9th December, 1889 — Transfiguration Classroom

This was the stuff of nightmares. Aubrey knew the dangers of transfiguration more personally than most - no kidding, huh - so he had always been wary of the classroom where unpractised children waved their wands willy-nilly hoping to turn things into something else.

He had thought it might be the place that saved him, once upon a time. He had thought, when he was a young hedgehog, new to the life, that if he hopped out of Master Urquart’s pocket one day in a Transfiguration class, he might be able to catch the professor’s attention, might seem so wondrously Un-Hedgehog-Like that the professor, if not a pupil, would be able to piece together the sum of it, and realise he was not what he looked like.

It hadn’t happened, because humans were fucking blind (and that came from Aubrey, who for the last decade had only been able to see in shades of cream and brown). He tried to get a look at Transfiguration theory when he could, though, just in case one day he came across a way to turn himself back, by spontaneously learning wandless magic or just by sheer force of will. Whatever worked.

With the winter holidays coming up, there had been various student study groups over the weekend trying to cram before end-of-term exams, finishing work that they’d been slacking on. Aubrey had been eavesdropping on one of those yesterday, in fact, when the worst had happened.

It had gotten practical. Turning things to pincushions, that was what the OWL years were working on. There was a cage full of porcupines right beside him. And Aubrey? Aubrey had, for the rest of the weekend, been trapped in a cage full of hedgehogs.

To be experimented on! To face the indignity of losing even animal consciousness and becoming an insentient pincushion! To think, he had thought hedgehog life hell, when it was only a kind of purgatory. Merlin, imagine if baby Urquart had managed to make him a pincushion for the rest of his days.

But the weekend had come and gone and classes were set to start up again today, and he had to get out of here before lessons if it was the last thing he did! (It would be the last thing he did, if he became a bloody pincushion.)

He’d had to do a lot of climbing and grunting over the bundle of hedgehogs in this cage, but finally - finally - he had managed to pick the lock by reaching through the bars and wriggling one of his tiny fingers into the lock. He had just managed to swat the lock out of the way, sending it to the stone floor with a clang - when the door to the classroom creaked open. Shit shit shit.

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Formerly known as Davis, Elijah Urquart's pet hedgehog.

He was going to fail out of Hogwarts; he was absolutely sure of it.

Archer scurried his way down the halls, lips pressed into a line. He'd misplaced one of his books again. Though, it happened so often, he was starting to wonder if someone was actually hiding them. After all, it did seem strange that his History of Magic text had found itself at the Slytherin table, and his Potions text had been discovered in another student's bag. He just couldn't figure out who was the culprit intent on playing tricks on him.

Transfiguration started in nearly an hour. The last, and most obvious, place he intended to look was the classroom itself. If he couldn't find it, perhaps some other poor soul had left theirs, and he could borrow it.

Archer nudged the classroom door open with his shoulder. Just as he did so, a loud clang reached his ears. Merlin, was someone there? He'd hoped the classroom would be empty. Searching for one's school supplies was an embarrassing thing to admit.

"H...Hello?"

Either way, he didn't wish to be startled.

Squinting a bit, he glanced around, not noticing anyone immediately.

  

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MJ is the best!

Aubrey paused warily. One or two of the more cowardly hedgehogs had already assumed defensive position, curled in a ball. Someone was here.

He held the bar of the cage closed for a moment with his paw, supposing he could get away with pretending it was closed and that whoever was in here would not pay much attention, and move on to whatever business they had, and then he would be able to slip out, unnoticed.

Only - he recognised that voice. He recognised that small, unassuming stature, the way his robes swished around his feet. Of course he would remember Small Boy, whom he had once sat upon, and been taken along to the library by, and even been called smart that day!

Small Boy was, all things considered, an ally.

(Even if he weren’t, he was a youngster in schoolyears, and would be no match for a whole cage of creatures at once.)

So, Aubrey threw being discreet out of the proverbial fucking window, and pushed the cage open with his muzzle. Unleash the beasts! He snuffle-cried, trying to lead the rest of the hedgehogs as they began tripping over themselves, tumbling out of the cage on the table onto the classroom floor.

Aubrey, who had more style than the best of them, backed up and took a flying leap, landing at the front of the pack and rolling forwards in a ball to gain speed. Wouldn’t the boy be impressed?!

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   Billie Farrow

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Formerly known as Davis, Elijah Urquart's pet hedgehog.

Archer wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but a hedgehog prison break hadn't even been a passing thought. His first reaction was to worry that he would be blamed. After all, it appeared the creatures had been in a cage. It wouldn't be that big of a stretch since Miss Farley had outed his private conversation with one in the library. His peers would not only think Belby was a nutter, but some sort of magical, Victorian PETA member to boot.

