It feels good to be back in business once again. Two chapters in two days, I'm sorry, but I'm impressed with myself. Number one you may have noticed the stars where Malfoy swears . . . yes, I'm opposed to swearing, and yes, you will see this every time anyone swears in the books. I didn't want to kill Rowling's words completely, just tone them down a little. Number two reviews would be wonderful! Number three enjoy the chapter!
Hippogriffs
Harmony was happy to escape the castle after lunch. Yesterday's rain had cleared; the sky was a clear, pale gray, and the grass was springy and damp underfoot as they set off for their first ever Care of Magical Creatures class.
Ron and Hermione weren't speaking to each other. Harmony talked to Harry quietly as they went down the sloping lawns to Hagrid's hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
"Do you think Trelawney's right?" Harmony asked her brother. "I mean are we really going to die this year?"
"It's always a possibility. I mean Voldemort is still out there somewhere." Harry said.
"Yeah, but how can he get us here. It's Black we need to worry about. Maybe that's who's going to kill us. I mean he broke out of Azkaban to do just that." Harmony said.
"Har, can we please not talk about how we're going to die. I kind of just want to forget it." Harry said.
"Right, well . . . Oh no look who's here." Harmony said.
She had spotted Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. Malfoy was talking animatedly to the other two, who were chortling. Harmony was quite sure she knew what they were talking about.
"Of course," whispered Harmony to Harry. "We had to have the class with Slytherins."
Hagrid was waiting for his class at the door of his hut. He stood in his moleskin overcoat, with Fang the boarhound at his heels, looking impatient to start.
"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!"
For one nasty moment, Harmony thought that Hagrid was going to lead them into the forest; Harmony had had enough unpleasant experiences in there to last her a lifetime. However, Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees, and five minutes later, they found themselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing in 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?" said the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy.
"Eh?" said Hagrid.
"How do we open our books?" Malfoy repeated. He took out his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which he had bound shut with a length of rope. Other people took theirs out too; some, like Harry, had belted their book shut; others had crammed them inside tight bags or clamped them together with binder clips. Harmony hadn't even taken hers out of the brown paper that she had got it in.
"Hasn'—hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" said Hagrid, looking crestfallen.
The class all shook their heads.
"Yeh've got ter stroke 'em," said Hagrid, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. "Look—"
He took Hermione'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!" Malfoy sneered. "We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess!"
"I—I thought they were funny," Hagrid said uncertainly to Hermione.
"Oh, tremendously funny!" said Malfoy. "Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off!"
"Shut up, Malfoy," said Harmony quietly. Hagrid was looking downcast and Harmony wanted Hagrid's first lesson to be a success.
"Righ' then," said Hagrid, who seemed to have 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.
"***, this place is going to the dogs," said Malfoy loudly. "That oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him—"
"Shut up, Malfoy," Harmony said again, couldn't that boy stay silent for five whole seconds?
"Careful, Potter, there's a dementor behind you—"
"Oooooooh!" squealed Lavender Brown, pointing toward the opposite side of the paddock.
Trotting toward them were a dozen of the most bizarre creatures Harmony had ever seen. They had the bodies, hind legs and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and heads of what seemed to be giant eagles, with cruel, steel-colored beaks and large, brilliantly orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly looking. Each of the beasts had a thick leather collar around its neck, which was attached to a long chain, and the ends of all of these were held in the vast hands of Hagrid, who came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures.
"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 creatures to the fence.
"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid roared happily, waving a hand at them. "Beau'iful, aren' they?"
Harmony knew the beauty that Hagrid saw. Their gleaming coats that went from feather to hair in all different colors; from stormy gray, to bronze, to pinkish roan, to gleaming chestnut, and inky black. Harmony fell in love with them at once.
"So," said Hagrid, rubbing his hands together and beaming around, "if yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer—"
Harmony knew she wanted to and she approached them with Harry, Ron, and Hermione following reluctantly.
"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."
Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle weren't listening; they were talking in an undertone and Harmony had a nasty feeling they were plotting how to best disrupt the lesson.
"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?"
Most of the class backed father away in answer. Harmony held her ground with the others, but her three companions looked doubtful. The hippogriffs were tossing their fierce heads and flexing their powerful wings; they didn't seem to like being tethered like this.
Harmony knew the feeling and felt sorry for the poor creatures. She knew the feeling of being tied to once place when that's not where you wanted to be. She knew the feeling of being forced to be stationary, but longing to be free. That's the feeling she got the summers she went back to her other life. She loved her mother and sister there, but that place just wasn't the same as here. It wasn't where she belonged, so it never really was home.
"No one?" said Hagrid.
"I'll do it," Harmony said eagerly, but there was another voice with hers and she knew that it was Harry.
