They were about one month into the school year when Jeanne suddenly started attending Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures classes.
Ever since the affair with Buckbeak, in Harry's third year, Hagrid had been too afraid to involve any large animals in his classes, devoting most of his time to the more harmless (but boring) flobberworms and salamanders. So the class was astonished when, one day, Hagrid announced that they would be learning about Thylacinths.
"Bit of a shock ter look at, if yeh haven't seen one before," said Hagrid to the class, before leading them to the enclosure. "Basically has two heads, a horse's head at one end an' a wolf's head at the other."
There were murmurs of surprise when the students heard this. It sounded totally bizarre.
"Thylacinths are as good as horses, run as fast, an' the wolf at one end makes fer good protection, a lot o' predators think twice about chasin' yeh when there's a wolf starin' at yeh in the face," continued Hagrid. "The wolf part ain't nothin' ter worry about, if yeh know how ter handle Hippogriffs, just bow to them same, that should do the trick." Hagrid was carefully avoiding Draco Malfoy's eye as he said this.
Despite having heard Hagrid's description, most of them had a shock when they actually saw the animals themselves. They were basically horses, each with a wolf's head at the rear end of its body. Neville turned pale when he saw them.
"Look!" said Hermione, "Look who's there, Harry, it's Jeanne!"
Jeanne was quietly standing at one end of the pen. She waved when she saw the three of them.
Neville looked startled when he saw Jeanne.
"You mean, it's true?" he said to Harry. "Is she the one - did she really - "
"She's just like any normal person, Neville," said Ron, impatiently. "I can assure you, she's much more human than Snape, for one thing."
Neville trembled. He was terrified of Professor Snape.
The class gathered near the pen, looking curiously at the Thylacinths. Hagrid seemed a lot more confident now that Jeanne was there.
"Everyone, this is my new assistant, Jeanne," announced Hagrid. "She'll be helpin' all of yeh if there's any problem."
Jeanne merely nodded vaguely at the class.
It was quite simple, actually. Each student had to make friends with the wolf end of the Thylacinth - by bowing to it - before mounting the animal and riding once around the pen.
"You talked Hagrid into this, didn't you?" said Harry to Jeanne, as he waited for Hermione to finish her turn.
"Sort of," she replied. "I've been watching some of the classes. I told him the students wouldn't have obtained a proper education if they'd learned about nothing more than flobberworms when they graduate from Hogwarts."
"You were watching?" said Harry. "We never saw you."
"I was sitting in that tree," she said, smiling and pointing.
"Anyway," she went on, "Hagrid's been pestering me to interact with more people. He says I can't just keep to myself all the time. So we made a bargain : I'll help him out here, and he shall introduce some more interesting animals."
Hermione came galloping up on her Thylacinth.
"Your turn, Harry."
When Harry had finished riding his Thylacinth, he and Ron and Hermione went over to a quiet spot to wait for the others to finish. To their surprise, they found Neville there, hiding in the bushes.
"What's up, Neville?" asked Hermione in astonishment. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm not going," he whispered, staring in fascinated horror at the Thylacinths.
"It's really nothing, Neville," said Harry. "You just bow at the wolf-end, and when it nods back, you can mount the horse and ride one round. That's it."
Neville did not seem convinced.
"I've got a phobia about wolves," he said.
They looked at him in surprise.
"I visited my Aunt Nell's during the holidays," said Neville, his voice shaking slightly. "She likes animals as much as Hagrid does. Anyway, this time she had a huge black wolf in her yard. She'd taken it in because it had a wounded paw."
Neville gulped.
"It got out of the pen one day," he continued. "Came snarling after me and jumped right on me." His voice ended in a frightened squeak. "Aunt Nell got it off me, but I keep having nightmares about it - I keep seeing its eyes staring at me…"
"Scared of wolves now, eh, Longbottom?" said a drawling voice from behind them. "Thought you'd have been scared long ago, with a werewolf teaching us and all."
Draco Malfoy had been listening from behind. He was smiling slyly, Crabbe and Goyle flanking him as usual.
