(Chapter done by Mourningstar13)

Harry's POV

I got off the train and looked around, spotting Hagrid. My head was still reeling, understandably, from the unexpected knowledge that Black was after me, so it took me a while to notice him standing off to the side, despite his incredible height.

Hermione nudged me hard in the elbow.

"What was that for!" I muttered indignantly, rubbing my slightly sore elbow.

"I know what your thinking. We don't have time to talk to Hagrid, the carriages are about to set off!" Hermione said with her usual amount of worry. I looked around, and realized she was right. There were only a few carriages left.

I quickly gave a the station a quick glance, but couldn't find my best friend anywhere.

"Where's Ron?" I asked, just as I caught him and that horrible Malfoy kid arguing.

"Well, Weasel, it's quite obvious who is superior here. Who has wealth, power, brains? Not you, weasel. You can barely cast a spell. Didn't that daft old mother of yours teach you anything?" Malfoy asked, a smug smile resting on his face, looking quite at home.

"Don't call my mother daft! And like you can talk about family! Your dad's a death eater! And your mum's not much better!" Ron said, his voice rising and attracting quite a few glances, so angry he was practically spitting. Malfoy's face darkened.

"You take that back, Weasel! My father is a great man! A very great man!" Malfoy said, his voice broke a little, and I assumed it was because even he knew he was lying.

Malfoy drew his wand, Ron copied his actions with vigor. Things were about to get ugly.

I rushed forward, wand in hand, ready to fight for Ron, when I found that Professor Lupin, the teacher from the train, had already beat me there.

"Now boys, I don't know what's going on and quite frankly, I don't care. But I will not allow a fight to break out before the term has even started!" He sighed.

"Alright, detention for the both of you. And Malfoy, ten points from Slytherin for insulting Ron's mom and drawing you wand. I'm sorry boys." He sighed again, looking genuinely sorry. Ron grumbled a little about the detention, but seemed suitably pleased that at least Malfoy had detention too, and he had also lost points.

Malfoy, on the other hand, looked anything but contrite and accepting. He gave Lupin's robes a pointed glance, then smirked at him, as if to say, "you are dirt beneath my feet and shouldn't even talk to me"

"Yes, professor." he drawled leisurely, the corner of his mouth curling up in a tight lipped smile. Crabbe and Goyle suddenly appeared, and he rudely turned around and began walking away, then stopped and looked back.

'By the way... robes." He turned and began to laugh, him and his goons laughing the whole way.

Professor Lupin blushed from his neck to his toes.

I had a feeling this was going to be a very long year

A few hours later...

Ron and I finally settled down after dinner, and we were hanging out in the common room with Hermione, Neville, Dean, and Seamus. We were laughing at some joke Dean had made when we saw an owl tapping at the window, and Hermione rushed over to let the poor bird in.

"It's from Hagrid!" she said, giving the letter a quick glance over, her eyes scanning the page. "He wants us to come over to his hut before curfew and look at some of the new creatures he's gonna be introducing to us this term."

At dinner Dumbledore had announced that we had gotten two new teachers, Professor Lupin who would be teaching DADA and then, to our utter surprise, Hagrid, who would be filling in as the Care of Magical Creatures professor.

We all remembered Norbert. Wonder what creatures we were gonna have this year. What with the biting book he'd assigned us, I had a feeling they weren't going to be the soft and fluffy kind. I shuddered.

Ron, Hermione and I bid farewell to Dean and Seamus, and started to leave out the portrait. After a moment's hesitation, I raced upstairs to get my invisibility cloak. We hadn't planned on staying out past curfew, but I had a feeling I'd need it.

Then we walked slowly until Hagrid's hut came into view. Then we ran, eager to congratulate Hagrid on his new job and see what he had to show us.