Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters, and some of the storyline, from the Harry Potter world, which is trademarked by J. K. Rowling. (I may use some of the author's descriptions/ wording from the books, but I have no intention of stealing anything! It's definitely clear for me that J. owns the rights for the Harry Potter books. )
I am grateful to Ms. Rowling for her wonderful stories about Hogwarts, for without her books, my story would not exist.
**I would like to thank my Beta- CorinBlue for editing my chapters.**
Chapter #3- Winged Patterns and Creatures
When Sophie and Haley entered the Great Hall for breakfast the next day, they saw Draco Malfoy making fun of Harry's incident on the train. Hermione was trying to calm him down.
"Ignore him," She said. "Just ignore him, it's not worth it…"
"Hey, Farrell!" Malfoy called to Sophie. She jumped, surprised. He looked so concentrated on making fun of Harry she did not see that coming. Sophie's long golden hair fluttered softly and covered her eyes. She ran her hand on it, and moved it back. Her eyes went large and she looked to his grey eyes. Malfoy stuttered and went silent. Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin girl with a face like a pug jumped to his defense.
"Hey, Potter!" She shrieked. "Potter! The Dementors are coming, Potter! Woooooooo!"
Sophie was a bit confused, what did Malfoy want to tell her, and why was he looking at her in that weird way. He turned around for a moment and moved his eyes to Pansy. Haley pulled Sophie to Gryffindor's table.
"Oh, Sophie!" Haley said, as Harry dropped into a seat between her and George Weasley.
"What, I did not do anything!" Sophie said.
"New third year course schedules," said George, passing then, over. Sophie took her schedule and gave a look at what her classes were, "What electives did you choose, Haley?" Sophie peeked to Haley's schedule.
"Care of Magical Creatures and Divination." Haley said.
Sophie was delighted. Both of them are going to be together in the same courses.
"Yay! We're together!" Sophie hugged her happily.
"That little git!" George said to Harry, from next to Haley. Haley and Sophie turned their attention to what they were talking about.
"He wasn't so cocky last night when the Dementors were down at our end of the train. Came running into our compartment, didn't he, Fred?"
"Nearly wet himself." Said Fred, with a contemptuous glance at Malfoy.
"I wasn't too happy myself," said George. "They're horrible things, those Dementors..."
"Sort of freeze your insides, don't they?" said Fred. Sophie was reminded of yesterday, and was quickly feeling bad over what happened to her. She had felt very bad near the Dementors, and lost control over her powers.
"You didn't pass out, though, did you?" said Harry in a low voice.
"Forget it, Harry," said George bracingly. "Dad had to go out to Azkaban one time, remember, Fred? And he said it was the worst place he'd ever been, he came back all weak and shaking... They suck the happiness out of a place, Dementors. Most of the prisoners go mad in there."
"Anyway, we'll see how happy Malfoy looks after our first Quidditch match," said Fred. "Gryffindor versus Slytherin, first game of the season, remember?"
Sophie's eyes glittered. Malfoy always got what he deserved on the Quidditch pitch. That was the only time she was happy someone could kick him, and show him that he was worth nothing.
Sophie helped herself to some cucumbers, and looked at Hermione who was examining her new schedule.
"Ooh, good, we're starting some new subjects today," she said happily.
"Hermione," said Ron, frowning as he looked over her shoulder, "They've messed up your timetable. Look — they've got you down for about ten subjects a day. There isn't enough time."
"I'll manage. I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall."
"But look," said Ron, laughing, "see this morning? Nine o'clock, Divination. And underneath, nine o'clock, Muggle Studies. And –" Ron leaned closer to the timetable, disbelieving, "look – underneath that, Arithmancy, nine o'clock. I mean, I know you're good, Hermione, but no one's that good. How're you supposed to be in three classes at once?"
Haley leaned to Sophie's ear. "I'd like to know how she would manage."
"Don't be silly," said Hermione shortly. "Of course I won't be in three classes at once."
"Well then –"
"Pass the marmalade," said Hermione.
"But –"
"Oh, Ron, leave her alone!" Sophie interfered. "She said already she managed things with professor McGonagall. It's not like she has a special power to copy herself three times."
Just then, Hagrid entered the Great Hall. He was wearing his long moleskin overcoat and was absent-mindedly swinging a dead polecat from one enormous hand.
