A/N: Some of Trelawney's, McGonagall's and Hagrid's speeches are taken directly from the book.
Chapter 4: The Death Omen
Diana was in a foul mood the next morning. Neville and Heidi weren't better of themselves, while Hermione looked positively delighted with their misfortune.
Every now and then she'd giggle victoriously to herself as she gazed upon their sulky faces. One of the trio would turn to give her a mean look, at which the girl would burry her head in her schedule and pretend like she was more interested in eating.
Diana turned her attention back to the Marauders Map and sighed defeated.
"We'll never make it to Hogsmead like this!" she whined throwing a peeved look at the black dots entitled Dementor on the map. There were just too many of them.
"And I was so anxious to finally see Hogsmead," said Neville looking hopeless. "Uncle Algie talked about it all the time when I was small!" he exclaimed happily. "About all the adventures they had there, the different shops, and the Shrieking Shack – the creepy house that they said was haunted – and, and –" his face fell "I'll never get to see them…"
"Don't be silly!" Heidi chided annoyed. "Of course you'll get to see them! We just have to be really careful that we're not seen! By neither Dementor nor teacher!"
"It'll be a pain getting past those," Diana remarked.
Heidi nodded while giving the map a conflicted look. The Dementors could move at a worrisome speed, if you counted the fact that one had covered half the castle grounds in less than five minutes, whereas it would take them roughly twenty to twenty-five minutes to cover the same distance, and that would be by taking the shortcuts.
Hermione sniggered again.
"Will you stop that!" Heidi snapped at her. "This is not funny!"
"Of course it isn't!" Hermione agreed. "But it will at least keep you guys in line and out of trouble!"
"Out of trouble?" Heidi asked snarkily. She chuckled darkly, and than threw a nasty look her friend's way. "I'll find a way around this," she threatened.
"You won't," Hermione said defiantly meeting her gaze head-on.
Neville rolled his eyes. "Hermione, I thought you wanted to go to Hogsmead!" he said annoyed.
"Of course I do!" the curly-haired said in her defense. "But I think we can both agree that Hogsmead isn't worth getting caught by Dementors! If they catch us sneaking out they'll think we're aiding Sirius Black! And you heard what Dumbledore said! We mustn't give them reason to harm us!"
Neville bowed his head in agreement, and Diana, for the first time in her life, didn't look so eager to embark on an adventure knowing the repercussions that failure would bring. Heidi on the other hand, looked more determined to jump the latter than Hermione had ever seen her. She kept scanning the map from one corner to the other looking for something.
"You know, instead of obsessing over that map for no apparent reason, why not try finding a shortcut for us use when going to our next classes," Hermione advised. "We'll be starting some new subjects today, and it won't do to get lost on our first day!"
"I knew I forgot something!" Neville exclaimed searching through his pockets desperately. "My schedule," he moaned disgruntled. "I left it in the dorms!"
"What are you so upset about?" Diana asked confused. "You're taking the same classes as me, and I have my schedule, so unless you forgot your books, there really isn't anything to worry about."
Neville looked relieved. "Thanks Diana!"
"Okay guys, what are your first classes?" Heidi demanded.
Diana pulled out her schedule and said: "Divination!"
"Muggle Study," Hermione said.
"And Arithmancy for me," Heidi added and turned her eyes toward the map. She suddenly lifted her head up to give Hermione a questioned look. "Muggle Study?" she said baffled. "When is your Muggle Study class?"
"Right after breakfast," Hermione answered without thinking. A moment later, she froze looking worriedly at Heidi's narrowed eyes.
"Hermione, you're taking all the extra subjects this year, right?" Heidi asked casually.
"Yes," Hermione answered just as casually, her eyes wondering about.
"The Muggle Study and Arithmancy classes are due to start both at 9 o'clock," Heidi said.
"Divination too," Diana added helpfully.
"So?" Hermione asked seemingly unfazed, her head buried in her schedule again.
"Which one are you taking?" Heidi asked.
"All of them," Hermione answered. "I've arranged it all with Professor McGonagall yesterday."
Heidi still looked a little doubtful but nodded her head and resumed scanning the map. "So where are you going now? After breakfast I mean?"
