Coyote Tricks: A Coyote at Hogwarts

The Test of Silver

“He should be taken from the school at once and locked up before he hurts anyone.”
Goodbody paced back and forth as she lectured the group in Dumbledore’s office.
“I’m afraid I must agree with her, sir.” Talgar said.
“We don’t know that Kit is responsible,” Shippo said. “The submission spell on his necklace is still intact and yet the Coyote that attacked Hanako was unaffected by the spell.”
“Master Shippo brings up a good point.” Dumbledore said. “We cannot be sure that Mr. Coyote is one behind the attack.”
“Well, there are no animagus here that turn into a Coyote. The Ministry keeps rather good tabs on them.” Goodbody said. “And someone using Polyjuice potion would take on Mr. Coyote’s natural form, not the Coyote form which is a transformed state.”

“Is there some other spell that could transform someone into a Coyote?” Yuki asked.
“It would require a very powerful witch or wizard to do so without ill effects,” McGonagall said. “There is a reason why animagus are so rare.”
“An illusion then?” Yuki said hopefully.
“No,” Toshiro said. “Hanako is a Kitsune, even at her age she would have seen through such an illusion.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Shippo said. “Whether we believe Kit innocent or not, we cannot ask Professor Dumbledore to risk the safety of his students. We will leave immediately and return to Japan.”
“If he is a werewolf, we can’t just let him go.” Goodbody said.
“Why not, it will solve your problem won’t it?” Toshiro said.
“She is right,” Talgar said. “The Ministry’s viewpoint on this is clear; we can’t just foist off a magical threat on another country just because it’s convenient.”
“But you don’t know he is a threat!” Shippo said.
“You don’t know he isn’t!” Goodbody retorted.

“Enough,” Dumbledore said quietly in a tone that silenced the others. “The matter is simply settled. We can subject him to the Test of Silver. If he passes then he may leave with Master Shippo. If not, he can be detained by the Ministry until extradition arrangements can be made that will satisfy the Ministry. Will that be adequate?”
Talgar and Shippo both nodded.
“Good, I happen to have a silver dagger used for the test before.”

He opened a drawer and removed a silver dagger from velvet cloth.
“As the Ministry representative, I should administer the test,” Talgar said taking the dagger. “Ms. Goodbody as the Dark Arts instructor will be adequate as a witness.”

“What is this test?” Shippo said eyeing the dagger apprehensively.
“Werewolves are allergic to silver,” Talgar explained. “If he can hold the naked blade of the dagger in his bare palm, then he will pass the test.”
“I wish to be present.”
“That would not be acceptable,” Goodbody said. “You are his friend and an illusionist. We must ensure the test is not interfered with.”
Shippo rankled at the accusation against his honor but acquiesced.

~~~

Harry, Ron and Hermione crossed the grounds on the way to Hagrid’s hut.
“So why are we going to Hagrid’s?” Ron asked.
“I don’t think that Kit attacked Hanako,” Harry said.
“Why?”
“Think about it, she was attacked just after we learned her charm could open the Chamber of Secrets. I think whoever attacked her was after the charm.”
“And Kit would have just asked her for it and she would have given it to him,” Hermione finished. “That makes sense if the attacker was after the charm.”
“It’s too much of a coincidence,” Harry continued. “That’s why I didn’t want to talk about it in the common room.”
“Why is that?” Ron looked puzzled.
“Because the only people who knew about the charm were in the common room with us.”
“But no one there could turn into a Coyote,” Ron protested.
“Yea,” Harry said. “That’s what is bothering me.”

The came up to Hagrid’s hut. The Half-Giant was busy carrying a basket of apples out to the yard. He walked with a distinct limp. A short distance from the hut was what looked like a horse but was unlike any horse Harry had ever seen before. She had dark black fur that almost seemed to absorb the light and a bright red stripe ran along her sides.

“Hello, Hagrid,” Harry said as they approached.
“Oh, He’llo ‘Arry, Ron, ‘Ermione,” Hagrid said putting down the basket.
“What happened to your leg?” Ron asked.
“Oh, just a little love tap,” the huge man said. “Just Swift Wind’s way of letting me know she doesn’t like to be touched.”
They heard a whinny that sounded almost like a laugh and looked over at the Elven Steed. She looked back at them for a moment with a look filled with mischief and then returned to eating the apple she was working on.
“My fault really, I got a little too friendly and didn’t listen when she warned me.” Hagrid said with a sigh.

“So,” he said turning back to the teens. “What brings you out to see me?”
“It’s about Mr. Coyote,” Harry said.
“Aye, I ‘eard about last night. It’s just ‘wful ain’t it.”
“Well, we not sure Kit actually did it. I wanted to ask, is there anything in the Forbidden Forest that have taken a Coyote form?”
Hagrid thought about it for a moment.
“No, I’m sorry ‘Arry, there are some nasty wolves and such but nothing that looks like a Coyote.”
“I see.”

“Look, don’t be getting any ideas of going back into the forest.” Hagrid said. “I’ve been ‘earing things from my friends in the Forest and there are some strange things going on. Dangerous things. You stay away from the Forest, you ‘ear.”
“Alright, Hagrid.”
“Promise now.”
“I promise.”