"All right'?" he said eagerly, pausing on his way to the staff table. "Yer in my firs' ever lesson! Right after lunch! Bin up since five getting everthin' ready... hope it's okay... me, a teacher... hones'ly..."
Sophie was eager to see what Hagrid prepared for them. She never saw magical creatures, and wished to see anything new.
"Wonder what he's been getting ready?" said Ron, a note of anxiety in his voice.
The Hall was starting to empty as people headed off towards their first lesson. Ron checked his schedule.
"We'd better go. Look. Divination's at the top of North Tower. It'll take us ten minutes to get there..."
It took them a while to find the Divination class. Thanks to a painting of a knight, called Sir Cadogan they found where they were supposed to be.
They climbed stairs and emerged onto a tiny landing, where most of the class was already assembled. There were no doors off this landing, but Haley nudged Sophie and pointed at the ceiling, where there was a circular trapdoor with a brass plaque on it. Ron was doing the same with Harry.
"Sybill Trelawney, Divination teacher,'" Harry read. "How're we supposed to get up there?"
"After you," said Ron. Harry climbed the ladder first, then the rest of them.
Sophie emerged into the strangest-looking classroom she had ever seen. In fact, it did not look like a classroom at all, more like a cross between someone's attic and an old-fashioned teashop. At least twenty small, circular tables were crammed inside it, all surrounded by chintz armchairs and fat little poufs. Everything was lit with a dim, crimson light; the curtains at the windows were all closed, and the many lamps were draped with dark red scarves. It was stiflingly warm, and the fire that was burning under the crowded mantelpiece was giving off a heavy, sickly sort of perfume as it heated a large copper kettle. The shelves running around the circular walls were crammed with dusty-looking feathers, stubs of candles, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless silvery crystal balls, and a huge array of teacups.
Sophie and Haley looked around trying to find out where the teacher was.
A voice came suddenly out of the shadows, a soft, misty sort of voice.
"Welcome," it said. "How nice to see you in the physical world at last."
Sophie's immediate impression was of a large, glittering insect. Professor Trelawney moved into the firelight, and they saw that she was very thin; her large glasses magnified her eyes to several times their natural size, and she was draped in a gauzy spangled shawl. Innumerable chains and beads hung around her spindly neck, and her arms and hands were encrusted with bangles and rings.
"Sit, my children, sit," she said, and they all climbed awkwardly into armchairs or sank onto the poufs. Sophie and Haley had seated themselves on two poufs, right in front of Harry, Ron and Hermione who sat themselves around the same round table.
"Welcome to Divination," said professor Trelawney, who had seated herself in a winged armchair in front of the fire. "My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye."
Nobody said anything to this extraordinary pronouncement. Professor Trelawney delicately rearranged her shawl and continued, "So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you... Books can take you only so far in this field..."
Sophie gave a small smile. She liked that kind of challenge, finding her Inner Eye.
"Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearing, are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future," Professor Trelawney went on, her enormous, gleaming eyes moving from face to nervous face. "It is a gift granted to few. You, boy" she said suddenly to Neville, who almost toppled off his pouf. "Is your grandmother well?"
"I think so," said Neville tremulously.
"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you, dear," said Professor Trelawney continued placidly. "We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year. The first term will be devoted to reading the tealeaves. Next term we shall progress to palmistry. By the way, my dear," she shot suddenly at Parvati Patil, "beware a red-haired man."
Parvati gave a startled look at Ron, who was right behind her and edged her chair away from him. Sophie switched a look with Haley, both holding a laugh.
"In the second term," Professor Trelawney went on, "we shall progress to the crystal ball – if we have finish with fire omens that is. Unfortunately, classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty bout of flu. I myself will lose my voice. And around Easter, one of our number will leave us forever."
A very tense silence followed this pronouncement, but Professor Trelawney seemed unaware of it.
"I wonder, dear," she said to Lavender Brown, who was nearest and shrank back in her chair, "if you could pass me the largest silver teapot?"
Lavender, looking relieved, stood up, took an enormous teapot from the shelf, and put it down on the table in front of Professor Trelawney.
"Thank you, my dear. Incidentally, that thing you are dreading – it will happen on Friday the sixteenth of October."
Lavender trembled.