"I'll have to think about that," Hermione said evasively. "But I'd like to know where all the classes are if you don't mind."
"Right," Heidi nodded. "Well, Divination is at the top of North Tower. It'll take you guys ten minutes to get there, but if you use this shortcut behind the portrait on the third floor, you should be there in five minutes top."
"Wow, didn't know there were portraits which could lead us to other parts of the castle," Neville said.
"That's because you two never studied the map close enough to find out," Heidi said.
"Hey!" Diana began to protest, but Heidi cut her off.
"Arithmancy is on the seventh floor," she told Hermione. "Classroom 7A. It shouldn't take us long to get there. And Muggle Study…is on the first floor! Classroom 1D, you'll get there in no time!" Hermione nodded. "Here," Heidi handed the map to Diana. "You guys will need this more than us."
Diana pocketed the map and after greeting an overjoyed Hagrid, the kids exited the Great Hall.
"I'm going to have a talk with the Muggle Study teacher," Hermione said as she took her leave on the first floor.
Diana and Neville departed on the third floor, while Heidi made her way to the seventh floor and calmly waited for the teacher to arrive.
Very few students were gathered around the classroom, mostly Ravenclaws, a few Hufflepuffs, and one Slytherin, Daphne Greengrass. There was no one else from Gryffindor besides her… and Hermione.
Wait, Hermione? Heidi turned bewildered to give her friend a confused look.
"Hermione?" she asked uncertain.
"There you are!" Hermione exclaimed looking flushed. She ran up to her and stopped a few feet away to draw her breath. "I've spoken with professor Charity Burbage," she said between pants, "and I've told him that I'll be taking… Arithmancy this morning… and he…" she took in another deep breath of air and lifted her head up. "And he agreed to have me recover that class sometime this week."
Heidi shuck her head disapprovingly at her. "You know, you wouldn't be in this problem if you'd just dropped Muggle Study!" she exclaimed peeved.
"But it's fascinating to learn about how wizards perceive Muggles and their culture!" Hermione protested. "It was so hilarious when Professor Burbage tried to explain electricity to wizards!"
"It was?" Heidi asked confused.
"Yes-" Hermione began saying, than stopped mid sentence. "I mean, it would be," she said uneasy. "Think about it! It would be just as mind boggling as trying to explain to Muggles what magic is!" Hermione finished in a high-pitched voice. She was squirming on the spot and laughing nervously while averting her eyes from Heidi's narrowed ones.
"Hermione," Heidi began, and Hermione felt a feeling of dread stir up in her gut. "When are you taking the-"
Heidi didn't get to finish her question as the door to Classroom 7A opened with a bang and a woman in her late forties dressed in dark-red robes with a bright-red hat stepped out of the classroom.
"Good morning Class!" she had a smooth voice and held herself in a clam but imposing manor. "I am Professor Septima Vector, your Arithmancy teacher," she introduced. "Now, if all the class members have assembled I would appreciate it if you make your way to your seats so we could begin our first lesson."
Professor Vector stepped back into the classroom and the assembled crowd scurried after her, Hermione being among the first to enter the classroom. Heidi sat down in the first table of the middle row besides Hermione, and gave the girl on last suspicious look before turning her attention towards the teacher.
-OOOOOOOOO-
"I think this is the portrait that we're supposed to take," Diana said giving the map a doubtful look.
"Are you sure it's not that one there," Neville inquired looking confused between the two portraits.
"Neville! Diana!"
"Hermione!" the two chorused and turned, bewildered, to see Hermione running down the corridor toward them.
"Weren't you supposed to be at Muggle Study?" Diana asked.
Hermione stopped before the two to catch her breath and then lifted her head to give them an annoyed look. "No, I went there to talk with the teacher and reschedule my class!"
"Oh," the other two nodded.
"Does that mean you're coming to Divination with us?" Neville asked excited.
"Why else do you think I'm here?" Hermione asked as she rolled her eyes.
"Mind giving us a hand with this map," Diana said and handed the map over to Hermione. "We're not sure which portrait we're supposed to take."
Hermione took the map from Diana and after a few seconds of intense study she said: "It's this one!" and pointed at the portrait from right in front of them. "Star-shine!" she said and the portrait promptly swung open. "Come one!" Hermione prompted and dashed through the portrait hole.
