By lunch, Bryt's good mood was gone. She had talked to McGonagall, but because she hadn't chosen a third class, she would not be able to drop Divination and, despite her threats earlier, Bryt wasn't about to purposely fail a class and constantly skip it just because she thought it was idiotic.
She caught back up with her friends in the Great Hall and sat down just as Hermione pushed some stew towards Ron.
"Ron, cheer up," she was saying, "You heard what Professor McGonagall said."
Bryt knew what they were talking about instantly and took the spoon from Ron's hand, putting stew on her own plate. For once, Ron didn't glare at her, his attention was focused on Harry.
"Harry," he said, "You haven't seen a great black dog anywhere, have you?"
"Yeah, I have," Harry answered, "I saw one the night I left the Dursleys'."
"Bet it was a stray," Bryt spoke up as Ron gaped at Harry, then started staring at Bryt.
"Bryt, if Harry's seen a Grim, that's—that's bad. My—my uncle Bilius saw one and—and he died twenty-four hours later!"
"Coincidence," Hermione said.
"Yeah," Bryt added, "Besides, it's been far more than a day since Harry saw that dog. He's still alive, ain't he?"
"You two don't know what you're talking about!" Ron's voice was rising, "Grims scare the living daylights out of most wizards!"
"There you are, then," Hermione said matter-of-factly, "They see the Grim and die of fright. The Grim's not an omen, it's the cause of death! And Harry's still with us because he's not stupid enough to see one and think, right, well, I'd better kick the bucket then!"
"Exactly!" Bryt said as Hermione pulled out her Arithmancy book and hid her face behind it, "Besides, Divination's a bunch of nonsense guess work."
"There's no nonsense about a Grim in that cup!" Ron snapped.
"You thought it was a sheep!" Bryt shot back, "It's guesswork! It's all on what someone thinks they see, and everyone can see a completely different thing in those tea leaves!"
"Professor Trelawney said you two didn't have the right aura! You just don't like her, Bryt. And you, Hermione, you're just mad because you're not great at something for once!"
Hermione suddenly slammed her book down on the table and Bryt glared at Ron, clutching her fork in her hand.
"If being good at Divination means I have to pretend do see death omens in a lump of tea leaves, I'm not sure I'll be studying it much longer!" Hermione snapped, "That lesson was absolute rubbish compared with my Arithmancy class!"
Bryt was about to add her own retort as Hermione started off when something struck her.
"When'd she have an Arithmancy class?" Bryt asked, suddenly forgetting her anger with Ron. She stood up, heading out of the hall, then stopped and blinked when she couldn't see Hermione anywhere.
'Where'd she go?' Bryt thought. She looked around again, and was just about to turn to head back into the Great Hall when she noticed Hermione coming down the stairs.
"Didn't you just go upstairs?" Bryt asked.
Hermione jumped slightly and looked over at Bryt, obviously not expecting her to be there.
"Oh, yes..." Hermione started, "Well...I was thinking about going to the library."
"There's no way you could have gotten to the library and back that fast," Bryt crossed her arms over her chest.
"Oh, of course..." Hermione said, "Um...I didn't. I changed my mind and came back down, it's too close to time for class."
"Hermione," Bryt said, studying her friend, "You're horrible at lyin', you know that right? So, you gonna tell me the truth or do I have to start buggin' you endlessly until you tell me anyway?"
Hermione looked uncomfortable, but didn't say anything.
"Hermione," Bryt said more sternly, but didn't get to say anything else as Harry and Ron caught up to them. Ron glared slightly at Bryt and Hermione, then looked away. Bryt sighed, deciding she'd try and talk to Hermione later and figure out what was going on. It seemed she was going to have enough on her with dealing with Ron, she didn't want to have any trouble with Hermione, too.
Bryt's mood wasn't improved when she noticed that they were sharing the class with Slytherins. This would make twice that classes Bryt looked forward to the most would be with the group of people she hated the most. At least this class would be taught by a teacher that wouldn't favor the Slytherins.
When they had reached Hagrid's hut, the giant man was waiting at his door, Fang sitting beside him.
"C'mon now, get a move on!" Hagrid called, waving the class towards him, "Get a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"
Hagrid led them along the edge of the Forbidden Forest to a large fenced-off area that seemed empty. Bryt blinked and started looking around, trying to find some sight of any creature.