"Now, I want you all to divide into pairs. Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me, and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink, drink until only the dregs remain. Swirl these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside down on its saucer, wait for the last of tea to drain away, then give your cup to your partner to read. You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of Unfogging the Future. I shall move among you, helping and instructing. Oh, and dear," – she caught Neville by the arm as he made to stand up, "After you've broken your first cup, would you be so kind as to select one of the blue patterned ones? I'm rather attached to the pink."
Sure enough, Neville had no sooner reached the shelf of teacups when there was a tinkle of breaking china. Professor Trelawney swept over to him holding a dustpan and brush said, "One of the blue ones, then, dear, if you wouldn't mind... thank you..."
When Sophie and Haley had had their teacups filled, they went back to their poufs and tried to drink the scalding tea quickly. They swilled the dregs around as Professor Trelawney had instructed, then drained the cups and swapped over.
"Right," Haley said as they both opened their books in pages five and six. "What can you see in mine?"
Sophie tried to concentrate to see the shapes that were made in Haley's cup.
"Broaden your minds, my dears, and allow your eyes to see past the mundane!" Professor Trelawney cried through the gloom.
"I see a shape of a finger, pointing on a window..." Sophie consulted Unfogging the Future.
"That means, that means you'll get a very special luck from a friend." Sophie said looking for more shapes. "And there is some kind of an umbrella... covering a... "Sophie squinted her eyes trying to understand what the figure was. It looked like an apple from one point of view, but from the other it looked like a ball. "An apple..." She finally decided. "Which means... 'A protected knowledge'" Sophie said.
"What?" Halley asked confused.
"Let's try to connect between everything... Maybe it means that you'll get a special luck from a friend, by knowing protected stuff." Sophie suggested.
"Huh? That's weird." Haley said. "What kind of protected stuff?"
"I don't know, I'm reading your cup and that's what it says." Sophie said. Ron and Harry laughed from behind them.
"Okay... so, what do you see in mine?" Sophie was interested.
Haley looked into Sophie's cup squinting her eyes, trying to figure out.
"Hey, that's strange." Haley said. "You have only one shape in your cup."
"What?" Sophie looked on Haley, hoping it means something good.
"It's a shape of a... "Haley turned her head a bit." A winged hourglass..."
While Haley looked for the meaning of the pattern, Professor Trelawney called from behind them.
"Let me see that, my dear..." She swept over and snatched Harry's cup from Ron hands. Sophie turned, as other interested students to hear what she has to say. Haley turned her head too. Everyone went quiet to watch.
Professor Trelawney was staring into the teacup, rotating it counterclockwise.
"The falcon... my dear, you have a deadly enemy."
"But everyone knows that," said Hermione in a loud whisper. Professor Trelawney stared at her.
"Well, they do," said Hermione. "Everybody knows about Harry and You-Know-Who."
Sophie was a bit of surprised Hermione had the nerve to talk that way to a professor. Professor Trelawney chose not to reply. She lowered her huge eyes to Harry's cup again and continued to turn it.
"The club... an attack. Dear, dear, this is not a happy cup..."
"I thought that was a bowler hat," said Ron sheepishly.
"The skull... danger in your path, my dear..."
everyone was staring, transfixed, as Professor Trelawney, who gave the cup a final turn, gasped, and then screamed.
There was another tinkle of breaking china; Neville had smashed his second cup. Professor Trelawney sank into a vacant armchair, her glittering hand at her heart and her eyes closed.
"My dear boy – my poor dear boy — no — it is kinder not to say — no — don't ask me…"
"What is it, Professor?" said Dean Thomas at once. Everyone had got to his or her feet, and slowly they crowded around Harry and Ron's table, pressing close to Professor Trelawney's chair to get a good look at Harry's cup.
"My dear," Professor Trelawney's huge eyes opened dramatically, "you have the Grim."
"The what?" said Harry.
Sophie did not understand what the Grim was. Dean Thomas shrugged at Harry, and Lavender Brown looked puzzled, but nearly everybody else clapped their hands to their mouths in horror, even Haley.
"The Grim, my dear, the Grim!" cried Professor Trelawney, who looked shocked that Harry had not understood. "The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! My dear boy, it is an omen — the worst omen — of death!"
Sophie's eyes widened with a bit of fear. Harry had a death omen in his cup. What, that means he's about to die?
Haley turned her gaze back to Sophie's cup, and checked the meaning of the shape that appeared. Then she looked on Sophie, confused.