Diana and Neville scurried after her and emerged in the middle of an arc shaped corridor which had a number of four suits of armor aligned on the opposite side of the wall. Hermione had already set of toward her left with the Marauders Map still in hand.
"I don't believe it," Diana said looking astounded. "It actually got us to the North Tower!"
"Hey! Hermione!" Neville shouted and hurried after the girl. Diana snapped out of her trance and ran after them.
The arc-shaped room led them right towards a spiral staircase, which seemed to go on forever in it's ascent toward the top. Diana nearly fainted on the spot, but Hermione nagged her out of it.
When the kids reached the final step, they were puffing and panting as if they'd just ran the marathon, not to mention their heads were spinning like roller-coaster rides, so they sank down to the floor and waited patiently for the other kids to pile up. The last of the class to arrive was Ron Weasley, followed shortly be Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas.
"Hey Neville! Diana…Hermione," Ron greeted while blushing furiously. Hermione went scarlet red and lifted herself off the floor.
"Hey, Ron!" Neville said.
"How did you get here so fast?" Ron asked as means of conversation.
"We didn't get here fast, you got hear too late," Diana reminded. "You're the last to arrive!"
"It's Ron's fault!" Dean was quick to blame. "He wouldn't stop eating!"
"And you got us lost on the ground floor!" Ron reminded.
"Yeah, very mature you two!" Diana reprimanded. "Instead of fighting like two buffoons, why not put your strength to better use, like, lets say, getting down that door," the red-haired pointed at a trap door which was located right above their heads.
The trapped door popped suddenly open and a silver ladder descended at their feet. The kids shared a puzzled look before making their way up the ladder, with Ron leading the way.
They stepped into one of the strangest room they had ever seen. It was dark and warm, and cramped, the walls were stuffed with shelves from which tea pots, cups and crystal balls dangles, and on all sides they were surrounded by feathery armchairs around small, round tables with fluffy cushions sitting on the side.
"Where is she?" someone asked in a hushed voice.
A misty voice resounded from the shadows: "Welcome," it said. "How nice to see you in the physical world at last."
Professor Trelawney (or so the kids thought,) moved into the firelight like a glittering insect, studying each of their faces with her large, magnified eyes. She was thin as a stick, dressed in shabby clothes (Lupin had more sense of style than her, Diana thought) with long brow hair which covered up most of her face. Unfortunately, it didn't cover up her eyes, which seemed oversized thanks to a large pair of glasses which looked nothing next to impressive.
"Sit, my children, sit," she said, and they all climbed awkwardly into armchairs or sank onto poufs. Diana, Hermione and Neville sat down in one of the front tables (because Hermione wanted to sit upfront), and Diana opted to sit on one of the fluffy red puffs instead of a chair.
"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."
The voice of the teacher was so monotone, so incredibly boring, that Diana found it even harder to stay awake than Bins' class.
"So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts…"
The heavy perfume coming from the copper kettle by the fire, engulfed Diana senses making her dropped her head on the table and fall into a deep sleep after that sentence.
It was weird. The world was suddenly hazy, filled with dark-red colors and strange shapes. There was the voice of a cat mewling abandoned somewhere nearby, but she couldn't see the creature. The blurry shapes took the form of the grand staircase, but it was all upside down, and Hermione was running on one of the steps. Diana tried to call out to her, but she was out of sight. Then another one popped out of the other side of the later and ran in the opposite direction. Fluffy was there too, running after something… or was it from something?
"Diana?"
The other Hermione suddenly disappeared, and a third one pocked her head from behind another corner.
"Diana!"
And annoying voice reached her ear that sounded suspiciously like Hermione, but Diana didn't feel like waking yet. There was something more. Heidi suddenly emerged from a corridor, following the third Hermione.
"Diana!"
The voice became more persistent, and she felt a hand on her shoulder shaking her lightly, but there was still something more. A shadow which was emerging from the corridor right above her.
"DIANA!"
She woke with a start as a highly irritated Hermione screamed straight in her ear, nearly managing to leave her deaf.
"What? What happened?" Diana asked confused. She nearly fainted again at the sight of Professor Trelawney's gigantic eyes so close to her.