"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" Hagrid called, "That's it—make sure yeh can see—now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books—"
"How?" Malfoy called out as Bryt was already pulling her book out and running her finger down its spine so it relaxed enough that Bryt could pull the belt off of it. Bryt noticed Lavender and Parvati watching her and copying what she did. Dean, Seamus, and Neville had opened their books cautiously and Bryt guessed Harry and Ron told them the night before.
"Eh?" Hagrid looked over towards Malfoy.
"How do we open our books?" Malfoy asked again, pulling out his book, which he had tied a rope around.
"Hasn'—hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" Hagrid looked around and Bryt held up her open book.
"I did, Hag-er...Professor," she said simply.
But other than the other Gryffindors, no one else seemed to have gotten their books open.
"Righ', then," Hagrid grinned towards Bryt, "Knew yeh'd figure it out. Fer the rest of yeh, yeh've got ter stroke 'em. Look—"
Hagrid took the book of the nearest student and pulled off the clamp holding it shut. Before it got a chance to bite, Hagrid ran his finger down the spine and the book quivered before falling open.
"Oh, how silly we've all been!" Malfoy said sarcastically, "We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess!"
"Maybe because you're a mindless git!" Bryt shot back, glaring at Malfoy, who glared back as the Gryffindors laughed.
"Righ' then," Hagrid spoke up, trying to get the students' attention again, "So—yeh've got yer books an'—an' now yeh need the Magical Creatures. So I'll go an' get 'em. Hang on..."
"God, this place has gone to the dogs," Malfoy said as soon as Hagrid was out of sight, "That oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him—"
"Shut up!" Bryt started forward, but Hermione grabbed her arm. Bryt was satisfied to see Malfoy looking unnerved for a second.
"Ooooh!" Lavender suddenly let out a squeal of delight and Bryt saw she was pointing across the paddock they were next to. Bryt looked over and suddenly started grinning as she saw several creatures with the front half of a giant eagle and the back half of a horse. Each wore a collar with a chain attached that Hagrid was holding. Bryt instantly forgot going after Malfoy.
"Hippogriffs!" Bryt exclaimed as Hagrid got them to the fence and most of the class moved backwards.
"Righ' yeh are, Bryt," Hagrid grinned, "Beau'iful, aren' they?"
"Definitely!" Bryt exclaimed.
"So," Hagrid was grinning brightly now as he looked around the group, "If yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer—"
Bryt immediately went to the fence, wanting a closer look. After a second, Harry, Ron, and Hermione came up behind her and Bryt noticed none of them seemed as excited as her. In fact, they looked a little anxious.
"Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' hippogriffs is, they're proud," Hagrid said and Bryt turned back to him, "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. 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?"
Bryt shot her hand into the air and stretched up excitedly. She wasn't about to pass over a chance to get closer to the hippogriffs. Apparently, she was the only one, though, because everyone else was moving back again, including Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Ron muttered something behind Bryt that she couldn't make out.
"Good girl, Bryt!" Hagrid grinned, "Right then—let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak."
Bryt grinned and climbed over the fence as Hagrid led a gray hippogriff away from the others. Bryt tried to hold herself as straight as she could and keep eye contact with the hippogriff.
"Easy now," Hagrid said, "Yeh've got eye contact, now try not to blink...Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much."
"Yeah, I know," Bryt said, though now she had to fight the urge to start blinking. Slowly, she bowed, trying to keep her gaze on Buckbeak at the same time. Buckbeak remained motionless for so long that Bryt was about to back off, but the hippogriff finally bowed.
"Well done, Bryt!" Hagrid exclaimed, "Right—yeh can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!"
Bryt grinned and moved closer to the hippogriff, reaching up and running her hand along Buckbeak's short beak. She turned and grinned at her classmates, who were clapping and cheering now. At least most of them. Malfoy and his goons were watching Bryt with a disappointed expression and Bryt guessed they had wanted the hippogriff to tear her apart or something. Bryt looked over at Harry, Ron, and Hermione and was glad to see Ron was grinning and cheering, too. It seemed he was over what had happened at lunch, at least.
"Righ' then, Bryt," Hagrid grinned, "I reckon he might let yeh ride him!"
"Really?" Bryt asked excitedly, looking back at Hagrid. Getting to pet Buckbeak was one thing, but actually getting to ride him?
