Chapter 1
Malfoy turned slowly toward the large tree, where he first met Buckbeak, which was, in his case, a rather 'bad' experience. Looking at all the rope scars on the ancient tree, he recalled beating up all the first and second years here.
"Ferreus!" shouted a coughing girl's voice,
"What…ughh…did…cughh…you put… in… pluhh ukkgh…my cup?" Malfoy strode around the tree and glanced at the look of pure evilness on Ferreus' face, who was crouching next to a shrub, smirking.
In the midst of Lorelei Bellator's choking, Ferreus yelled out to Malfoy
"Hello, Draco!" The sarcastic, skinny, Slytherin sneered at Malfoy. Crabbe and Goyle stepped forward, threatening to punch Ferreus, but Malfoy ordered them back.
"Find some kid to beat up, Ferreus." Draco spat. Malfoy intimidated everyone, except, of course, Hermione, Ron and Harry. He signaled for Crabbe and Goyle to follow Ferreus, while he went to Lorelei's aid. The small, Asian, girl was still gagging. He swung her into his arms and snuck to the hospital wing.
Lorelei's choking worsened. Malfoy was certain he heard her say to put her down and so he did, but with great care. With Malfoy's help, Lorelei managed to walk a few steps forward but collapsed in breathlessness and fainted, just outside of the hospital. Professor McGonagall appeared from the hospital doors and gasped.
Everyone was in class and but every fortnight, Draco and Ginny's classes had to share the Care Of Magical Creatures area, for a free class. Being her usual, attentive self, Hermione Granger, picked up that something was not right when she spotted Crabbe and Goyle clueless and without Malfoy. She put on her brave face and walked over to Crabbe and Goyle, Harry and Ron following close behind.
"Hello, Crabbe, Goyle. Have you seen Malfoy?" She asked innocently.
Surprisingly, Goyle spoke first, and with unusually good manner,
"He's behind that tree because…b-because he - he went to - to - powder his n-nose…as you ladies c-call it." Ron looked furious. Harry made a sort of snorting noise and forced himself not to smile. Hermione saw this answer as reasonable (also since she didn't want to risk finding out if that was the real truth).
"Alright, thanks. I needed to ask him something, but it can wait."
"Later, I'll question Ferreus, since I saw him looking suspicious too." Hermione thought to herself. Harry and Ron stood around stupidly, unsure of what to think.