"No, you silly girl!" Trelawney turned her head to snap at Hermione. "You shouldn't have woken her! She might have been having a vision!"
Hermione looked skeptic. "She was sleeping," she stated tersely.
"You'll forgive me for saying so, my dear, but I perceive very little aura around you," Trelawney chided. "No student has ever fallen asleep in my classroom." She turned back toward Diana. "Don't mind her dear! Now, tell me, what did you see?" she prompted, looking expectantly at Diana.
"I haven't a clue," Diana said still slightly baffled.
"You can't remember?" Trelawney persisted. Diana shuck her head. "Nothing at all?" Again, Diana shuck her head. "Pity," Trelawney looked disappointed. "But you mustn't despair," she said her misty voice taking on a reassuring tone. "It will come to you eventually. And when it does, you should seek me out immediately so that we may, together, unravel the mystery behind your vision my dear!"
Diana nodded, still looking baffled, and was quite relieved when Trelawney moved on to pick on Lavender. What followed was a moment of silence in which Diana turned her head towards Hermione looking for some clarification, but all she got was a shrug instead.
"I've got the cups," Neville said, coming up beside them. Hermione grumpily grabbed one of the pink ones and sat up while Diana took the second and followed her lead, wondering what they were supposed to do with them. The kids had all formed a line in front of Trelawney and were waiting their turn to have their cup filled. Once they were done, the trio made their way back to their seats, followed closely by Ron Weasley, who sat himself besides Neville.
Ron, Neville and Hermione began drinking their tea and Diana, not knowing what to do, followed their lead, and soon wished she hadn't. The tea was horrible! She turned a foul look in Trelawney's direction and wondered how someone could be so incredibly inept at coking as to not be able to prepare a cup of bloody tea! She sulked, but drank the tea nonetheless (because of Hermione's nagging mind you).
When they were done, the kids turned the cups upside down and let the leaves dry out, then they switched the cups around, Neville with Ron and Hermione took Diana's cup and passed the red-haired her own.
"What am I supposed to do?" Diana asked uncertain.
"Turn to pages 5 and 6 and start reading," Hermione instructed. Diana nodded and did as told…and gave up after a few failed attempts at reading the tea leaves.
"Sorry Mione, but I can't make heads or tails of this," Diana apologized.
"I think this sais you'll get a new crush," Hermione said uncertain while spinning the cup around.
"Really?" Diana asked excited. "Does it say who it is?"
"Of course not!" Hermione reprimanded with a chuckle. "I was hoping you would tell me?" the curly-haired nudged her playfully and they both erupted in giggles, making Ron and Neville feel very uncomfortable.
Hermione put down Diana's cup and picked up her own. "Let's see what this has to say?"
"I think you're gonna have a new crush too," Diana said.
Hermione blushed and hastily shuck her head. "No, you're wrong."
"No I'm not!" Diana countered.
"Does anything in the cup look like a heart to you?" Hermione asked irked.
"No, but I just got a gut feeling," Diana informed her.
"Your gut feeling is not enough," Hermione snapped.
"Let me see that, my dear," Professor Trelawney came sweeping over and snatched Hermione's cup.
"Hey!" Hermione protested indignantly.
Professor Trelawney stared into the teacup, while rotating it counterclockwise.
"The falcon… my dear, you have a deadly enemy."
Hermione scowled, because it looked like Trelawney was talking to Diana rather than her. Diana looked baffled at Hermione and wondered who the deadly enemy was.
"Deadly enemy?" Diana enquired, but Trelawney opted to ignore her in favor of muttering:
"The club… an attack. Dear, dear, this is not a happy cup…The skull… danger in your path, my dear…"
Diana, Neville and Ron looked scared out of their mind, while Hermione looked down right peeved with the teacher, because, again, it looked like the old hag was talking to Diana rather than her. And that was her cup!
Trelawney suddenly let out a horrified gasp, followed by a piercing scream. She fell dramatically in on of the armchairs closest to their table and closed her eyes, with her hand at her heart.
"My dear girl — my poor dear girl — no — it is kinder not to say — no — don't ask me…"
"What is it, Professor?" Ron demanded looking fearful in Hermione's direction. Everyone had crowded around their table by now and was waiting to hear what the professor had to say.