"Oh."

Tossing from one foot to the other, he tried to decide whether he should flee or attempt to conceal the evidence. Telling someone was not something he was prepared to do. While he struggled to make up his mind, the young Ravenclaw stared at the scene in front of him. Aubrey's flying leap and tumble did impress him, especially since the others were being much less graceful about their escape.

Squinting his eyes a bit, he gave Aubrey a closer look. It couldn't be the one he'd taken to the library, could it? That was nearly a year ago. It couldn't be the same hedgehog, could it? He seemed unsure.

The chaos unfolding left him talking to himself, well, the hedgehogs, "Merlin, where are you all going?"

The following 1 user Likes Archer Belby's post:1 user Likes Archer Belby's post
   Elias Grimstone

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MJ is the best!

Small Boy stood and held his own against the tide, which did not say a great deal about Small Boy’s courage because, well, hedgehogs. Aubrey did think he’d gotten the kid’s attention, though, and so he stretched out of the ball, slowing as the others continued to scurry, and then deliberately pattering towards the boy’s shoes.

Saving themselves from the students, Aubrey explained in a snuffle, glancing across at the creatures running for the door, absolutely unprepared for the placement of so many desks in their wake. The door! He yelled at them, in his best Hedgehog, Head for the door! He didn’t know if they’d listen. No one ever did.

In order to get Small Boy to pay a little more attention, Aubrey took a moment to crane his head upwards and stare at the boy in the eyes, unblinking and direct. Then, to make matters clearer, he clambered onto the boy’s shoe, made for his ankle, and tugged, purposefully, on the hem of his robes with all he could reach with - his teeth.

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Formerly known as Davis, Elijah Urquart's pet hedgehog.

Archer stared back at Aubrey, awkwardly shifting his weight from one foot to the other. It was a bit unnerving to make direct eye contact with a creature who didn't blink. Was that normal for hedgehogs? He glanced at the others who were making a break for it; they didn't seem to be fixated on him in the slightest.

Since he'd been the victim of a hedgehog hitchhiking incident before, the young Ravenclaw didn't shriek this time when Aubrey decided to climb up onto him and tug on his robes. Very, very slowly and carefully, he reached down and tried to pick him up, so he could get a better look at him.

He didn't make any sort of attempt to stop the jailbreak in progress. Perhaps, he should have. Oh well.

  

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MJ is the best!

In the life he now led, Aubrey considered any human who’d been nice to him all of once as an old friend, someone to be trusted, because what real standards could he afford to have? (Admittedly, he hadn’t had much higher standards as a footman: anyone with the slightest decency or politeness went down in his good books.)

And, being a hedgehog, Aubrey cared very little for general decency. Or having any dignity. This time he needn’t hitch a ride; Small Boy was all but offering him the gentlewoman’s seat in the carriage! Aubrey usually flinched when a hand came hurtling towards him - even a Small Careful hand like this one - and would’ve gnashed his teeth if the lift hadn’t been appreciated.

Instead, because they were friends and he wanted to say thank you, Aubrey licked the boy’s hand with his tiny pink tongue. (What could you do, man? He’d get the message one way or another.)

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Formerly known as Davis, Elijah Urquart's pet hedgehog.

Archer let out a small laugh as his hand was licked. Despite his initial fear of the hedgehog, he found he quite liked him. Surveying the mass exodus, he shrugged, not so sure he could have rounded all of the spiky creatures back up, even if he tried.

"I supposed you also want to get out of here, yeah?" He asked, not really waiting for an answer. Merlin, was he really going to help with this escape? He dreaded to think of the amount of trouble he'd be in if someone found out he'd been responsible. Then again, it was moreso a wrong place at the wrong time sort of ordeal. Nobody would believe that.

"Let's hope nobody notices." He started toward the door, treading lightly so he didn't accidentally squash one of Aubrey's compatriots.

  

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MJ is the best!

Aubrey responded in the affirmative by nuzzling down into Small Boy’s hand. There were times - right now, for instance - where he wanted nothing more than to be able to articulate things in a human fashion. Like a nice ‘thank you, yeah’. But for eleven years he hadn’t been able to and couldn’t and so nuzzling the boy in a friendly way and not pooping in his shoes was all the thank you he could give.

OUT OF OUR WAY, YOU FUCKS! Aubrey whistled out from his place high above them, sure some of his unfortunate compatriots were quite confused about what was happening. Well, that was on them. If they couldn’t work out how to get out of the classroom and out of the castle, then maybe they deserved to be turned to pincushions.

I think they might notice, he added to his saviour-slash-carriage, in a matter-of-fact snuffle.

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   Billie Farrow

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Formerly known as Davis, Elijah Urquart's pet hedgehog.

