Chapter 4:

Juliunna Pov

It wasn't till after lunch that I saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I walked with them to Care of the Magical Creatures Class. Ron was totally bombarding me with what happened in Divination.

"She saw the Grim in his cup! And Harry said that he saw a black dog the night before he left the Dursley's! Hermione just won't admit it because she sucks at Divination!" Hermione looked up, obviously outraged.

"I do not suck at Divination! If being good at Divination means I have to pretend to see death omens in a lump of tea leaves, I'm not sure I'll be studying it much longer!" She yelled, stomping along ahead.

"Women." Ron said, but didn't say anything more when I glared. "Ooh!" I said when we reached Hagrid's hut. "He lives right on the edge of the Forbidden Forest? Wow!" I said admirably. Ron and Harry looked at me weirdly. Ahead of us, I spotted my brother.

"Draco!" I yelled and waved to him. When he turned around, I was met with the smile of my dear brother. He waved up ahead but I said no. "Sorry Dray, I have friends!" I pointed to Harry and Ron. He shrugged.

"Come on get a move on!" Hagrid called as we approached. "Got a real treat for you today. Great lesson coming up. Everyone here? Right, follow me!" He said, and led us off. For one exciting minute, I thought we were going to the Forbidden Forest. However, Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the tree, and five minutes later, we found ourselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing in it.

"Everyone gather round the fence." Hagrid called, and I bounded forward to peer inside. Harry and Ron looked at me weirdly. "Looks like you have a new assistant Hagrid!" Ron called out. I blushed out of embarrassment.

"That's it, make sure you can see. Now first thing you all want t do is open your books-!" He was interrupted by whom else but my dearest brother?

"How?" He smirked and drawled out.

"Eh?" Hagrid said, and I busied myself with trying to curl Ron's hair with a quill.

"How do we open our books?" Draco repeated. He and everyone else around took out their books. Some of them were bound and belted, but others were clamped together with binder clips.

"Hasn't- Hasn't anyone been able to open their books?" The class all shook their heads: Except for me of course!

"Ooh! I could. You have to stroke them, look." I said while taking my book out. I tried to bite, but I stroked the spine. It shivered and lay quietly in my hands.

"Wait a minute! You knew how to open these books all summer? Why didn't you tell me?" Draco said outraged. I smirked.

"I thought it was funny." Everyone laughed at my joke. "Right then, five points to Slytherin for Miss Malfoy's knowledge. Now, I'll go get the Magical Creatures." He said, and strode into the forest and out of sight.

"God this place is going to the dogs," Draco said loudly. "That oaf teaching classes, my Father will have a fit when I tell him-!"

"Shut up Malfoy." Harry said. I giggled. "Don't worry Harry. Draco's just jealous."

"Of what?!"

"Of Harry's swag! His popularity-!"

"Shut up Jules."

"Suck it Draco!"

"Oooooooooh!" Lavender Brown squealed, and pointed to the end of the paddock. Trotting toward us were some of the most beautiful creatures ever. Oh wow! They were hippogriffs! Their amazing!

"Get up there!" Hagrid roared. I could see that each of them had a thick leather collar around its neck. The collar was attached to a long chain, and the ends of them all were in the hands of Hagrid. He came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures. He tugged the chains and urged them further towards where the class was standing.

"Harry, Ron! Those are Hippogriffs! Aren't they beautiful?" I gushed to my two friends, whom rolled their eyes. "I swear, you sound so much like Hagrid." Rom muttered, and I thought about hitting him.

"Hippogriff's, beautiful aren't they?" Hagrid said happily. I eagerly nodded.

"So," Hagrid beamed around at us. "If you want to come a bit nearer." No one seemed to want to except me. I ran to the fence, but Harry, Hermione, and Ron inched forward cautiously. Cowards.

"Now first things you have to know, is that Hippogriffs are proud. Easily offended they are. Don't ever insult one, because it might be the last thing you do." I nodded, and could just barely contain myself from the excitement. I want to go play with the Hippogriffs!

"You always wait for the Hippogriff to make the first move. It's polite see? Yeh walk toward them and you bow, and you wait. If he bows back, your allowed to touch him. If he doesn't vow, then get away from him sharpest, cause those claws hurt." He smiled.