"My dear," Professor Trelawney's huge eyes opened dramatically and fixed themselves on Diana, "you have the Grim."
"The what?" asked Diana.
Ron and Neville gasped in freight and pulled Hermione protectively between them.
"The Grim, my dear, the Grim!" cried Professor Trelawney, who looked shocked that Diana hadn't understood. "The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! My dear girl, it is an omen — the worst omen — of death!"
Ron tightened his hold on Hermione as Diana clutched her hand and squeezed hard enough to crush the bone. Neville was shaking and Hermione felt her face go blood-red because she was practically sitting on the two boys' laps.
"That's my cup!" she finally snapped at Trelawney, whose expression flew from Diana to hers and than turned to shock.
"Your cup?" Trelawney asked dazed. "But –" then she noted that Ron, Neville and Diana were holding on to her like a life saver and the words died in her mouth. "Than you are a rather unfortunate girl," she finished in a misty tone. "I think we will leave the lesson here for today. Please pack away your things…"
Hermione looked annoyed beyond belief at the teacher, and would have given her a piece of her mind, had Ron, Neville and Diana not dragged her forcibly out of the classroom. The whole way to Transfiguration the three kept a firm grip on Hermione. Heidi was rather surprised and very much amused at finding her friend in such an awkward position. She decided to have pity on her and pull her out of the three's iron grip.
"What's up with them?" Heidi asked as she took her seat besides Hermione in the front-row middle-table.
"Don't ask," Hermione said piqued and pretended to ignore the worried looks and anxious whispers of her friends for the rest of the class. Unfortunately for her, McGonagall couldn't.
"Really, what has got into you all today?" said Professor McGonagall, who'd just turned back into a human. "Not that it matters, but that's the first time my transformation's not got applause from a class."
Ron raised a trembling hand and spoke with an anguished tone while looking straight at Hermione the whole time (the curly-haired was ignoring him):
"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, Mister Weasley. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?"
Everyone stared at her.
"Me," said Hermione indignantly.
McGonagall stared. "You're a rather unusual target for her standards," McGonagall said looking thoughtful.
"She thought she was reading Diana's cup," Hermione said helpfully.
McGonagall nodded. "Then it makes perfect sense." She carried on by saying: "Sybill Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them has died yet." and left it at that, completely confident that Hermione didn't need any more encouragement; though, Ron and everyone else who wasn't Heidi didn't look much convinced.
Though there was something bothering Heidi. Hermione had been to Arithmancy with her, and had suddenly vanished while mumbling something about having to speak with the Divinations teacher. Now, what baffled her was, had that teacher really had time in the five or so minutes Hermione was gone to scare the whole class out of their mind? Heidi shuck her head. She was damn glad she'd decided to skip Divinations.
Lunch was annoying, even for Heidi, since apparently, news at Hogwarts travels faster than lightning. By the time it took them to get to the Great Hall, everybody in the school knew Hermione was supposed to die a horrible death in the nearby future.
Pansy Parkinson, the Slytherin little hag, alongside all her evil little friend was laughing and pointing at them as they went by. Heidi remarked with interest that Draco Malfoy, the nastiest of the lot, was looking far from happy with the news.
"Look Draco, it's the soon-to-be dead Mudblood," Pansy teased. "I hope she kicks the bucket today! Heaven know Hogwarts is in serious need of some decontamination," she said with malice.
"Yeah," Draco said half smiling, half grimacing. And the frustrating part was, he didn't even know why! Something like this should have him jumping with joy. A Mudblood's death was predicted! Why was he not happy? He lifted his head towards Hermione and a though suddenly crossed his mind. Maybe it had something to do with it being that particular Mudblood. Than he furiously shuck his head. No! It was all because Diana was sad, yes, he could work with that! Diana was sad because the Mudblood was threatened, so he was unhappy! That was it! It had nothing to do with the Granger girl, nothing at all!
His gaze lingered on Diana, and he was suddenly reminded of how beautiful she was. With that fiery red hair and those vivid hazel eyes, not to mention a smile that could melt mountains. His first crush; his first girlfriend, and he hadn't even got the chance to kiss her…
His annoyance towards Granger was coming back in full force. The little Mudblood was pretty, he'd give her that, but compared to Diana, she was a far-cry, and compared to Heidi, she wasn't even that hot; sure she was fun to teas, but she wasn't worth loosing a girl like Diana for.