There was an intake of breath from behind them, and both Lavender and Parvati whispered, "Oooh, no, remember your tea leaves!"
Harmony ignored them. Her bother and her climbed over the paddock fence.
"Right then—let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak. I think he'll let yeh both try." Hagrid said.
He untied one of the chains, pulled the gray hippogriff away from its fellows, and slipped off its leather collar. The class on the other side of the paddock seemed to be holding its breath. Malfoy's eyes were narrowed maliciously.
"Easy, now," said Hagrid quietly. "Yeh've got eye contact, now try not ter blink . . . Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much . . ."
Harmony acted pretty normal she just kept the idea of the hippogriff allowing her to touch it in the front of her mind and the rest took care of itself.
"That's it," said Hagrid. "That's it . . . now, bow . . ."
Harmony sunk down slowly and looked back into the hippogriff's eyes. Her brother bowed as well and then looked up.
The hippogriff was still staring haughtily at them. It didn't move.
"Ah," said Hagrid, sounding worried. "Right—back away, now, easy does it—"
Harmony was feeling disappointed and then suddenly, the hippogriff bent its scaly front knees and sank into what was an unmistakable bow.
"Well done!" said Hagrid, ecstatic. "Right—now yeh both can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!"
Harmony moved forward slowly so she didn't startle the hippogriff, she reached out toward it, and touched it. She stroked the beak while her brother patted it and the hippogriff closed its eyes lazily, as though enjoying it.
The class broke into applause, all except for Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were looking deeply disappointed.
"Righ' then," said Hagrid. "I reakon' he might' let yeh ride him!"
This was great in Harmony's opinion, but her brother didn't seem so thrilled about idea.
"Yeh both can fit. Harmony you can climb on firs', jus' climb up there righ' behind the wing joint, an' mind yeh don' pull any of his feathers out, he won' like that . . ." said Hagrid and Harmony did so, being careful not to pull any of the feathers.
Harry climbed on after Harmony. He looked a little worried. Harmony looked in front of her and suddenly realized she didn't know where to hold, everything in front of her was covered with feathers.
"Go on, then!" roared Hagrid before Harmony could ask him what to do. Hagrid slapped the hippogriff's hindquarters, as he said what to Harmony now seemed like fatal words.
Without warning, twelve-foot wings flapped open on either side of Harmony; she quickly seized the hippogriff around the neck as Harry latched his arms around her waist. Before they knew it they were up in the air, soaring upward. Harmony loved the feeling of the hippogriff's wings beating on either side of her. She knew her brother might not like this, but she loved it. It was nothing like a broom, but it was wonderful in it's own unique way.
Buckbeak flew them once around the paddock and then headed back to the ground; Harmony was a little worried about this part. She leaned back a little as the smooth neck lowered, she felt for a moment as if she was going to slip off over the beak, then she felt a heavy thud as they landed.
"Good work!" roared Hagrid as everyone except Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle cheered. "Okay, who else wants a go?"
Emboldened by the twin's success, the rest of the class climbed cautiously into the paddock. Hagrid untied the hippogriffs one by one, and soon people were bowing nervously, all over the paddock. Neville ran repeatedly backward from his, which didn't seem to want to bend its knees. Ron and Hermione practiced on the chestnut, while Harry and Harmony watched.
Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had taken over Buckbeak. He had bowed to Malfoy, which Harmony was not happy about. Malfoy stood there patting his beak, looking disdainful.
"This is very easy," Malfoy drawled, loud enough for Harry and Harmony to hear him. "I knew it must have been, if the Potters 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 of steely talons; Malfoy let out a high-pitched scream and next moment, Hagrid was wrestling Buckbeak back into his collar as he strained to get at Malfoy, who lay curled in the grass, blood blossoming over his robes.
"I'm dying!" Malfoy 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 ran to hold open the gate as Hagrid lifted Malfoy easily. As they passed, Harmony saw that there was a long, deep gash on Malfoy's arm; blood splattered the grass and Hagrid ran with him, up the slope toward the castle.
Very shaken, the Care of Magical Creatures class followed at a walk. The Slytherins were all shouting about Hagrid.
"They should fire him straight away!" said Pansy Parkinson, who was in tears.
"Just because your little boyfriend doesn't have brains enough to listen to instructions from a teacher and get himself mauled because of his ignorance doesn't mean that you can condemn Hagrid!" Harmony shouted at her.
"Yeah, it was Malfoy's fault!" Dean Thomas said backing her up. Crabbe and Goyle flexed their muscles threateningly.
They all climbed the stone steps into the deserted entrance hall.
