Chapter Four- Talons and Tantrums
Harry was not in a good mood, and Ron making fun of his 'mental breakdown' in Divination wasn't making things any better, in fact they were making everything worse. Harry stomped down the wet, slippery grass towards Hagrid's hut for his first class of Care of Magical Creatures, his The Monster Book of Monsters under his arms. Draco was next to him keeping him from turning around and killing Ron who was following him, taunting him, with Haiden trying desperately to get him to shut up. Hermione was suspiciously nowhere to be seen.
The walk to Hagrid's hut felt like forever but finally their group made it, along with the other students taking the course. Harry was thankful that Hagrid was waiting for them when they got there, at least then he would have to listen to Ron while waiting for Hagrid. Hagrid stood at the door of his hut in his moleskin overcoat, with Fang the boarhound at his heels. Fang began whining when he saw Harry, and looked like he wanted to bolt over to him. Thankfully Fang stayed where he was.
"C'mon, now, get a move on!" Hagrid 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, Harry thought that Hagrid was going to lead them into the Forest, and Harry really wouldn't put it past the half-giant to do so. However, Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees, and five minutes later, they found themselves outside a king of paddock. There was nothing 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?" Draco asked holding his book, which was bound shut with a length of rope, at arm's length away while looking at it as if it were about to bite his arm off, and had the book not been growling dangerously and glaring at Draco Harry would have thought Draco was overreacting.
"Eh?" Hagrid asked.
"How do we open our books?" Draco repeated. Other people took theirs out too; some, like Draco and Haiden, had bound their book shut; other had crammed them inside tight bags or clamped them together with binder clips.
"Hasn' - hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" Hagrid asked looking crestfallen. The class shook their heads. "Yeh've got ter stroke 'em." Hagrid said as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. "Look-" He took Harry'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!" Draco sneered taking Harry's book from Hagrid and handing it back to Harry. "We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess!"
"Draco, hush." Harry told him, Draco went to argue but the glare Harry gave him shut him up. Ron snickered and muttered something to Haiden who stifled a laugh before whispering for him to shut up.
"Righ' then," Hagrid said, it was obviously 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. Draco spun to glare at the still snickering Ron.
"Something funny, Weasel?" Draco asked.
"Yeah, and it's how whipped you are." Ron said getting into Draco's face. Harry sighed in annoyance before using his magic to drag Ron and Draco apart shocking all the students around them who had never witnessed Harry using wandless and wordless magic.
"At least wait a few weeks into the school year to get suspended." Harry said as Hagrid came back.
"Oooooooh!" Lavender Brown squealed pointing towards the creatures Hagrid was bringing towards them. Trotting towards them was the most bizarre creature Harry had ever seen outside of a book. It had the body, hind legs, and tail of a horse but the front legs, wings, and head of what seemed to be a giant eagle, with a cruel, steel-colored beak and large, brilliantly orange eyes. The talons on its front legs were half a foot long and deadly looking. The beast had a thick leather collar around its neck, which was attached to a long chain held in the vast hands of Hagrid, who came jogging into the paddock behind the creature.
"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 creature to the fence.
"A Hippogriff? Really?" Harry asked in shock.
"Say 'ello ter Buckbeak. Isn't 'e beau'iful?" Hagrid asked beaming while waving a hand at them. Harry could sort of 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 hippogriff's gleaming coat, changing smoothly from feather to hair.
"Firs' thin' yer want ter know 'bout Hippogriffs is that they're very proud creatures. Very easily offended. Yer do not want ter insult a Hippogriff. It may just be the last yer ever do." Hagrid warned them seriously. "Now," He boomed excitedly clapping his hands, "who'd like ter come and say 'ello?" As Hagrid turned to grab Buckbeak's chain, Harry felt himself be shoved forward as Ron whispered in his ear:
"You like being around large animals that can kill you, right?" And before Harry could get back in line Hagrid turned and saw him.
"Well done, 'Arry. Well done." Hagrid praised and Harry turned back to glare at Ron only to see Haiden holding Draco back from most likely killing Ron. "Come on now." Harry nervously and slowly made his way to Hagrid and Buckbeak who was watching him. "Now… yer have ter let 'im make the firs' move It's only polite." Harry stopped walking when Hagrid motioned for him to stop.
