Whelp II The Wrath of Snape

Smiling, he bent to scratch her ears.

'He is being in his workroom, Master Harry, but youse is not to be disturbing him there.'

Harry knew that. Father's Potions Lab was strictly off limits, both here and in Spinner's End. 'Is he gonna have breakfast with us?'

'Nelli thinks no, Master Harry. Master Snape's is being very busy this morning.'

'Oh.' Harry tried to keep his disappointment from showing. He headed down the short hallway to the kitchen where they usually ate breakfast. 'That's okay.'

'After youse is done your breakfast, Nelli can take youse to visit Master Hagrid again.'

'Maybe,' Harry hedged as he hopped up into a chair. Someday, his legs would be long enough that his feet could touch the floor when he sat down. He hoped so, anyway. 'I want to visit Charlie, though. I haven't seen him since he got back.'

'Charlie Weasley?' Nelli asked. 'He is being in his classes today, Master Harry.'

'It's okay,' Harry assured her. 'I won't get in the way.'

Nelli stared at him for a moment and sighed a little. 'Youse is eating your breakfast, Master Harry.' She pointed at the table. 'Master Snape says fruit, eggs and bacon, and toast. Youse is eating some of everything.'

Harry nodded, then grinned hugely when Treacle Tart jumped into his lap and peered up at him, then at the food appraisingly. 'Good kitten.' He petted her back slowly, laughing as her tail end rose up every time his hand reached the middle of her long spine. 'Hungry?' Of course she was, he could almost hear her thoughts as she gazed at him with those beautiful blue eyes. Harry fed her bacon and toast in little bites, breaking off nibbles of his own serving, or taking some for her directly from the platters. Treacle didn't care for orange wedges, though she did like slivers of banana.

Once they were both done, Harry saved a bit of toast and orange in a paper napkin, and put it in his pocket when Nelli wasn't looking. Then he got cleaned up in his bathroom and dressed in his favorite green shirt and gray trousers that were considered casual enough for playing outdoors. Once he was 'presentable,' he collected Treacle and, followed by Nelli, went in search of Charlie.

---

It took almost an hour of wandering the castle, Treacle by turns in his arms or at his heels, and Nelli close behind, before he finally found his friend. Charlie was in a class, like Nelli said, but it was almost over, Harry was sure. He peeked through the window on the top half of the door; he had to jump to see it.

Treacle Tart stood on her back legs, front paws on the door. A low, rumbled, 'Mrowr?' escaped her throat and Harry nodded. 'You'll like Charlie. He's real nice and likes dragons and Hagrid and Quidditch.'

A few minutes later, the class broke up, with chairs scraping back and papers rustling, and the students talking and laughing as they headed for the door. Harry scooped Treacle into his arms so she wouldn't be trampled, moved back from the door, watching another class let out down the hall, and waited for his friend.

Charlie was one of the last to come out, book bag slung carelessly over his shoulder and talking quickly to a dark-haired boy beside him, the same one he'd been sitting next to at dinner at the Welcoming Feast.

Harry lunged toward him. 'Charlie!'

The redhead turned and looked down to see Harry. 'Oi, Harry! How're you doing, mate? Your Dad giving you any trouble?'

'I'm good, Charlie, but look! I got a kneazle!' He held up the bundle of white fur. 'Her name's Treacle Tart.'

The boy beside Charlie snickered, and Charlie punched him lightly in the shoulder. 'She's pretty, that's for certain.'

'Yep, Hagrid gave me her. She's all the way from Siberia! And she's got gray spots, see?' He ruffled her fur a bit, so Charlie could see.

'That's great, kiddo, but I have to get to class. I'll see you later, all right?'

Charlie took a couple steps with the other boy, and Harry jogged to catch up with them. 'But I found a secret passage, Charlie! You and me can 'splore it, and everything.'

This time, Charlie hardly even slowed his steps, though he gave Harry a small smile. 'Can't. I have Transfiguration now.' His smile faded. 'And McGonagall will kill me if I'm late again.' He ruffled Harry's hair -- and Harry had gotten so used to Charlie doing that during the week he'd stayed here during the summer that he didn't hardly flinch at all. 'Why don't you sit with me and Payton at the Gryffindor table for lunch today. You don't mind, do you Pay?'

'Whatever,' Payton said with a shrug, but he rolled his eyes, too as if he was annoyed.

Charlie punched him again. 'Be nice,' he whispered, but Harry had really good hearing, or maybe Charlie wanted him to hear. 'Kid looks up to me.'

'Fine.' He peered down the hall with a sharp gesture. 'Well? Do you want to be late?'

'No, I'm coming.'

'Don't you want to go 'sploring?' Harry asked.

'Sure, Harry, but not now. I really have to go.' He started after the other boy who had already moved further away, and the two of them started jogging down the hallway.

Harry ran after them. 'But Charlie! Don't you want to play Quidditch?'

'Later, Harry!' he called, and the two bigger boys disappeared around the corner. The sound of Payton's laughter drifted back to where Harry was standing, stung, with Treacle clutched in his arms.