessly.

"Oh, give up already, Hermione. I heard that guy gives no points unless you're a Slytherin," Corner grumbled.

The conversation died down as they climbed the last few steps to the first floor of the tower.

Then Hermione broke the silence with a statement that brought them all to a halt.

"Professor Snape wasn't entirely wrong, you know. I don't think first years are ready to take care of newborn Pokémon."

Potions had been their last class of the day, so they weren't in a rush. All the boys turned on her at once.

"Speak for yourself," Ron scoffed, looking at her as if she had just transformed into Snape.

"How can you say that?" Dean Thomas looked at her, perplexed.

Even Harry—who, as Magnus knew, had grown up with Muggles and barely knew anything about Pokémon—looked taken aback.

"Oh, here we go again," Ron groaned.

But Hermione stood her ground. Magnus noticed that most of the girls, along with Neville and Kevin (one of his dorm mates), seemed to be on her side.

"You can't be serious, Hermione. You think Snape is right and Dumbledore is wrong?" Ron asked, utterly baffled that anyone would defend Snape over the Headmaster.

The insinuation clearly threw Hermione into a dilemma, but to her credit, she didn't budge.

"I didn't say that. I just think… well, we know too little to properly care for them."

"She's right," another girl from Ravenclaw stepped in.

"Yes, you heard him… how are we supposed to know what will harm them? Almost everything looks dangerous to a hatchling," Padma Patil added, and her twin from Gryffindor nodded in agreement.

Magnus had had enough. Snape's plan was working.

"Are you people serious?" He stepped forward, frustration bubbling up. "Did you not see all the students with Pokémon on the train? Because I did. Almost everyone I saw had one."

He paused, watching their reactions. There it was—a tiny shift, a glimmer of realization. A small, hopeful spark.

"You don't think they got a second egg after killing their first Pokémon, do you? Come on, guys. This is exactly what Snape wants—fear."

They had all seen the numerous Pokémon on the Hogwarts Express. Now that he had pointed it out, their fears seemed to ease, if only slightly.

Of course, Magnus knew that, malicious as Snape was, his threats weren't entirely empty. Maybe there had been incidents where Pokémon got hurt. But it couldn't be anything he—or the school healer—couldn't handle. Snape was the potion master, maybe he just wanted to wiggle his ass out of his responsibility . He had hinted as much.

"Speaking of Pokémon, I think now's the best time to see them," Harry said, drawing all the boys' attention.

"I mean, it's three o'clock—most students will be down on the school grounds."

Harry was right.

Dumbledore had banned Pokémon from being brought into the castle—except for them. But they didn't have any yet.

 Students kept their Pokémon at the school daycare, which Magnus had heard was down behind Hagrid's cabin.

After classes, though, they were free to train and bond with their Pokémon.

If there was a good time to learn the basics before their eggs hatched, this was it.

Magnus excused himself from the group and hurried to Ravenclaw Tower to drop off his books. Goldstein and Corner were right behind him.

By the time they arrived at the tower, all three of them were panting from the rush.

They took turns trying the eagle knocker's riddles until Magnus finally hit the right answer on his second try.

"Crap… I will never get used to that thing," Corner muttered as the door swung open.

It seemed, however, that there was a lot they would have to get used to.

Edgar's cold stare was one of them.

Magnus skidded to a stop at the sight of the Ravenclaw prefect. He could have turned back and left—but it was already too late. Edgar had seen them. Heck, he had been waiting for them.

"Twenty-five points," Edgar hissed in that unnervingly calm way that somehow made Magnus feel worse than if he had yelled. "Who took them?"

"Snape," Magnus answered immediately, even though he knew very well that wasn't the answer Edgar was looking for.

He didn't need to look up to know he was getting 'The Look'.

Tall as Magnus was, Edgar still had a few inches on him, and he could feel the prefect's gaze piercing the top of his head.

"I did," Magnus finally admitted, forcing himself to meet Edgar's eyes.

"How many?" The prefect didn't look away.

"Twenty-five."

Magnus could feel Corner and Goldstein staring at him in surprise. Both of them knew the truth—but they were smart enough not to contradict him.

It wasn't that Magnus wanted to play hero or anything. On the contrary, he would have loved to share Edgar's wrath with someone else.

But he also knew Corner hadn't deserved the points Snape had taken. And really, what was the difference between twenty and twenty-five?

"It was Snape, and—" Goldstein began, but the prefect cut him off.

"Professor Snape," Edgar corrected coldly. "And I don't want to hear any excuses."

He turned back to Magnus.

"Give them your bag and come with me."

***

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