Hermione had gotten up and moved around to the back of Professor Trelawney's chair.
"I don't think it looks like a Grim." She said flatly.
Professor Trelawney surveyed Hermione with mounting dislike.
"You'll forgive me for saying so, my dear, but I perceive very little aura around you. Very little receptivity to the resonances of the future."
Seamus Finnigan was tilting his head from side to side.
"It looks like a Grim if you do this," he said, with his eyes almost shut, "but it looks more like a donkey from here," he said, leaning to the left.
"When you've all finished deciding whether I'm going to die or not!" said Harry, taking even himself by surprise. Now nobody seemed to want to look at him.
Haley touched Sophie's arm.
"Sophie, there is something strange…" She said and handed Sophie her Unfogging the Future copy, opened in page six.
"You have a shape of a winged hourglass, and look what is written here about the kind of pattern." Haley pointed on its meaning.
"The shape of a winged hourglass is a rarely pattern shown in a reading. If you happen to read a cup, with this pattern, that means, the person you read for possess hidden special powers. Look for more patterns if you can. The more information you can gain will help you know more about the powers.
A very rare, and even impossible, way of appearance of that kind of pattern, is that it stands alone in the cup, without any other shapes. In this case the person you are reading for is strongly believed to be Evangeline Everwing's descendant."
"I mean, it's strange. Who is Evangeline?" Haley asked loudly.
Professor Trelawney, who was devastated a moment ago by reading Harry's cup, jumped from her seat and ran to look into Sophie's cup. She snatched it with excitement and looked on Sophie with disbelief.
"What's your name, dearie?" Professor Trelawney asked eagerly.
"Sophie Farrell." Sophie answered.
Professor Trelawney gave back Haley Sophie's cup, and leaned toward Sophie. She took Sophie's hand and touched it delicately.
"You have them all!" She whispered. "All three of them."
Sophie went numb.
Sophie and Haley descended Professor Trelawney's ladder and the winding stair in silence, and then set off for Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration lesson. It took them so long to find her classroom that, even though they had left Divination early, they were only just in time.
Sophie sat next to Haley at the back of the room. Harry sat in the other back corner. Everyone threw glances here and there. There was an air of anxiety, as if he was about to drop dead in the classroom. Sophie was confused by what Trelawney had said about Harry's cup, but even more about how she had touched her hands and said that she has all of the three. Did she mean the powers she possessed? Sophie was hardly paying attention to what Professor McGonagall was telling them about Animagi (wizards who could transform, at will, into animals), and wasn't even watching when she transformed herself in front of their eyes into a tabby cat with spectacle markings around her eyes.
"Really, what has got into you all today?" said Professor McGonagall, turning back into herself with a faint pop, and staring around at them all. "Not that it matters, but that's the first time my transformation hasn't gotten applause from a class."
Everybody's heads turned towards Harry again, but nobody spoke. Then Hermione raised her hand.
"Please, Professor, we've just had our first Divination class, and we were reading the tea leaves, and —"
"Ah, of course," said Professor McGonagall, suddenly frowning. "There is no need to say any more, Miss Granger. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?"
Everyone stared at her.
"Me," said Harry, finally.
"I see," said Professor McGonagall, fixing Harry with her beady eyes. "Then you should know, Potter, that Sybill Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them has died yet. Seeing death omens is her favorite way of greeting a new class. If it were not for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues —" Professor McGonagall broke off, and they saw that her nostrils had gone white. She went on, more calmly, "Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. True Seers are very rare, and Professor Trelawney…"
She stopped again, and then said, in a very matter-of-fact tone, "You look in excellent health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in."
Hermione laughed. Harry's expression turned to a relieved one. Not everyone was convinced, however. Ron still looked worried, and Lavender whispered, "But what about Neville's cup?"
Sophie was deep in thoughts about Haley reading her cup, and the meaning of the winged hourglass. Last year a glorious woman showed up in her dream, and presented herself as Evangeline. Could it be that it was she? Moreover, what about Trelawneys words. "You have them all, all three of them." Did she refer to her powers? Does this mean that she has a third power she did not know existed in her? What kind of power?
When the Transfiguration class had finished, they joined the crowd thundering toward the Great Hall for lunch.
"Sophie, what's the matter with you, cheer up!" Haley called. "Everything is fine."