"Draco," the blond was jabbed out of his mussing by an annoyingly whiny voice. He turned his head around and nearly fainted from fear. If there was someone uglier that Granger, it had to be Pansy Parkinson. He didn't even know why she was that ugly, because she was a pureblood, least from what he knew of, but she was.
"Yes," he answered forcing on a smile.
"It's time for Care of Magical Creature with that oaf Hagrid," she said sweetly. And he was suddenly reminded that the pest had opted for the exact same elective courses he had, and never had a Pansy-free day. Damn his meddling mother!
"Best be off then," Draco picked up his bag, and after one last glare in the Mudblood's direction, he stalked of with his classmates.
-OOOOOOOOO-
As if lunch wasn't bad enough, the quartet were disgruntled to find out that they had Care of Magical Creatures with the Slytherins.
Heidi figured that maybe Dumbledore wasn't confident enough to leave Hagrid alone with the little rascals, and the Lion's house was the only one bold enough to stand up to them, which was why she thought that he paired up the Slytherins and Gryffindors in Potions, because the other houses would be trashed between Snape and his little snakes, but that still didn't mean that she was happy with the arrangements!
Heidi decided to walk deliberately slow so as to avoid getting to class before Hagrid showed up. Diana was rather annoyed with her, while Hermione looked grateful, but Ron and his gang were charging forward right through the thick ocean of Slytherins. Fortunately for them, Hagrid was waiting right outside his hut, looking extremely nervous, but very happy about something.
"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!"
They followed him along the edge of the forest for about five minutes, and after the astounding revelation of how to open your copy of The Monster Book of Monsters (you had to stroke its spine) and the obligatory snarky remarks from the Slytherin side, which the Gryfindors promptly ignored or condemned, Hagrid came around to presenting them their first magical creature.
There were collective gasps and oohs erupting from the crowd at the sight before them. A horse-legged, eagle-headed, golden-eyed creature which had a large chained collar tied around its neck held firmly in Hagrid's iron grip. Diana squealed in delight, while most of the class backed up a little as the impressive beast ruffled its wings and gave a mighty hoot.
"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid roared happily, waving a hand at them. "Beau'iful, aint' he?"
Diana enthusiastically nodded her head and tried to speed up towards Hagrid but Heidi caught her by the elbow and violently bulled her back while giving Hagrid a murderous glare.
He's insane! was all that was running through Heidi's head. She might not know much about Magical Creature, but that thing was almost as big as Hagrid was and definitely looked dangerous. She had half a mind to start screaming at the goofy teacher for bringing the thing along, but she was wary of how the creature would react.
"So," said Hagrid, rubbing his hands together and beaming around, "if yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer…"
Heidi looked like she was going to have a fit and was just as compelled as anyone else to withdraw from the sight, but Hermione, Neville and Diana dragged her forward towards the fence which separated them from the vicious looking creature. Her grip on Diana tightened as she felt her sister practically bouncing with excitement of seeing the creature up-close.
"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."
Yep, Heidi was definitely having a fit. Oh, she hoped Hagrid would be run over by a train before the end of the class or else he was in for a rough time when it was over.
"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?"
Heidi looked thunderstruck. Hagrid was actually expecting them to go and touch that thing? He was mad! Hermione and Neville looked very uncomfortable beside her, but Diana managed to slip from her grasp and crossed the fence before Heidi had a chance to grab her again.
"Me! ME!" Diana enthused and hastily made her way pass a terrified looking Hagrid.
"No, Diana!" Hagrid shouted. "Yeh bow to em first!"
Heidi ran up to the fence and jumped over in one leap, pulling her wand out in the process and pointing it at the creature. Hagrid caught her before she could get too close and said: "Wait!"
Diana stopped a few paces away from the tense looking creature and bowed respectfully. She lifted a brilliant smile up at the creature and the feathery beast was on its knees in no time. Diana's smile widened and she walked forward and pated the creature's head. Hagrid and Heidi both let out a long suffering breath.