"I'm going to see if he's okay!" said Pansy, and they all watched her run up the marble staircase. The Slytherins, still muttering about Hagrid, headed away in the direction of their dungeon common room; Harry, Harmony, Ron, and Hermione proceeded upstairs to Gryffindor Tower.
"D'you think he'll be all right?" said Hermione nervously.
"'Corse he will. Madam Pomfrey can mend cuts in about a second," said Harry, who knew how good her mending skills were.
"That was a really bad thing to happen in Hagrid's first class, though, wasn't it?" said Ron, looking worried. "Trust Malfoy to mess things up for him . . ."
"I'm glad Buckbeak got him, because if Buckbeak hadn't I would have and he'd have ended up in the hospital wing for good." Harmony said hotly.
They were among the first to reach the Great Hall at dinnertime, hoping to see Hagrid, but he wasn't there.
"They wouldn't fire him, would they?" said Hermione anxiously, not touching her steak-and-kidney pudding.
"They'd better not," said Ron, who wasn't eating either.
Harmony was watching the Slytherin table. A large group including Crabbe and Goyle was huddled together, deep in conversation. Harmony was sure they were cooking up their own version of how Malfoy had been injured.
"Well, you can't say it wasn't an interesting first day back," said Ron gloomily.
They went up to the crowded Gryffindor common room after dinner and tried to do the homework Professor McGonagall had given them, but all four of them kept breaking off and glancing out of the tower window.
"There's a light on in Hagrid's window," Harry said suddenly.
Ron looked at his watch.
"If we hurried, we could go down and see him. It's still quite early . . ."
"I don't know," Hermione said slowly, and Harmony saw her glance at her brother and her.
"We're allowed to walk across the grounds," Harmony said pointedly. "Sirius Black hasn't got past the dementors yet, has he?"
So they put their things away and headed out of the portrait hole, glad to meet nobody on their way to the front doors, as they weren't entirely sure they were supposed to be out.
The grass was wet and looked almost black in the twilight. When they reached Hagrid's hut, they knocked, and a voice growled, "C'min."
Hagrid was sitting in his shirtsleeves at his scrubbed wooden table; his boarhound, Fang, had his head in Hagrid's lap. One look told them that Hagrid had been drinking a lot; there was a pewter tankard almost as big as a bucket in front of him, and he seemed to be having difficulty getting them into focus.
"'Spect it's a record," he said thickly, when he recognized them. "Don' reckon they've ever had a teacher who lasted on'y a day before."
"You haven't been fired, Hagrid!" gasped Hermione.
"Not yet," said Hagrid miserably, taking a huge gulp of whatever was in the tankard. "But 's only a matter o' time, i'n't it, after Malfoy . . ."
"How is he?" said Ron as they all sat down. "It wasn't serious, was it?"
"Madam Pomfrey fixed him best she could," said Hagrid dully, "but he's sayin' it's still agony . . . covered in bandages . . . moanin' . . ."
"He's faking it," said Harmony at once. "Madam Pomfrey can mend anything. She regrew half Harry's bones last year. Trust Malfoy to milk it for all it's worth."
"School gov'nors have bin told, o' course," said Hagrid miserable. "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's all Malfoy's fault, Hagrid!" said Hermione earnestly.
"We're witnesses," said Harry. "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, we'll back you up," said Ron.
Tears leaked out of the crinkled corners of Hagrid's beetle-black eyes. He grabbed both Harry and Ron and pulled them into a bone-breaking hug.
"I think you've had enough to drink, Hagrid," said Hermione firmly. She took the tankard from the table and went outside to empty it.
"Ar, maybe she's right," said Hagrid, letting go of Harry and Ron, who both staggered away, rubbing their ribs. Hagrid heaved himself out of his chair and followed Hermione unsteadily outside. They heard a loud splash.
"What's he done?" said Harmony nervously as Hermione came back in with the empty tankard.
"Stuck his head in the water barrel," said Hermione, putting the tankard away.
Hagrid came back, his long hair and beard sopping wet, wiping the water out of his eyes.
"Tha's better," he said, shaking his head like a dog and drenching them all. "Listen, it was good of yeh ter come an' see me, I really—"
Hagrid stopped dead, staring at Harry and Harmony as though he'd only just realized they were there.
"WHAT D'YEH THINK YOU'RE DOIN', EH?" he roared, so suddenly that they all jumped a foot in the air. "YEH'RE NOT TO GO WANDERIN' AROUND AFTER DARK! AN' YOU TWO! LETTIN' THEM!
Hagrid strode over to Harry and Harmony, grabbed one of their arms each, and pulled them to the door.
"C'mon!" Hagrid said angrily. "I'm takin' yet all back up ter school, an' don' let me catch yeh walkin' down ter see me after dark again. I'm not worth that!"