Here's another chapter already!
Enjoy!
Chapter Seven: Tea Leaves and Hippogriffs
Hermione, Ron, Harry, and I headed down to the Great Hall in the morning for breakfast to find Draco Malfoy doing an impression of Harry fainting for a large group of Slytherins. They all roared with laughter.
"Ignore him," Hermione said.
"She's right, Harry," I said, "It's not worth it. It's better just to ignore it."
"Hey, Potter!" Pansy Parkinson shrieked, who had a pug-like face. "Potter! The dementors are coming, Potter! Woooooooooo!"
I shot a glare at her, but took a seat at the table next to Hermione. Harry had sat next to George Weasley and Ron was on his other side. Fred and Mel sat across from us.
"New third-year course schedules," George said as he handed them over to us. "What's up with you, Harry?"
"Malfoy," Ron said, giving the Slytherins a glare.
"That little git," he said. "He wasn't so cocky last night when the dementors were down at our end of the train. Came running into our compartment, didn't he, Fred?"
"Nearly wet himself," Fred said, looking at Malfoy in disgust.
"And he looked close to fainting," Mel said, "I wish I managed to get a picture of it. That would have shut him up."
"Those dementors are horrible though," George said, "I wasn't too happy myself."
"Sort of freeze your insides, don't they?" Fred said.
"I definitely thought of things I never wanted to again," I muttered. Despite my happiness at returning to Hogwarts, I still had a nightmare about the dementor last night and seeing Klaus in that petrified state. It scared me to death whenever that image came to my mind. Just thinking about it made me search the Ravenclaw table to make sure Klaus was safe and alive.
"You didn't pass out, though, did you?" Harry was asking Fred, George, and Mel.
"Forget it, Harry," George said fervently. "Dad had to go out to Azkaban one time, remember, Fred? And he said it was the worst place he'd ever been, he came back all weak and shaking... They suck the happiness out of a place, dementors. Most of the prisoners go mad in there."
"How awful," I said with a deep frown. "Even if they're prisoners, no one deserves to go through that much suffering."
"Anyway, we'll see how happy Malfoy looks after our first Quidditch match," said Fred. "Gryffindor versus Slytherin, first game of the season, remember?"
Klaus came over to sit with us as we looked over our schedules.
"Ooh, good, we're starting some new subjects today," Hermione said happily.
"And Care of Magical Creatures," I said, in excitement. "Wait…Hermione…Klaus…you have ten subjects today?"
"Well we did choose to take all of the classes offered," Klaus said.
"How will you even have time for all of them?" I said in disbelief. "Or time to breathe, even?"
"We'll manage," Hermione said, "We've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall."
"That's why she met with us last night," Klaus added.
"But look," Ron said, laughing, "see this morning? Nine o'clock, Divination. And underneath, nine o'clock, Muggle Studies. And" — Ron leaned closer to the schedule— "look — underneath that, Arithmancy, nine o'clock. I mean, I know you're both good, but no one's that good. How're you supposed to be in three classes at once?"
"Don't be silly," Hermione said shortly. "Of course I won't be in three classes at once."
"Then how—"
"You don't need to worry about it," Klaus said. "We've got it all figured out with McGonagall. It's especially exciting that Hermione and I get to be in the same class now."
"Well, then —" Ron tried, still not giving up.
"Pass the marmalade," said Hermione.
"But —"
"Oh, Ron, what's it to you if my schedule's a bit full?" Hermione snapped. "Like Klaus said, we've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall."
Hagrid came into the Great Hall then with a dead polecat swinging casually from his huge hand.
"All righ'?" he said eagerly as he paused at our table. "Yer in my firs' ever lesson! Right after lunch! Bin up since five gettin' everythin' ready. … Hope it's okay. … Me, a teacher … hones'ly. …"
"You'll do great, Hagrid," I said, which made him grin broadly and he went over to the staff table.
"Wonder what he's been getting ready?" Ron said, looking anxious.