Sophie did not say anything. She decided it was the best to just, let the thought go, and maybe another time would be best to find answers about everything.
Sophie was pleased to get out of the castle after lunch. Yesterday's rain had cleared; the sky was a clear, pale gray, and the grass was springy and damp underfoot as they set off for their first ever Care of Magical Creatures class.
Ron and Hermione were not speaking to each other, and Harry walked beside them in silence. Sophie and Haley walked silently behind the three, as they went down the sloping lawns to Hagrid's hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It was only when She spotted three only-too-familiar backs ahead of them that she realized they must be having these lessons with the Slytherins. Malfoy was talking animatedly to Crabbe and Goyle, who were chortling.
Hagrid was waiting for his class at the door of his hut. He stood in his moleskin overcoat, with Fang the boarhound at his heels, looking impatient to start.
"C'mon, now get a move on!" he called as the class approached. "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"
For one nasty moment, Sophie thought that Hagrid was going to lead them into the forest. Sophie had never entered it, and was quite afraid of what would might appear in front of her in the darkness. However, Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees, and five minutes later, they found themselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing in there.
"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" he called. "That's it — make sure yeh can see — now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books —"
"How?" said the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy.
"Eh?" said Hagrid.
"How do we open our books?" Malfoy repeated. He took out his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which he had bound shut with a length of rope. Other people took theirs out too; some, like Harry, had belted their book shut; others had crammed them inside tight bags or clamped them together with binder clips.
"Hasn' – hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" said Hagrid, looking crestfallen.
The class all shook their heads.
"Yeh've got ter stroke 'em" said Hagrid, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. "Look —" He took Hermione's copy and ripped off the Spellotape that bound it. The book tried to bite, but Hagrid ran a giant forefinger down its spine, and the book shivered, and then fell open and lay quiet in his hand.
"Oh, how silly we've all been!" Malfoy sneered. "We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess?"
"I – I thought they were funny," Hagrid said uncertainly to Hermione.
"Oh, tremendously funny!" said Malfoy. "Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off!"
"Shut up, Malfoy," said Harry quietly.
"Righ' then," said Hagrid, who seemed to have lost his thread, "So – so yeh've got yer books an'… an'… now yeh need the Magical Creatures. Yeah. So I'll go an' get 'em. Hang on…"
He strode away from them into the forest and out of sight.
"God, this place is going to the dogs," said Malfoy loudly. "That oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him —"
"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry repeated.
"Careful, Potter, there's a Dementor behind you –"
"Oooooooh!" Squealed Lavender Brown, pointing toward the opposite side of the paddock."
Trotting toward them were a dozen of the most bizarre creatures Sophie had ever seen. They had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and heads of what seemed to be giant eagles, with cruel, steel- colored beaks and large, brilliantly, orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly looking. Each of the beasts had a thick leather collar around its neck, which was attached to a long chain, and the ends of all of these were held in the vast hands of Hagrid, who came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures.
"Gee up, there!" he roared, shaking the chains and urging the creatures toward the fence where the class stood. Everyone drew back slightly as Hagrid reached them and tethered the creatures to the fence.
"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid roared happily, waving a hand at them. "Beau'iful, aren' they?"
Sophie could see what Hagrid meant. Once you got over the first shock of seeing something that was half horse, half bird, you started to appreciate the Hippogriffs' gleaming coats, changing smoothly from feather to hair, each of them a different color: stormy gray, bronze, pinkish roan, gleaming chestnut, and inky black.
"So," said Hagrid, rubbing his hands together and beaming around, "if yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer…"
No one seemed to want to. Harry, Ron and Hermione, however, approached the fence cautiously.
"Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' Hippogriffs is, they're proud." Said Hagrid. "Easily offended, Hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do."
"Yeh always wait fer the Hippogriff ter make the firs move," Hagrid continued. "It's polite, see?
Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn' bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt."
"Right – who wants ter go first?"
Most of the class backed farther away in answer. The Hippogriffs were tossing their fierce heads and flexing their powerful wings; they did not seem to like being tethered like this. Sophie hesitated. She did not know how it would end, if a Hippogriff will not like her.
"No one?" said Hagrid, with a pleading look.
"I'll do it," said Harry.
There was an intake of breath, and both Lavender and Parvati whispered, " Oooh, no, Harry, remember your tea leaves!"
Harry ignored them. He climbed over the paddock fence.