"Well done, Diana!" said Hagrid, ecstatic. Heidi stepped on Hagrid's foot, hard, which had the giant hopping around in one leg and holding his abused foot in his hands.
"Are you MAD!" she hissed at him, in something sinisterly similar to Parseltongue. "Bringing a ferocious beast in front of children? Couldn't you have picked a Unicorn instead?"
"But 'Eidi, Unicorns ain't as fond of men as they are of women," Hagrid protested.
"Then you should have brought something less ferocious!" Heidi snapped looking still very much aggravated, she down right refused to go near the beast, not even when her sister begged her to.
Neville took the next turn, and after the Hippogriff finally bowed to him, Hagrid hoisted the boy on the creature's back and slapped its hindquarters, prompting the winged beast up in the air. The Hippogriff (which was apparently called Buckbeak) flew him once around the paddock and then headed back to the ground. Neville looked very much relieved to be back on solid ground, but was also glad to have earned the respect and acclaims of his housemates.
"Great job Neville!" Ron Weasley patted him proudly on the back.
"That was fantastic!" Diana squealed and hugged the poor boy who went as red as a tomato.
"Thanks," he said shyly and smiled brightly at them.
Malfoy stepped pompously forward and bowed to the creature which was quick to curtsies. He smirked triumphantly and patted the Hippogriff on the head.
"This is very easy," Draco drawled, loud enough for Neville to, hear him. "I knew it must have been, if Longbottom 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; one moment Malfoy was lazily patting the Hippogriff, the next he was lying on the ground, bleeding out of his arm and Hagrid was wrestling Buckbeak back in his collar.
"I'm dying!" Draco 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 hurriedly opened the gate to the fence as Hagrid picked up Malfoy and ran with him up the slot and towards the castle. The rest of the class hasted in bringing as much distance between themselves and the still struggling Hippogriff, while Diana wanted to go up to the creature and calm him, but Heidi pulled her out at wand point.
"They should sack him straight away!" yelled Pansy Parkinson, who was in tears.
Diana turned her blazing eyes at her and snapped. "Oh, please! Hagrid was clear in mentioning that Hippogriffs were sensitive to insult! The prat had it coming!"
Crabbe and Goyle looked like they were about to say something, but one death glare from Diana had them cowering like mice. Pansy, however, was not so easily intimidated.
"Oh, stop defending him half-blood!" Pansy shrieked. "It was his fault for letting such a brute loose around children! He should have known better!"
Heidi actually considered that a valid argument, Hagrid should have known better, especially since his first class was with the Slytherins. But she was not about to clear Malfoy of charge in the situation, after all, he had been quite irresponsible himself.
"Malfoy was the one who-"
"Enough!" Heidi snapped at her sister. "Hagrid is not the only one to blame here!" she informed Pansy, and when the girl looked like she was about to protest, she silenced her with a warning glare. "But Malfoy isn't entirely guilty either," she passed.
Diana looked stunned, while Pansy gaped at her openmouthed.
Parkinson turned, still looking baffled, and hurried up to the castle. "I'm going to see if he's okay!" she shouted absentminded at her Slytherin comrades, who followed her lead, albeit at a much more leisured pace.
"How can you say that?" Diana practically screamed at her. "That's Hagrid you-"
SLAP!
It came out of nowhere, shocking every one of the surrounding crowd into dead-silence.
Diana tentatively lifted a hand towards her bruising cheek and turned to look astounded at her sister. Heidi was shaking on the spot and glaring at her twin like she'd want nothing more than to throttle her where she stood.
"That could have been you!" Heidi said in a barely controlled voice. Her breathing became erratic and she turned on her heals and bolted for the castle, her body tensed as if fearing that she'd hurt the girl if she'd stood there any longer.
Diana stood gaping at the castle doors, long after Heidi had vanished behind them, one hand held against her burning cheek. Half-an hour later, she was numbly guided by Hermione and Neville inside the castle, both of whom were throwing worried looks her way. A rather awkward aura followed the trio all through dinner, where Diana refused to eat or even mutter a word, and when they finally got up to the girls common room in Gryffindor tower, Heidi was nowhere to be found, and the invisibility cloak as well as the Marauders Map were missing…