"What did you say, Malfoy?" said Harry angrily, coming forward.
"Ooh, angry, aren't we, Potter," drawled Malfoy, "but of course you'd stick up for the werewolf, you're teacher's pet, aren't you, and besides, he's the kind you hang out with, walking around in rags, as poverty-stricken as Weasley here…"
He stopped, as a shadow fell across them. Jeanne had come up quietly, and had overheard.
"What did you say, Mr Malfoy?" she asked, in a dangerously quiet tone.
Malfoy looked at her, his eyes narrowing.
"M-Malfoy, you sh-shut up about Professor Lupin," said Neville suddenly. "He's one of the best teachers in this school."
"Sticking up for the werewolf, Longbottom?" sneered Malfoy. "All because he taught you how to dress a Boggart up in a hat and handbag. You'd think, if he could do that, he might as well spare himself wandering around in those rags of his - "
He stopped, because Jeanne had come right up to him. She said nothing, but reached a hand out and grabbed the front of Malfoy's robes, lifting him into the air.
Crabbe and Goyle came forward, but she made a small motion with the other hand, and they both keeled over and went to sleep.
Malfoy was choking slightly. Jeanne brought her face close to him, and said softly, "Not afraid of werewolves, are you, Mr Malfoy? I'll show you something you might be afraid of."
Malfoy's eyes suddenly widened in horror, as if he could see something the rest couldn't. He turned very white, and then went slightly green, and started trembling.
Jeanne brought her face very close to his.
"Professor Lupin is an old friend of mine, Mr Malfoy," she said, in a quiet, deadly voice. "Don't you ever, ever insult him in front of me…or I will make you very, very sorry, indeed."
Malfoy was sweating now. He nodded his head desperately.
Jeanne removed her hand, and he fell to the ground in a heap. She walked away without a second look at him.
"What's your name - Mr Longbottom? - you haven't had your turn yet," she called to Neville. "Time's almost up."
Neville looked terrified.
"Come on, Neville," said Harry, "Don't be afraid. We'll come with you."
Ron and Hermione had been watching Malfoy, who was still looking slightly green. They turned around when they heard Harry, and ran forward to join him and Neville.
"Wonder what she showed him," muttered Ron to Harry, as Hermione led Neville by the arm to the pen.
Harry looked back. Malfoy seemed to have recovered, and was kicking Crabbe and Goyle awake.
"What did she mean, Lupin is an old friend?" he said, puzzled. "She only met him a month ago."
Neville was the last to go. Hagrid dismissed the other students, and took his own leave, since he had to rush off to see Professor Dumbledore about something.
"All right, Neville, just bow to the wolf," said Jeanne.
Neville stood as if petrified, gazing in horror at the wolf-head, which looked at him and growled.
Jeanne said something to the wolf.
"You musn't be afraid," she said gently to Neville. "He can smell your fear."
"I'm scared of wolves," moaned Neville.
The wolf growled again. Neville uttered a frightened squeak, and turned and ran - straight into another Thylacinth behind him.
The horse-end of the Thylacinth had been grazing, and Neville ran right into the horse's head. It let out a snort, wheeled around, and gently kicked Neville in the stomach.
Neville crumpled up on the ground, his face white. Jeanne gave a cry of dismay, and ran up to him, together with Harry and the others.
Neville was groaning. The others watched fearfully as Jeanne examined him.
"He'll be all right," she said, after a while. "The Thylacinth didn't kick him very hard - it was more like a friendly warning. As a rule, they're fairly gentle animals."
She looked at Neville. "Let's get you to Madam Pomfrey."
Neville didn't stay long with Madam Pomfrey, but he was very subdued for the rest of the day. When Hermione asked him if he was all right, he looked rather distressed.
"I've got to meet Miss Graham later this evening," he said dismally. "She said she'd do a make-up class with me."
Harry listened in surprise.
"Please come with me," Neville begged. "I don't want to be alone with her, and all those wolves."
So, that evening, the four of them trooped downstairs to the castle entrance.
Unfortunately, they met Professor Snape on the way. His eyes narrowed when he saw them, and a sneering smile curled his lips.