Hagrid was known for having a preference for dangerous creatures, like giant three-headed dogs, giant spiders, and dragons, to name a few.
"We'd better go," Ron said, "look, Divination's at the top of North Tower. It'll take us ten minutes to get there…"
I swallowed the last piece of toast and said goodbye to the Weasley twins and Mel, who pretended not to notice, and walked with Hermione, Ron, and Harry out into the entrance hall. Ron was right, it took us a long time to reach the North Tower, which we had never before had a class. We climbed the seventh staircase and were already out of breath. It reminded me of the staircase at 667 Dark Avenue.
"There's — got — to — be — a — shortcut," Ron panted. The floor we reached had nothing but a painting of an empty field of grass.
"I think it's this way," Hermione said, looking down the passage to our right.
"Are you sure?" I said, "I think that's south. I can see the lake a bit through the window.
Suddenly, a fat, dapple-gray pony appeared in the painting in front of us, just grazing aimlessly. Then, in just another moment, a short, stubby knight came into the painting after the pony. His metal knees had grass stains on them as if he had fallen off.
"Aha!" he yelled when he noticed us. "What villains are these, that trespass upon my private lands! Come to scorn at my fall, perchance? Draw, you knaves, you dogs!"
I watched in awe as the knight brandished his sword and he jumped up and down in anger. The sword, however, was too long and when he swung the sword, he merely fell forward onto the grass.
"Are you all right?" Harry said.
"Get back, you scurvy braggart! Back, you rogue!"
The knight attempted to get to his feet using his sword to push him back up, but the blade just got stuck as it sank into the grass. Trying to pull it out, he fell backwards onto the grass.
"Listen," Harry said, "we're looking for the North Tower. You don't know the way, do you?"
"A quest!" The knight's anger fell away as he got to his feet and cried, "Come follow me, dear friends, and we shall find our goal, or else shall perish bravely in the charge!"
After another attempt to pull out his sword and mount his fat pony, he shouted, "On foot then, good sirs and gentle ladies! On! On!"
He ran into the left side of the frame and disappeared. We hurried after him, following the clanking from his suit of armor and the sight of him running through a painting every now and then.
"Be of stout heart, the worst is yet to come!" yelled the knight.
We followed him, climbing up some tight spiraling steps and becoming very dizzy, until finally we reached the classroom.
"Farewell!" cried the knight. "Farewell, my comrades-in-arms! If ever you have need of noble heart and steely sinew, call upon Sir Cadogan!"
"Yeah, we'll call you," Ron muttered as the knight left, "if we ever need someone mental."
We climbed up the rest of the staircase and entered a small landing where the majority of the class was gathered. Ron pointed at the ceiling where there was a circular trapdoor with a brass plaque on it.
"'Sibyll Trelawney, Divination teacher,'" I read.
"How're we supposed to get up there?" Harry asked.
Just as he spoke, the trapdoor swung open and dropped down a silver ladder that stopped right at Harry's feet. The other students went silent.
"After you," Ron said, grinning, so Harry climbed the ladder first.
The classroom we entered would have to be the most bizarre looking room I'd ever been in. And that was saying something. It looked like we were in an attic combined with an old fashioned tea shop. The room was dimly lit with about twenty circular tables surrounded by arm chairs. The curtains on the window were closed and the lamps were covered with red scarves. A large copper kettle was being heated up by the fireplace, which also made the rest of the room feel stiffly warm. There were shelves full of material such as crystal balls, teacups, and other fortune telling objects.
"Where is she?" Ron said.
"Welcome," a soft, misty voice answered, addressing the class. "How nice to see you in the physical world at last. Sit, my children, sit."
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I sat down in the armchairs around one of the round tables.
"Welcome to Divination," Professor Trelawney said, who was sitting in an armchair in front of the fire. "My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye."