"Give 'im a nice bow. Then yer wait and see if 'e bows back. And if 'e does, yer can go and touch him. And if not… well, we'll get ter tha' later." Harry awkwardly bowed hoping later wouldn't be now. "Tha's it, nice and low." Harry tensed when Buckbeak squawked at him and angrily flapped his wings.
"Back off, Arry! Back off!" Hagrid urgently told him and Harry quickly backed away while still bowing only to step on a stick and snapped it. "Keep still." Hagrid whispered to him and Harry froze. Harry peeked up through his bangs to watch Buckbeak who was watching him. And then Buckbeak bowed back.
"Well done, Arry. Well done." Hagrid praised and Harry rose from his bow letting a relieved sigh pass his lips. "Right. Now I think yer can go and pat 'im now." Harry looked at Hagrid in alarm, Hagrid wanted him to do what? Pat the large creatures with talon that could slice him in half? "Go on. Don't be shy." Harry started backing away from Buckbeak instead of towards him, but Hagrid stopped Harry and gently began pushing him towards Buckbeak. "Nice and slow there." Hagrid lifted Harry's arm up so that Harry could pet Buckbeak who snapped at either him or Hagrid, either way Harry tensed up in fear. Finally Hagrid stopped pushing Harry towards Buckbeak but made sure he wouldn't back down nor drop his arm. "Now, let 'im come ter yer."
Harry was sure that Buckbeak could smell Harry's fear as it sniffed the air as it got closer. Buckbeak got close enough that Harry could feel the heat from him, but he made no move to actually touch the Hippogriff that was looking him in his eyes. From the pleading look in Buckbeak's eyes, Harry was sure he was begging Harry not to be afraid of him. Harry never took his eyes from Buckbeak's as the Hippogriff rubbed his head against Harry's hand.
"Yes!" Hagrid cheered while clapping causing everyone else to clap.
"You're doing great Harry!" Haiden called out to him.
"Be better if this was you and not me." Harry muttered.
"Well done, 'Arry! Well done!" Hagrid said. "I think 'e may let yer ride 'im now."
"Wait what?" Harry asked before he was sudden lifted off the ground and placed on Buckbeak. "No! Get me off! I don't want to fly! Get me down!"
"Don't pull out any of 'is feathers, 'cause 'e won' thank yer fer tha'." Hagrid said before he slapped Buckbeak's back causing him to rear up. Harry quickly wrapped his arms around Buckbeak's neck to keep from flying off as the Hippogriff took off running before he opened his wings and took off all while Harry screamed in fear.
"Go get Professor Snape!" Was the last Harry heard before the wind got to loud to hear anything else. At the beginning of the flight, Harry hid his face in Buckbeak's neck waiting to feel the sensation of wrongness that he always got when he flew on a broomstick. And it hit him hard.
Harry didn't know how long Buckbeak flew them, all he knew was that his magic began to lash out. After what felt like years, Buckbeak finally landed, but Harry's magic continued to lash out. The sounds of students screaming and Buckbeak squawking and continuously backing away.
"What is going on here?" Severus's deep voice cut through everything, even the fear in Harry's mind.
"Dad." Harry whimpered and barely registered Severus going from concerned teacher to concerned parent.
"Professor Hagrid, there had better be a good explanation as to why my son, one of your students, is sitting on a Hippogriff so terrified that his magic has begun to lash out?" Severus asked tight lipped. Hagrid tried to stutter out an explanation but was too nervous and scared of Severus to make any coherent sentences. Severus sneered at Hagrid before making his way over to Harry causing Buckbeak to squawk and rear up. "Oh hush you over grown pigeon, you have my terrified son on you're either going to give him to me willingly or I will knock your arse out and take him." Severus warned and Buckbeak took a second to watch Severus with a tilted head before he bowed and allowed Severus to walk up to him and gently pull Harry off his back. "Your class is now over."
"I - uh - yes - class is over." Hagrid declared nervously before chasing after Severus.