Archer wasn't quite sure what to make of the nuzzling, but he assumed he was doing something correctly since the hedgehog hadn't tried to bite him. Very carefully, he tiptoed around the other hedgehogs and nudged the door open further so they could make an exit. Or, well, attempt to. He wasn't about to stick around to ensure that they all streamed out into the hallway.

Glancing down at Aubrey, he smiled sheepishly and then took off at a rather fast trot in the direction of a side door to the courtyard. He assumed that might be a safer place than lingering around the scene of the crime? Maybe he could try and prop the door open somehow? Either way, class was meant to start in about an hour, and he didn't want to be about if the professor decided to show up early to prepare.

"They might have to try and escape themselves," Archer whispered. "Carrying you all just isn't possible." Using his shoulder, he spilled out into the courtyard, the cold wind nipping at them.

  

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MJ is the best!

This escape scene was making Aubrey almost want to fashion himself some sort of leader of the hedgehog revolution. He was only one pet, but imagine what he could do in Hogwarts if he had a whole band of hedgehogs at his disposal! Imagine if he could rally everyone’s pets -

Unlikely, since most cats and owls looked like they wanted to eat him. No, Aubrey was a lone wolf in this world, and no matter how hard he tried, no one seemed to make much of him.

But Small Boy had picked him from the crowd, so he must have an idea that Aubrey was special, that something about him was different. (There was certainly something different about Small Boy: for starters that he talked to hedgehogs. Secondly, that whenever Aubrey had seen him he was alone. Most of these lads and lassies were pack animals. Not this boy.)

Aubrey licked his snout as they branched out into the courtyard, forgetting about the plight of the hedgehogs in the pleasant breeze. He didn’t know where they were going, but he was suddenly rather content. At this point, Aubrey would take whatever kind of freedom he could.

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Formerly known as Davis, Elijah Urquart's pet hedgehog.

Part of Archer wished he had thought to research hedgehogs more thoroughly after their last encounter. While he assumed, the little fella would be alright in the woods, the fact it was winter had him dismissing any idea of depositing him at the edge of the forest. He didn't wish Aubrey to freeze to death!

"I wish you could speak. To tell me where it is you were wanting to go," he murmured, trying to determine where best to leave the small creature. He had class soon, and he wasn't so sure appearing with one of the liberated hedgehogs in his bag was the best idea.

Maybe he could hide Aubrey in Ravenclaw Tower for the time being. At least until he could snatch some food from the Great Hall. He suspected the hedgehog was someone's pet, but the fact he seemed to wander about without anyone asking after him had Archer a bit puzzled.

With a deep breath, he scurried across the courtyard and ducked back inside the castle through another door and started hurrying his way to Ravenclaw Tower. He wasn't sure why, but he felt as if he needed to inform his hitchhiker of their destination.

"We're going to go to my dormitory for now. It's too risky to bring you anywhere else. Professor Yi will be noticing he's short a few creatures quite soon."

His pace was fast, which wasn't all that odd for the second year. Lingering places only ever meant disaster.

"You can hide under my bed if you'd like." Maybe Aubrey would discover his missing transfiguration book under there. "I can even make you a comfortable spot with one of my sweaters. I might even have a little something to eat. Does that sound nice?"

Why was he still talking? Maybe he really was a nutter.

  

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MJ is the best!

He could almost see the cogs turning in the young Ravenclaw’s brain about what to do with him now, and to be quite honest, if the kid had turned for the treeline, Aubrey might have bitten him until he relented.

But unlike his usual jailkeeper, the Urquart boy, Aubrey wouldn’t have enjoyed biting him. This boy was too nice for that: look, he was going to let him hide under his bed. This was going to be like a hotel visit! Small Boy was basically his footman at this point, bless him.

Aubrey bobbed his head up and down in enthusiasm. Thanks, Small Boy, Aubrey snuffled, comforted in all the terribleness of his stupid fucking life, that this child was bothering to ask his opinion. The boy couldn’t understand him, but Aubrey buried himself a little more cosily in the boy’s hand and hoped that would say enough. That does sound nice.

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Formerly known as Davis, Elijah Urquart's pet hedgehog.

When Aubrey buried himself into his hand, Archer let out a small laugh, despite himself. "I'll take that as a yes!" He smiled and kept on wandering through the hall, climbing carefully up the pesky moving stairs. It wasn't long before they reached the common room and Archer followed through on his promise. He made a nice little bed Aubrey could use, and he left a couple snacks that weren't all hedgehog friendly. At least, he tried.

He didn't linger too long, for he needed to get to class. Aubrey would likely find some textbooks underneath the bed that Archer didn't even realize were there. He'd return later with more food, whether or not Aubrey still lingered or not.

  

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MJ is the best!