"So you have chosen to study Divination," she continued, "the most difficult of all magical arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you. Books can take you only so far in this field…"
Harry, Ron, and I glanced at Hermione who was looking horrified.
"Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearings, are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future," Professor Trelawney went on. "It is a gift granted to few. You, boy," she said, looking at Neville. "Is your grandmother well?"
"I think so," Neville said unsteadily.
"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you, dear," Professor Trelawney said. Neville swallowed. "We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year. The first term will be devoted to reading the tealeaves. Next term we shall progress to palmistry. By the way, my dear," she shot abruptly at Parvati Patil, "beware a red-haired man."
Parvati looked at Ron, who was sitting just behind her, in worry and scooted away from him.
"In the second term," Professor Trelawney went on, "we shall progress to the crystal ball — if we have finished with fire omens, that is. Unfortunately, classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty bout of flu. I myself will lose my voice. And around Easter, one of our number will leave us forever."
There was silence and a chill ran through me at her words as I glanced anxiously around at my friends.
"I wonder, dear," she said to Lavender Brown, who leaned back in her chair nervously, "if you could pass me the largest silver teapot?"
Lavender was looking more relaxed as she went to pick up the enormous teapot and placed it down on the table before Professor Trelawney.
"Thank you, my dear. Incidentally, that thing you are dreading — it will happen on Friday the sixteenth of October." Lavender shivered.
"Now, I want you all to divide into pairs. Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me, and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink, drink until only the dregs remain. Swill these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside down on its saucer, wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then give your cup to your partner to read. You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of Unfogging the Future. I shall move among you, helping and instructing. Oh, and dear" — she grabbed Neville's arm as he stood— "after you've broken your first cup, would you be so kind as to select one of the blue patterned ones? I'm rather attached to the pink."
Just as she predicted, Neville broke the teacup as soon as he reached the shelf containing them. Professor Trelawney was ready with a dustpan and brush to clean it up and said, "One of the blue ones, then, dear, if you wouldn't mind … thank you. …"
Hermione and I filled our teacups and went back to our table to drink it. After doing the steps Professor Trelawney instructed us, we drained the cups and exchanged them. Hermione was looking skeptical as she compared the apparent symbols in my cup to the book. I did the same with hers.
"It looks like you have…" I said.
Hermione frowned. "I really don't think that's going to happen," she said, "I don't really believe in this sort of thing—fortune telling. I'm sure you don't either."
"Yeah, after Madam Lulu I realized all that fortune teller stuff was just a hoax," I said, "Though Madam Lulu was never as precise as Trelawney. She could only give yes or no answers. Anyways, what do I have in my cup. Any dangers I should be wary about?"
Hermione turned back to my cup. "Well, this here I think is a turnip which means you will discover secrets and face domestic quarrels."
"More secrets?" I said, with a sigh. "And quarrels?" Though I realized as I spoke that it was probably referring to my issues with Melissa. I didn't say that aloud though.
"Over here I see a bull and it's tail is up so…unfortunately, it's a bad omen that will bring misfortune, attacks of pain, or of slander by some enemy; and because the tail is up, it is also personal danger or illness of someone dear to you."
My first thought was Klaus and my anxieties from earlier returned. I couldn't stop worrying that something was going to harm him. I really hoped enemy didn't mean who I thought it meant…and then, my chest stiffened in more anxiety as I considered the idea of Count Olaf showing up out of nowhere."
"There's a third one," Hermione said.
"Don't say it," I said, "it's probably something bad isn't it?"
"Um…it's a cypress tree meaning that you will bravely face something tremendously difficult."
"Perfect," I muttered bitterly.
"Oh, don't worry, Jamie," Hermione said. "None of this stuff is actually going to happen. Divination is very unreliable."
"Tell that to Mel," I said under my breath.
"What?"
"Oh, nothing," I said, "let's see what Ron and Harry got."
We looked to see Harry and Ron stifling laughter over Harry's teacup. Professor Trelawney swept over to them immediately.