"Yep, be careful. Climb up there, jus' behind the wing joint. An' mind yeh don' pull any of his feathers out, he won' like that..."
Bryt nodded, moving towards the hippogriff and slowly pulled herself onto his back like Hagrid instructed. She readjusted her weight and placed her hands against Buckbeak's neck, careful not to grip any feathers, and tried to remember what it was like the one time she had went bare-back riding with Sofí and Julio years ago. Balancing on Buckbeak seemed to be about the same as then. Of course, the horse she rode didn't have a neck full of feathers that she needed to avoid pulling.
"Go on, then!" Hagrid called, slapping Buckbeak's back.
The hippogriff shot out his wings and Bryt leaned forward, gripping her hands as best she could around his neck as he shot into the air. With Buckbeak's wings flapping steadily, the ride was rough and reminded Bryt of when she rode a horse at a gallop for the first time and forgot she was supposed to lean up in her saddle.
Buckbeak took one lap around the paddock before going to land. Bryt braced herself by pushing her knees into Buckbeak's side and leaning into the hippogriff's neck. Buckbeak hit the ground with a loud thud that caused Bryt to bounce slightly on his back, but she managed to keep her grip. Bryt swung herself off Buckbeak and turned, grinning, as most of the class started cheering again.
"Good work, Bryt!" Hagrid called, "Okay, who else wants a go?"
The other students began climbing into the paddock slowly and Bryt caught back up to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who had decided to try with a chestnut hippogriff.
"Bryt, you're completely mental, you know that, right?" Ron said when Bryt reached them, "Only you would happily volunteer to ride a hippogriff."
"I actually understand they can be sweet," Bryt replied, glad that Ron seemed to have forgotten about their argument in the Great Hall now, "Go on, try. He isn't gonna hurt you as long as you don't insult him."
Harry and Hermione had already bowed to the hippogriff and were both watching it uneasily as they patted its neck. Ron seemed almost frightened as he turned to the creature, then looked back at Bryt, which caused the girl to laugh.
"I can't do it for you, Ron," she said, "Just bow, and if the hippogriff bows back, you're fine. See, Hermione and Harry did it."
"It's actually not that bad, Ron," Harry said.
"This is very easy," Malfoy's loud voice caught their attention and the quartet looked over to where the Slytherin was with Buckbeak, patting the hippogriff on the beak, "I knew it must have been. After all, Watkins managed it." Malfoy had turned to look at Buckbeak now. "I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you? Are you, you great ugly brute?"
Buckbeak suddenly reared up, then came down, scratching Malfoy on the arm with his sharp talons. Bryt winced on instinct as Malfoy screamed before falling to the ground as Hagrid rushed over to pull Buckbeak back. Everyone seemed to have stopped in what they were doing, turning towards Malfoy's howls from where he was on the ground, blood beginning to cover his robes.
"I'm dying! I'm dying, look at me! It's killed me!"
"Yer not dyin'!" Hagrid called back and Bryt noticed he seemed almost panicked now, "Someone help me—gotta get him outta here—"
Hermione rushed to the gate and opened it for Hagrid, who started for the castle with Malfoy in his arms.
"They should fire him straight way!" Slytherin Pansy Parkinson stated the second Hagrid was out of earshot.
"It was Malfoy's fault!" Dean shot back.
"Hagrid told us not to insult a hippogriff," Bryt added, glaring at the group of Slytherins.
By now, they were in the entrance hall, where Pansy declared she was going to check on Malfoy before rushing up the stairway. The Slytherins started for the dungeons.
"If you ask me, Malfoy got what he deserved," Bryt said as they headed for the Gryffindor tower, "It's his own damn fault he didn't listen to Hagrid."
"Knowing Malfoy," Harry said, "He'll twist this someway to make it Hagrid's fault."
"You don't think they'd fire Hagrid, d'you?" Ron asked.
"I hope not," Bryt said, "Up until Malfoy ruined everything, that was the best class I've ever had."
"Why am I not surprised?" Ron asked sarcastically. Bryt glared at him.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" she asked.
"Well, you're just obsessed with creatures," Ron replied, "Remember our first year? You wanted to help Hagrid raise a dragon in his hut."
"Can't blame me for that," Bryt huffed, "Dragons are cool."