~Lock Me In Your Heart~
After Severus carried Harry away, he was taken to the Hospital Wing where Madam Pomfrey was ordered by Severus to call Harry's Mind Healer as Dumbledore walking in with Hagrid following him. Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore tried to get Harry to explain what happened while Dumbledore also tried to tell Harry that Hagrid was not at fault. All Harry did was curl up in Severus's lap and ignoring everyone as he waited for his Mind Healer to arrive. And when she arrived, everyone in the room knew she was there.
"Please tell me there is not a group of people surrounding my patient. He's already distressed enough to call for me, and so help me Merlin if you're making his condition worse." Krystan said right after stepping out of the floo.
"I assure you, Mind Healer Krystan, that we were only here to make sure Young Harry was alright." Dumbledore assured her.
"Yeah, save the bullshit for someone dumb enough to believe it." Krystan said before moving to stand in between Harry and Dumbledore. "Now, me and my patient need you all to leave." Dumbledore opened his mouth to respond but the world slowed to a stop before rewinding. And suddenly Harry was back to standing outside the fence. Harry groaned and looked around, and noticed that Hermione was with suddenly there.
"Everyone gather 'round the -" Hagrid was saying, but Harry had already heard all this.
"When did you get here?" Harry asked Hermione who looked at him like he was crazy.
"What are you talking about, Harry, I've been here the whole time." Hermione said and Haiden nodded agreeing with her.
"Okay, fine, whatever." Harry huffed out crossing his arms and looked back at Hagrid. "Continue." He practically ordered.
"Er, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books-" Hagrid continued awkward.
"How?" Draco asked holding his book, which was bound shut with a length of rope, at arm's length away while looking at it as if it were about to bite his arm off.
"Stroke it." Harry said annoyed as he pulled out his own bound book and stroked the spine causing the book to open. The class continued the same as the first time, except for when Ron tried to push Harry foreward, this time Harry was waiting for it and was able to spin around and push Ron away from him into Haiden who stumbled forward. And Harry wouldn't mind if Haiden were to take his place with Buckbeak, but the Hippogriff had another opinion. The second he saw Harry, Buckbeak squawked happily and bound towards Harry who quickly backed away.
"Stay away from me you overgrown pigeon!" Harry cried as he continued to back away from the Hippogriff that seemed to think they were playing a game. "Hagrid! Get your damn pet away from me!" Harry yelled. But Hagrid wasn't the one to try to come to Harry's rescue, but Draco.
"Get away from him you great ugly brute!" Draco yelled running over. It happened to fast for Harry to stop it and 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 at Draco, who lay curled in the grass in front of Harry, blood blossoming over his robes.
"It's killed me!" Draco moaned holding his arm as Harry bent to try and calm him.
"Stop overreacting, it's just a scratch." Harry told him but Draco didn't seem to hear him.
"Hagrid!" Hermione cried running over to them in worry. "He has to be taken to the hospital!"
"I'm the teacher. I'll do it." Hagrid said before carefully picking Draco up, making sure not bump Draco's wound nor jolt it to much.
"Just wait 'till my father hears about this. You're going to regret this." Draco warned as Hagrid carried him away.
"Class dismissed." Hagrid said over his shoulder and Harry just sat on the ground and sighed as he rubbed his forehead. Buckbeak came over and laid down next to Harry and rested his head on Harry's legs.
"Don't try to be cute, that's not going to get you out of trouble. Why are you even acting this way, almost as if you also remember everything before the rewind." Harry muttered.
"Are you alright Harry?" Hermione asked kneeling down while making sure her skirt wasn't showing anything.
"Peachey." Harry growled resting a hand on Buckbeak to keep him from attacking Hermione.
"He's gonna be alright." Hermione said.
"I know." Harry told her looking her in the eye while calling his magic to his eyes, something was telling him she was the cause of the rewinds. And the unusual magic settling on her chest caused a panic to rise in Harry's chest. "What's that." Harry asked her.
"What's what?" Hermione asked.
"What's that around your neck." Harry asked and Hermione's eyes widened and her hand shot to to the gold chain that was peeking out from under her shirt.
"Nothing. Just a birthday gift." Hermione said quickly before standing up and practically running towards the castle.