"Where do you think you're going?" he said, his eyes glittering. "Students are not supposed to be wandering around at this time."
Neville looked too frightened to speak.
"Please, sir, we have a makeup class for Care of Magical Creatures, with Miss Graham," said Hermione in a rush.
Snape stared disbelievingly at them.
"With Miss Graham?" His lip curled. "I believe it is Rubeus Hagrid who is in charge of Care of Magical Creatures."
"Miss Graham is helping him," said Ron, quickly. "She just started today."
Snape looked at them, as if considering.
"Very well," he snapped. "But if I find out otherwise, it'll be fifty points from Gryffindor for each of you."
He turned, and stalked away.
"Actually, I'm surprised he let us off so easily," said Hermione, as they hurried toward Hagrid's hut.
Harry thought so, too.
"Maybe it's because of Jeanne," he said. "He was almost nice to her, later that night, in the staff room.
"You mean, he has the hots for Jeanne?" said Ron, with a snort of laughter. "That would be the most bizarre thing I ever heard…Snape isn't capable of any human emotion!"
They found Jeanne waiting at the enclosure. She looked surprised to see so many of them.
"We came to give Neville moral support," explained Harry.
"But where are the Thylacinths?" asked Hermione, looking around the empty pen.
"Right here," said Jeanne, smiling, and indicating herself. "I can transform into one, and Neville knows I won't hurt him, don't you, Neville?"
Neville gaped at her, wide-eyed.
"I think we'll start with wolves first, since that's the main problem," Jeanne went on. "Neville, I'm going to change into a very small wolf first. Then, when you're all right with that, we'll slowly work our way up to a bigger one. How about that?"
Neville's eyes were large, but he nodded.
Jeanne raised her arms, and began to shrink. Smaller and smaller…fur was growing on her skin…
A little wolf cub had appeared. It frisked and frolicked around, letting its tongue loll out, and smiling at Neville.
Ron was watching, open-mouthed. Hermione squealed in delight.
"Oh, it's so cute! Oh Neville, you can't be scared…it's so adorable…stroke it, like this - " she demonstrated.
Neville looked petrified for a moment, then, since the wolf cub seemed harmless, cautiously tried to pet it.
The wolf cub got all excited, and licked Neville on the face.
"It's wet!" exclaimed Neville, wiping his face. The others laughed.
The cub growled suddenly. Neville squeaked in fear, and backed away.
The cub frisked about again, running at Neville and nipping at his robes.
"Hey, stop that!" he cried. "Naughty wolf! These robes are new…"
The cub worried the robes, then growled.
"Gran will kill me," moaned Neville, ignoring the growls, and looking at his robes. "You dumb wolf…"
The wolf cub cocked its head to one side and looked at Neville. Then, suddenly, it swelled, and grew slightly larger.
Neville backed away hurriedly.
The now slightly larger wolf cub bounded forward and worried at Neville's robes again, licking his face when he bent down to free himself.
"That's right, Neville, pat it," called Hermione encouragingly.
"He - he's not so bad, - is he?" panted Neville.
The wolf cub stopped its frisking, and looked at Neville.
"Er, - I mean, she," said Neville hurriedly.
The wolf kept growing gradually, frisking about and playing with Neville until he got used to it. Before they knew it, it had become a full-grown she-wolf.
"She's an awfully pretty wolf," remarked Hermione, looking at the silvery-grey fur and neat paws.
"She is, actually," said Neville, as the wolf licked his face. It then growled suddenly.
"Oh, no, you don't," said Neville to the growling wolf, "I'm used to your tricks, by now."
And suddenly, the wolf was gone. Jeanne was there, instead, smiling.
"Very good, Neville," she said, looking pleased. "Very good, indeed. Now, we can start on Thylacinths."
Neville looked rather apprehensive, but Jeanne said, "It's only me, Neville. I wouldn't hurt you, would I?"
Neville shook his head, looking calmer.
Jeanne raised her arms, and transformed into a Thylacinth. Neville took a step back.