When it came time for dinner, the quartet were hoping to see Hagrid, but he wasn't at the staff table. It left Bryt with no appetite. She didn't even bother putting any food on her plate. Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn't seem to be hungry, either. After a quiet dinner, they headed back to the common room to try and do homework. Bryt had enough trouble trying to concentrate on Transfiguration on a normal day. With her mind preoccupied with Hagrid, she was finding it impossible to do her homework now.
"There's a light on in Hagrid's window," Harry said and Bryt looked up to see he was staring out the common room window.
"If we hurry, we could go down and see him," Ron spoke up, "It's still early..."
"I don't know..." Hermione said, looking at Harry.
"C'mon, 'mione," Bryt said, "I don't think Black will be wonderin' around the school grounds with the dementors around. And it's not like we're tryin' to sneak into the forest or anythin', just headin' down to Hagrid's hut for a bit."
"Oh, all right," Hermione sighed.
The four left the common room and started through the castle. They didn't run into anyone the entire time and were soon at Hagrid's small home.
"C'min," Hagrid's voice was almost a growl when Harry knocked on the door.
As the four entered, Bryt noticed immediately that Hagrid had been drinking. He was sitting at his table, a large mug in front of him. He looked up at the quartet and seemed to have trouble focusing on them.
"'Spect it's a record," Hagrid finally said, "Don' reckon they've ever had a teacher who lasted on'y a day before."
"They fired you?" Bryt asked, staring at Hagrid with wide eyes.
"Not yet," Hagrid grumbled, "But 's only a matter o' time, i'n't it, after Malfoy..."
"He got what he deserved," Bryt said, sitting down, "You told us not to insult the hippogriffs."
"How is Malfoy?" Ron asked, "He wasn't seriously hurt, was he?"
"Madam Pomfrey fixed him best she could, but he's sayin' it's still agony...covered in bandages...moanin'..."
"Damn faker," Bryt growled, punching her fist against the palm of her hand, "Next time I see him, I'll give him somethin' to really moan about."
"Bryt!" Hermione hissed.
"School gov'nors have bin told, o' course," Hagrid continued, seeming not to hear Bryt's comment, "They reckon I started too big. Shoulda left hippogriffs fer later...done flobberworms or summat...Jus' thought it'd make a good firs' lesson...'S all my fault..."
"It was a great first lesson!" Bryt said, "Like I said, it's Malfoy's fault."
"We're witnesses," Harry added, "You said hippogriffs attack if you insult them. It's Malfoy's problem that he wasn't listening. We'll tell Dumbledore what really happened."
"Yeah, don't worry, Hagrid," Ron said, "We'll back you up."
Hagrid suddenly started crying, then pulled Harry, Ron, and Bryt into a tight hug that left Bryt gasping for air.
"I think you've had enough to drink, Hagrid," Hermione said, taking the mug from the table and disappearing outside. Bryt found herself thinking Hermione half-took that task to avoid being hugged by Hagrid herself.
"Ar, maybe she's right," Hagrid let go of the three friends and Bryt rubbed her sides. Hagrid stood up, staggering out of the hut himself. A few seconds later, there was a loud splash and Hermione came back inside.
"What's he done?" Harry asked in a nervous tone.
"Stuck his head in the water barrel," Hermione replied.
Bryt brushed her hair back behind her ear as Hagrid came back into the hut, his hair dripping water everywhere.
"Tha's better," Hagrid said, shaking his head. Bryt held her arms over her face as she soon became soaked herself, "Listen, it was good of yeh to come an' see me, I really—"
Hagrid cut himself off and stared at Harry. Bryt realized it just dawned on him that they were really there.
"WHAT D'YEH THINK YOU'RE DOIN', EH?" Hagrid suddenly yelled and Bryt jumped, ducking behind Harry and Ron, "YEH'RE NOT TO GO WANDERIN' AROUND AFTER DARK, HARRY! AN' YOU THREE! LETTIN' HIM!"
Hagrid suddenly grabbed hold of Harry's arm, pulling him towards the door and across the grounds. Bryt, Hermione, and Ron had to run to keep up with them.
"C'mon! I'm takin' yer all back up ter the school, an' don' let me catch yeh walkin' down ter see me after dark again. I'm not worth that!"
Bryt was out of breath as they reached the castle where Hagrid left them once they were inside.
"If anythin'," Bryt said as they started for the common room, "I ain't goin' back after dark just to avoid him yellin' at us again."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all nodded in agreement and they continued to the common room in silence.
