Coyote Tricks: A Coyote at Hogwarts

Final Angelic Requiem, thank you for the reviews they are much appreciated.
This chapter is rated PG of adult situations, intense scenes and Snape Abuse.

Counting Coup

Kit was in a foul mood as he stalked the castle the next day heading towards the main hall. Shippo had gone all Japanese stoic on him.
“You are not my life mate,” he had said when Kit ran him down in the hallway last night. “I have no claim over you and you have no obligation to me. We will talk of this no further.”
Kit had wanted to grab him and make him understand but at that moment Ms. Goodbody and a group of, mostly female, students came around the corner. This lead to a bit of embarrassment all around since Kit had not taken the time to put on clothing in his pursuit of the Kitsune. He was forced to beat a hasty retreat and Shippo had avoided him since.

~~~

He entered the Great Hall to find Harry, Ron and Hermione eating breakfast.
“I tell you I was just beginning to feel sorry for her mangy cat until the stupid thing up and bit me.” Ron said.
“If Crookshanks bit you, you must have been teasing him or something.” Hermione said irate.
“I never…” Ron protested.
“Hello Mr. Coyote,” Harry spoke up, anxious to change the conversation.

“Just Kit,” the Coyote Hanyou said pulling up a chair. “Harry, I’m sorry about the scene in the office yesterday. I can assure you there was no canine trickery involved in what happened.”
“That’s ok Kit. I believe you.”
“I’m glad someone does.”
“Mr. Coyo…eh Kit, could High Elves be behind what happened yesterday?” Hermione asked.
Kit looked at her with a cocked eyebrow.
“What makes you think that?”
“Well all that writing we’ve been working on refers to Oberon and Elves. If they were behind what happened…well the old histories say they could create anything, even living things, out of thin air. Maybe they created those monsters out of the book.”
“Well it’s not quite that simple,” Kit said with a grin which then turned thoughtful. “But a powerful Elf Lord could have taken that book into the Unformed Lands and used it to manifest such creatures. You may be on to something Hermione.”

“But what about the crystal ball?” Ron asked. “I mean Trelawney isn’t exactly a world class fortune teller, in my opinion.”
“Still Dannon was present,” Kit said. “If she has any talent, his presence could have triggered it. He’s special that way.”
Kit missed the meaningful look that passed between Hermione and the others at this comment.

Kit’s hackles raised as Snape’s voice carried across the hall.
“Mr. Longbottom, button up that robe properly. We have high standards of decorum at Hogwart’s and you will live up to them or else.”

“Old Snape is still giving Longbottom a hard time,” George Weasley said as he and Fred joined Kit and the others at the table.
“Yea,” Ron said. “It’s been even worse since the Boggart thing.”
“Boggart?” Kit asked.

Ron explained how in the Dark Arts class last year they had covered Boggarts which manifest themselves as a person’s worst fear. In Neville’s case his fear was Snape. To defeat the Bogart they had to force it to manifest as something silly to dispel the fear. Neville made the Bogart manifest as Snape in a dress.
“Snape found out about it and he’s been even worse on Neville ever since.” Fred said.

Kit looked thoughtfully at the retreating Snape then turned to Fred and George.
“Rumor has it you two are masters in the art of mischief making and merriment; care to help me with a little project of mine?”

~~~

Kit ran into Dumbledore and stranger as he left the Grand Hall.
“Kit,” Dumbledore said. “I would like you to meet Barnum Talgar. He is an Auror. With the incidents that occurred yesterday, I asked that he be stationed here.”
Kit and Talgar shook hands.
“I thought yesterday was dismissed as a practical joke.”
“Well I’m sure it was all harmless,” Talgar said. “But just in case, I’m here now.”