"Look at the wolf's head, Neville, it's the same she-wolf," called Harry.
Indeed it was. The she-wolf's head was looking at Neville, who after a moment's hesitation, approached it slowly. When he was a few feet from it, he suddenly froze.
"Bow to it, Neville!" shouted Ron.
The wolf's tongue lolled out in a smile. Though it didn't seem possible, Harry was sure the wolf had just winked at Neville.
Neville looked at it in amazement. Then, lowering his head, he bowed to the wolf.
The wolf's head nodded back gravely. Then, the horse-end gave a little whinney, and the animal obligingly lowered itself so that Neville could mount it.
"You've done it, Neville!" Harry shouted, as the Thylacinth trotted off, with Neville clinging to its back, a look of disbelief on his face.
They watched as the two galloped around the enclosure. When they returned, Neville's round cheeks were flushed, and there was a broad grin on his face.
Harry, Ron and Hermione applauded as he dismounted. Then, the Thylacinth was gone, and only Jeanne was there.
"That was great!" cried Neville, panting. "I did it! I really did it!"
Jeanne was smiling and looking pleased.
"Yes, you did, Neville," she said warmly. "You did very well, indeed."
"Let's try again, with a fiercer wolf this time!" Neville cried enthusiastically.
She smiled, but shook her head.
"That's enough for today," she replied. "I don't want you to be too familiar with wolves; they are, after all, still dangerous creatures. If you were to meet one outside, you'd better remember that you should run for it."
Neville was still grinning away, as they walked back to the castle.
Harry couldn't sleep. He sat up in bed, and after a while got out and walked over to the water jug to get a drink, then stood at the window, looking out. It was a beautiful night; the moonlight came streaming in the open window, casting sharp, black shadows about the room.
A movement in the distance caught Harry's eye. There, down by the lake, he could vaguely see two figures.
The figures disappeared behind some trees, then reappeared. Harry strained his eyes. They were some kind of animal, running in unison along the lakeside. They stopped at one point, and raised their heads, as if looking at the moon, then turned and trotted into the forest nearby.
"They look like dogs," thought Harry. Could one of them be Fang? Perhaps Hagrid had obtained a new dog.
He waited a while, but the dogs did not reappear. Finally, Harry went back to bed.
They had just reached the portrait of the Fat Lady when it swung open and Neville came out. He was carrying a pile of books.
"What are you doing, Neville?" asked Hermione. "You're not going to the library at this time, are you?"
To their surprise, Neville blushed.
"I'm going to see Miss Graham," he said, his face red as a beet. "She - she said she was willing to help me with some of our homework."
Ron looked surprised.
"Jeanne offered to give you private tuition?"
"Actually - actually I asked her," Neville said, blushing even redder. "Well, I got to go. See you!" and he trotted off.
They looked at each other.
"Looks like Hagrid has competition," said Ron.
Harry turned to go in a hurry, and bumped into someone.
"Oh! Sorry -"
It was Jeanne. She was holding a thick pile of books.
"Jeanne!" said Harry. "What are you doing here?"
She smiled at them.
"I've been helping Neville with some of his homework," she said, "but I'm not very strong on Potions myself. So I'm just brushing up on it a bit."
"A bit?" said Ron. "You're taking half the library out with you!"
"Perhaps I could be of assistance," said a cold voice behind them.
They turned around. It was Snape.
He came forward, hook-nosed and unsmiling, ignoring the others, and looking at Jeanne.
"Should you require any assistance in this subject, Miss Graham, I should be most willing to help," he said smoothly. "You know where my office is, of course."
Jeanne looked rather pale. She stared at him for a moment before replying.
"Why - that would be very kind of you, Severus," she said politely. "Thank you for offering."
"Not at all," said Snape. He gave her a curt nod, and strode off, his robes billowing behind him.
Jeanne stared after him, her eyes wide.
"Move along there, why are you all blocking the way?" called another sharp voice.
They turned. It was Madam Pince, the librarian.
Jeanne recovered her composure.
"I have to borrow these," she said, hurrying to the counter. "I'll see you people later."
To be continued.......