~~~

Kit paced back and forth across the room like a caged…Coyote. He was still upset from the events this morning. Shippo and Toshiro had brought Hanako to see him and the fear in her eyes at first had been like a dagger in his heart. It had not taken long to assure her that he was not the one who had attacked her. He even consented to letting her ‘heel’ him to show the charm still worked. She hugged him then and all was forgiven but the original look still haunted him and he vowed whoever was responsible would pay.

He felt the ward on the room fall and turned to see the door open. Goodbody and Talgar stepped in.
“What do you want?” He said barely restraining himself from adding a few more descriptive words.
“Your friends wish to take you and return to Japan.” Talgar said.
“Good.”
“But the law requires that you be tested to make sure you are not a werewolf before we can let you leave the country.”
“What sort of test?” Kit asked warily.
“The test of silver,” Goodbody said. “Werewolves are allergic to the stuff. If you can grasp the blade of this dagger in your hand, you are not a werewolf.”

She held out the dagger, blade facing Kit’s heart. Kit didn’t hesitate, reaching out and grabbing the blade.
“Satisfied?”
“Yes, you pass the test,” she said smiling as she yanked the blade out of his hand cutting open his palm.
“Bitch!” Kit cried as he gripped the bleeding palm. “What did you do that for? What is it with you anyway? What did I ever do to you?”
“You want to know what you did to me. You were born, that’s what.”
“Huh?”
“I loved her you know, Spring Rain,” Goodbody said, turning away from Kit and handing the bloody dagger to Talgar.
“Mother?” Kit looked confused at hearing his Human parent’s name.
“But she rejected me like all the others, being a Shaman she knew what I was. And then HE came. I knew him for what he was at once, even before she did. I was certain he would accept me, understand me unlike the others. But when I approached him he drove me off. Told me he was ashamed of what my kind had become.”
She turned back to him.
“But he loved you!”

Kit shook his head, all this was confusing him. He growled and took a step towards her but his legs didn’t seem to support him all of sudden. He dropped to his knees.
“Yes, silver doesn’t affect you,” she said as the Coyote Hanyou fell at her feet, “but the poison I put on the blade does,”
She drew her foot back and kicked him.
“Sleep well, Son of Coyote!”

~~~

Minerva McGonagall wandered down the long corridor on her way to her way to the Headmaster’s office. She had just been relieved at the door to the Mr. Coyote’s room by the Talgar and Goodbody, who planned to administer the test of silver to the American. She offered to witness but Talgar told her that Dumbledore wanted to talk to her.

Some instinct made her turn around in time to see the large Coyote stalking down the corridor behind her. She pulled her wand held it out in front of her.
“Petrificus Totalus!” She yelled.
Amazingly the Coyote dodged the spell bolt! Minerva was startled by this and before she could try again the Coyote was leaping for her.

Knowing she could out run the beast, she crouched and leapt towards the Coyote. The Animagus transformed into her cat form in mid leap, bouncing off the Coyote’s head, leaving him snapping at her tail. She quickly climbed a pillar out of the Coyote’s reach. The archway over the ceiling contained a small space where the pillar supported it, just big enough for a cat. Minerva crawled inside and turned to see what the Coyote was doing.

The Coyote paced around the pillar and then with a shimmering of shadows transformed into a naked Kit. The American began climbing the pillar. As Minerva watched the nails of his hands grew into claws and the fangs in his grinning mouth were quite pronounced.
“Here Kitty, Kitty.” He said as he reached for her.
With a hiss she clawed at his reaching hand, scratching him. He jerked the hand back more reflexively than due to injury.
“You’re dead now, Kitty Cat!”
He was starting to reach for her again when he froze and looked back down the hall, his coyote ears twitching. Then he dropped to the floor and transforming into a Coyote again fled out of sight just as Talgar came running down the hall.

Minerva leapt down and transformed back into her Human self.
“Thank God, you came!” She cried. “He almost killed me.”
“Kit Coyote?”
“Yes, what happened? Is he werewolf after all?”
“We never found out, he attacked Ms. Goodbody and me the moment he saw the dagger. Come on, we need to find him before he hurts one of the students.”

They followed after the Coyote which stayed just out of sight ahead of them. The trail lead back towards the guest quarters when they heard a shout. At the entrance of Kit’s room they found him in his natural form, unconscious and tied up at Ms. Goodbody’s feet.