[Hagrid?]
Tom tilted his head. The name sounded familiar. If he remembered correctly, Hagrid was a pretty major character in the original story, right? But as for what he actually did... Tom couldn't quite place it at the moment.
"That's right, Rubeus Hagrid. He's the Keeper of Keys and Grounds. He lives in a small cabin right on the edge of the Forbidden Forest."
As Harry mentioned Hagrid, his eyes lit up noticeably. "Hermione told me you needed some materials from magical creatures. I thought you might want to talk to Hagrid; he loves working with them. If you're up for it, I can take you to meet him tonight."
[Tonight, huh...]
Tom hesitated for a second. He wasn't actually that worried about materials—Snape was a walking ATM when it came to procurement and could get his hands on basically anything. But meeting Hagrid...
[Sure, why not! It's a date.]
He had to admit, he was pretty curious about the half-giant.
"Great, it's a deal then." Harry breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced around cautiously and lowered his voice. "Also, about what you mentioned regarding Potions class..."
His face was a mix of hope and pure anxiety. This was his real motive. He absolutely did not want a repeat of his last Potions experience. If Tom could actually get Snape to chill out, Harry wouldn't just introduce him to Hagrid—he'd consider making peace with Malfoy or even the Dursleys.
[Don't worry~ As long as you drop by my place before the next class, I guarantee you'll see a whole new side of Snape.]
Watching the hopeful Harry—and Ron, who was pretending to ignore them while practically pressing his ear against the air—Tom could barely hide his smirk.
He was doing the math in his head. Snape's obsession with Lily was legendary. If he could temporarily turn Harry into "Harriet," he'd have that gloomy professor eating out of his hand.
As for whether Snape would hate Harry even more later when he turned back into a James-Potter-clone? Not Tom's problem. He only promised Snape would be nicer during class. No after-sales service guaranteed.
Besides, Tom thought, once Snape sees Harriet, will he ever be able to look at Harry the same way? Maybe I can sell him a subscription for temporary gender-swaps. Talk about a steady revenue stream!
Sure, Harry might suffer a little embarrassment, but hey, he said he'd do anything.
"I'm counting on you, then. See you at the castle gates tonight." Harry patted his chest in relief and turned to leave. He wasn't that close with Tom yet and didn't want to overstay his welcome.
"Wait, tonight?!"
Hermione suddenly realized the gravity of the situation. She called out to Harry before he could walk away. "You mean you're going to break school rules and sneak out at night again? I thought you'd learned your lesson last time!"
Did they already forget nearly becoming a snack for a three-headed dog?! She looked at Tom, hoping the "most reliable" (?) cat would reject the dangerous proposal.
Unfortunately, as the Sorting Hat once said, Tom was a Gryffindor at heart. Sneaking out was a hobby for him. Plus, he had a dozen ways to dodge Filch. Why would he ever be a "good student"?
Instead of rejecting Harry, Tom happily flicked his tail and accepted the invitation.
"Me too! I want to go! Count me in!" Ariana chirped, excited. A chance to meet new friends? She wasn't missing that.
"Ariana, not you too..." Hermione's face fell. She put her head in her hands. How was everyone okay with this? Was this just the essence of being a Gryffindor?!
"Um... can I come too?" Hannah asked timidly. She was a Hufflepuff, for heaven's sake!
"Of course! The more the merrier. Hagrid loves a crowd."
"(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ Fine! I get it! None of you care about the rules, and everyone wants to go for a night stroll! Fine, I'm coming too! At least if Filch catches us, I can help you find a way to escape!"
"As long as you don't go running to Filch to tell on us, we won't get caught!" Ron chimed in.
"What's that supposed to mean? You think I'm a snitch?!"
"Who knows?"
"Ron Weasley!"
---
Meanwhile, in the Slytherin common room...
Draco sat alone by the fireplace, the flickering flames casting long shadows across his face. He stared into the fire, his tea long since gone cold. He had been like this since leaving the Great Hall.
He didn't know what was wrong with him. Why did he thank that strange animal? His pure-blood pride revolted at the thought, but the "thank you" had slipped out as if it had a mind of its own. What annoyed him even more was that saying it didn't make him feel disgusted—it made him feel... relieved?
"Draco?"
Goyle's gravelly voice came from behind him. He was trying to shove half a cake into his mouth. "You okay? You've been acting like a ghost since we left the Hall."
"...I'm fine."
Draco looked away sharply. Thanking a cat? He could never tell them. If word got out, he'd be the laughingstock of Slytherin, Malfoy father or not. The family couldn't afford that kind of embarrassment.
"Was it that cat? Did he threaten you?" Crabbe asked, poking his head in. "We can take him. Just like we take Potter..."
"Shut up, Vincent!" Draco snapped, his voice uncharacteristically sharp. "This is my business. Stay out of it!"
He stood up and threw his cold tea into the fireplace. The flames hissed and flared up, swallowing the dark red liquid instantly.
---