Dumbledore stayed a moment longer as Talgar went into the hall.
“I just want you to know, Kit, that I trust you and Harry. Mr. Talgar is here at my insistence until this is all resolved.”
“Thank You, Professor. I’ll try to be worthy of your trust.”

~~~

The day outside was overcast and filled with large slow moving clouds. The enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall reflected the sky outside on the small groups of students studying in the hall. Neville was just finishing up his scroll on uses of newts when he heard the voice he dreaded.
“Mr. Longbottom, your robe is pitiful. Did I not tell you that we have high standards here at Hogwarts!”
“Yes Professor I…” Neville said turning around.
He froze in astonishment. Professor Snape stood before him wearing a billowing pink dress with purple and yellow flowers on it.
“I expect our students to maintain a high level of dignity and decorum as set by my shining example, do you understand Mr. Longbottom?”

Snickers sounded around the room as Neville fought a grin and nodded. The snickers died down as the real Snape, anger boiling in his eyes, came up behind the other. Kit’s senses however detected him easily. He gave Neville a wink and then whirled to face Snape.
“And you sir!” He said to Snape. “On you I count coup!”
In a shimmering of shadows the false Snape disappeared, the dress fell in a heap to the floor and with a flutter of wings a large raven flew out of the clothes towards the ceiling with caws that sounded amazingly like laughter. By the time Snape had pulled out his wand the bird had disappeared into the illusionary clouds.

Snape rounded back on a now cowed Neville.
“Explain yourself, Mr. Longbottom. What role did you play in this charade?”
“Nothing sir, I didn’t know….” He paused and his eyes grew wide as what appeared to be bird droppings landed on Snape’s hat and right shoulder.
There were more laughing caws from the hidden rafters overhead.

Snape turned to address the students.
“You would all do well to give these creatures a wide berth. We do expect appropriate behavior and decorum here.”
He stopped when a new round of suppressed snickers started around the room. Following the student’s stares, he saw that the ‘bird droppings’ had been absorbed into his clothes and spreading outward from those points his robes were turning pink. Pink with purple and yellow flowers. And running between the flowers were coyotes, grinning as if laughing at him.

With a muffled roar of frustration, he turned and strode quickly out of the room. The moment he was out of the door, the room collapsed into roaring laughter. From the rafters above, the Raven watched Snape leave.
‘That’s one,’ he thought. ‘Now for the Bitch.’

~~~

Later in the Gryffindor common room, Crookshanks sat in Hermione’s lap watching Hanako playing with a gold coin.
“I’m really starting to make some headway with that inner ring of inscriptions.” Hermione was saying. “I wish we could spend longer in the Chamber.”
“Sorry Hermione,” Harry shrugged. “I just can’t find anymore time to be down there with Quidditch practice.”
They had found that, no matter what precaution was taken, the doors to the Chamber automatically closed after a few minutes. Dumbledore had forbidden any of the students to work in the Chamber without Harry in case they became trapped.

Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment.
“Hanako,” she said at last. “Does that bracelet translate every language you hear?”
“Yes,” Hanako said holding the babelfish bracelet up.
“Does it work when Harry speaks Parseltongue?”
“Yes, but its different. When you speak I hear and understand in Japanese and when I speak you hear English. But when Harry speaks snake, I hear hissing but I still understand what he says.”
“Do me a favor; try talking to Harry in Parseltongue.”
“Okay,” Hanako said smiling.

She turned to Harry and starting speaking in the strange hissing language of the snakes.
“Yes, I like you too Hanako.” Harry said in English.
“You understood her?” Ron asked.
“Yes.”
“Then maybe,” Hermione said. “Someone wearing the bracelet can open the doors to the Chamber. If so, we can double our study time.”
“We’ll have to try it out tomorrow.” Harry said. “Thanks Hanako.”
The little Fox Child beamed.

~~~

Later as the castle was settling in for the night, Hanako was making her way back to her father’s room when she saw a movement in the shadows ahead of her.
“Hello?” She called.
A large coyote entered the light at the other end of the hallway moving towards her.
“Papa.”
The coyote growled menacingly, showing its fangs as it came down the hall.
“Papa?” Hanako said again scared and then yelled, “Heel!”
The coyote kept coming breaking into a run. Hanako’s scream echoed through the hallways.