Suddenly, he caught a whiff of something unusual. He growled low in his throat, his ears perking up. He followed the scent, his paws silent on the forest floor. As he rounded a thicket of bushes, he saw them - Colin and Dennis Creevey, two young boys from Hogwarts, sneaking around with their wands drawn.
Harry's hunger surged. The boys yelped in terror as he lunged at them, his jaws wide. But then, something strange happened. Colin, the older of the two, looked him in the eye and said, "Whoa there, furry beast! Put those teeth away before you ruin our dinner!"
Harry skidded to a halt, confusion flickering through his mind. He recognized the boys, and the realization of what he was doing hit him like a ton of bricks. He whined, shrinking back from them.
Dennis, braver than his brother, tried to defend Colin, but Harry was too strong. Colin, however, was not one to back down. He stepped forward, his voice firm. "Enough, Harry. I said stop."
To Harry's surprise, he found himself unable to resist Colin's command. He whimpered, his haunches dropping to the ground.
Colin raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's one way to ruin a meal. We were planning on eating something else, you know."
Dennis's eyes widened as he looked around, taking in the dead bodies of other magical creatures nearby. Harry felt a wave of guilt wash over him.
"I-I'm sorry," he stammered. "I didn't mean to..."
Colin waved a hand. "It's alright. But we could use your help, if you don't mind. We need to bury these bodies."
Harry nodded, feeling obligated. Together, they worked to bury the creatures, Colin making dark jokes about Harry's digging skills.
Once they were finished, Dennis thanked Harry, his expression sincere. "We appreciate your help, Harry. You're welcome to join us for a real dinner, once we're done."
Harry was taken aback by their kindness. He accepted their invitation, and the four of them finished their grisly task. As they walked back to Hogwarts, Colin slung an arm around Harry's shoulders. "You're not so bad, for a furry beast."
Harry couldn't help but smile.
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