"Now, who wants' to go first?"

Harry Pov

To no one's surprise, it was Juliunna who bounded forward. "I'll do it!" She said, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Draco scowl. "Be bringing her back to the common room in pieces…" I heard him mutter.

"Good girl Juliunna. Another five points for Slytherin." Is it me, or is Hagrid being a little too loose with the points? Juliunna giggled and hopped over the fence. The way she was acting, you would've thought she was at Disney World! "Okay Jules, let's see how you get along with Buckbeak." Hagrid said, and untied one of the chairs. He pulled the gray hippogriff away from the others, and slipped off its leather collar.

The whole class seemed to be holding its breath. Draco's eyes were narrowed protectively. "Easy now Jules." Hagrid said quietly. But Juliunna was one step ahead of him. She sand into a low bow as soon as Buckbeak looked at her. But after a few seconds, I began to feel worried. The Hippogriff wouldn't move. Draco must have seen this too because he took a step forward and reached for his wand.

"Ah, alright back away now Julie, easy does it-!" but then, to my great surprise. The Hippogriff suddenly bent it's scaly knees and sank into what was an unmistakable bow.

"Well done Juliunna." Hagrid said as I let out the breath I was holding. "Right, you can touch him now. Pat his beak." Hagrid said, and I watched as she stroke Buckbeak's feathers. Buckbeak lazily closed his eyes as if enjoying it. The class broke into applause.

"Right then Juliunna, I reckon he might let you ride him." Juliunna smiled as Buckbeak sank down. If I listened closely, I could hear Draco grinding his teeth.

Jules climbed onto Buckbeak's back and held on tight. Buckbeak stood up. "Go on then!" Hagrid roared and slapped Buckbeak's hindquarters. And without warning, two twelve foot wings emerged on both sides. Juliunna had just enough time to seize Buckbeak around the neck before they took off. Malfoy took a step forward every time it looked like she would fall, as if to catch her. But high above us, she seemed to be having the time of her life. She screamed, giggled, whooped, and yelled.

When Buckbeak had finally landed, he was pressed up against the fence. You know, it's really weird seeing Malfoy's big brother side. It's like seeing Voldemort pet a kitten! So when Juliunna came to the fence and he gave her a hug, I looked away awkwardly. I'll never understand the relationship they have together.

"You could have been killed-!"

"Don't treat me like a child Draco!" She snapped, but nodded. "Good work Juliunna, okay? Who else wants a go?" Hagrid yelled.

Emboldened by Juliunna's success, the rest of the class climbed over the paddock. Hagrid untied the Hippogriff's one by one and soon, people all over the place were bowing nervously. I looked around for Jules and found her with Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle. They had taken over Buckbeak. He had bowed to Draco, who was now patting his beak, looking disdainful.

"This is very easy." Draco drawled loud enough for me to hear. "I knew if Jules could do it… I bet your not dangerous at all are you?" He said to the Hippogriff. (A/N: Here we go) "Are you, you great ugly brute?"

It happened in a flash of steely talons. Draco let out a high pitched scream and the next moment, Hagrid was wrestling Buckbeak back into his collar as he strained to get a Draco. Whom was currently lying on the ground as his robes quickly blossomed with blood.

"I'm dying!" Draco screamed as the class panicked, and Juliunna looked around in tears. "I'm dying! Look at me, it's killed me!"

"You're not dying! Someone help me, got to get him out of here." Hermione ran to hold the gate as Hagrid lifted Malfoy easily. As they passed, I saw a long deep gash on Malfoy's arm. Blood splattered the grass as Hagrid ran with him up the slope towards the castle. Very shaken, the class followed. The Slytherins were shouting at Hagrid.

"They should fire him straight away!" Pansy Parkinson said, also in tears.

"It was Malfoy's fault!" Dean Thomas said. Crabbe and Goyle flexed their arms threatenly. We all climbed the steps into the deserted entrance hall. I saw Juliunna's face and flinched. Hers was pale and scared. I didn't like seeing her like that. It made me feel useless.

"I'm going to see if he's okay. Juliunna are you-!" Pansy started.

"Yes." Juliunna walked up the steps too. Ron and Hermione looked to me. "Well, this isn't good is it?" I said.