"Good man, Harry!" roared Hagrid. "Right then – let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak."
He united one of the chains, pulled the gray Hippogriff away from its fellows, and slipped off its leather collar. The class on the other side of the paddock seemed to be holding its breath. Malfoy's eyes narrowed maliciously. Sophie's eyes went wide, and she hoped nothing bad would happen to Harry.
"Easy now, Harry," said Hagrid quietly. "Yeh've got eye contact, now try notter blink… Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much…" Harry looked to Buckbeaks orange eyes, without blinking and gave a short bow.
The Hippogriff was still staring haughtily at him, it did not move.
Sophie thought to herself - 'Please don't kill Harry, Please don't….'
"Ah," said Hagrid, sounding worried. "Right — back away, now, Harry, easy does it —"
Then, to Sophie's enormous surprise, the Hippogriff suddenly bent its scaly front knees and sank into what was an unmistakable bow.
"Well done, Harry!" said Hagrid, ecstatic. "Right – yeh can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!"
As Harry moved slowly toward the Hippogriff and reached out toward it. Sophie suddenly felt a deep urge to jump the fence and touch the Hippogrif herself. She wanted to pat its beak, and feel its feathers. She wanted to try to get closer to that interesting animal. Harry patted the Hippogriff's beak several times and the Hippogriff closed its eyes lazily, as though enjoying it.
The class broke into applause, all except for Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, who were looking deeply disappointed.
"Righ' then, Harry," said Hagrid. "I reckon he migh' let yeh ride him!"
Sophie looked on Harry with a bit of jealousy. If she only had the guts before to go first and touch the Hippogriff. Harry climbed carefully.
"Go on, them!" roared Hagrid, slapping the Hippogriffs hindquarters.
Buckbeak flew him once around the paddock and then headed back to the ground. Sophie was very eager to go and try herself what Harry just did.
She climbed cautiously into the paddock. Hagrid untied Sophie to a pinkish roan Hippogriff. She bowed nervously trying hardly not to blink. Her Hippogriff did not wait much, and very quickly bowed back to her. Sophie ran her hand on its body, breathing happily, enjoying the feeling of its beak, and feathers, then its hair. It was very nice. Then, she climbed gently on its back and flew.
It was the most natural way of flying she ever felt. For a moment, it felt like she was not flying on a Hippogriff, but had her own feather wings. A rush of shivers filled her body.
Soon she was on the ground again, and the shivers stopped. Haley was getting off a bronze Hippogriff. She smiled to Sophie.
"That's the most exciting thing ever!" Haley said.
Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had taken over Buckbeak. He had bowed to Malfoy, who was now patting his beak, looking disdainful.
"This is very easy," Malfoy drawled, loud enough for Harry to hear him. Sophie heard him too, and turned her look to him suspiciously. "I knew it must have been, if Potter could do it… I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you?" he said to the Hippogriff. "Are you, you great ugly brute?"
It happened in a flash of steely talons; Malfoy let out a high-pitched scream and next moment, Hagrid was wrestling Buckbeak back into his collar as he strained to get at Malfoy, who lay curled in the grass, blood blossoming over his robes.
"I'm dying!" Malfoy yelled as the class panicked. "I'm dying, look at me! It's killed me!"
"Yer not dyin'!" said Hagrid, who had gone very white. "Someone help me — gotta get him outta here —"
Hermione ran to hold open the gate as Hagrid lifted Malfoy easily. As they passed, Sophie saw that there was a long, deep gash on Malfoy's arm; blood splattered the grass and Hagrid ran with him, up the slope toward the castle.
Very shaken, the Care of Magical Creatures class followed at a walk. The Slytherins were all shouting about Hagrid.
"They should sack him straight away!" said Pansy Parkinson, who was in tears.
"It was Malfoy's fault!" snapped Dean Thomas. Crabbe and Goyle flexed their muscles threateningly.
Sophie agreed. It was definitely Malfoy's fault. He did not listen to what Hagrid said. If he paid more attention, any of that would have happened.
They all climbed the stone steps into the deserted entrance hall.
For a moment, Sophie did not think of what just happened to Malfoy. The excited feeling when she flew on the Hippogriff filled her chest. Even flying on her own, did not compare to that feeling. She wished she had a pair of great wings like those special creatures had. She thought it would suit her, and be the most enjoyable thing in the world.