"Let me see that, my dear," she said reproachfully to Ron. She grabbed the teacup from Harry's hand as everyone turned to watch.
"The falcon …" she said as she turned it over, "my dear, you have a deadly enemy."
"But everyone knows that," Hermione said in a loud whisper. Professor Trelawney just looked at her. I couldn't help do the same, a little surprised that Hermione of all people was speaking to a teacher this way.
"Well, they do," Hermione said and Harry and Ron looked at her in amazement. "Everybody knows about Harry and You-Know-Who."
Professor Trelawney didn't respond and looked back at Harry's teacup.
"Is everything okay, Hermione?" I said, watching her nervously as Trelawney went on about the symbols in Harry's cup. Now, he had a club meaning an attack and a skull representing danger.
"I just can't stand all this nonsense," she said, "It is way too subjective."
Suddenly, Professor Trelawney screamed. I nearly jumped out of my skin and I heard a tinkle as Neville's second china teacup broke. She sank down into a chair, her hand to her heart with her eyes shut.
"My dear boy … my poor, dear boy … no … it is kinder not to say … no … don't ask me.…"
"What is it, Professor?" Dean Thomas said.
"My dear," Professor Trelawney's eyes opened, "you have the Grim."
"The what?" Harry said.
I stared from Professor Trelawney to Harry, puzzled. Though pretty much everyone else gasped in horror. Clearly, Harry had beat me for the worst one.
"The Grim, my dear, the Grim!" Professor Trelawney cried, she looked even more flustered seeing that Harry had no clue what she was talking about. "The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! My dear boy, it is an omen — the worst omen — of death!"
'Yes, that was definitely worse than mine,' I thought.
Hermione was frowning deeply and got up to look over Professor Trelawney's shoulder.
"I don't think it looks like a Grim," she said flatly.
Professor Trelawney gave Hermione a disapproving look.
"You'll forgive me for saying so, my dear, but I perceive very little aura around you. Very little receptivity to the resonances of the future."
"It looks like a Grim if you do this," Seamus Finnigan said, nearly closing his eyes, "but it looks more like a donkey from here," he said, tilting his head to the left.
"When you've all finished deciding whether I'm going to die or not!" Harry said, startling me. Now, everyone was growing uncomfortable looking at him.
"I think we will leave the lesson here for today," Professor Trelawney said. "Yes … please pack away your things. …"
It was silent as Hermione and I put away our teacups and then, packed up. We went to help Neville clean up the broken teacup and met Harry and Ron at the door.
"Until we meet again," said Professor Trelawney faintly, "fair fortune be yours. Oh, and dear" — she pointed at Neville — "you'll be late next time, so mind you work extra-hard to catch up."
We left the attic-like classroom and made our way to Transfiguration, which was on the first floor corridor and we just made it in time.
"Don't worry about it, Harry," I tried to reassure him as we found seats in the back of the classroom, away from the other Gryffindors. They were still glancing at him furtively. "I'm sure it doesn't mean anything."
Professor McGonagall started her lesson about Animagi and even transformed into a tabby cat, though the class was still too distracted to really notice.
"Really, what has got into you all today?" said Professor McGonagall. "Not that it matters, but that's the first time my transformation's not got applause from a class."
We were all looking at Harry but no one said anything. So I put up my hand.
"Last class was our first Divination lesson. We started reading tea leaves when—"
"Ah, of course," Professor McGonagall said frowning. "There is no need to say any more, Miss Murray. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?"
No one spoke.
"Me," Harry said at last.
"I see," Professor McGonagall said. "Then you should know, Potter, that Sibyll Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them has died yet. Seeing death omens is her favorite way of greeting a new class. If it were not for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues —" She faltered and calmed herself down. "Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. True Seers are very rare, and Professor Trelawney —" She paused and then went on, "You look in excellent health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in."
Hermione and I laughed. Harry looked like he was feeling better. Though Ron didn't look convinced.
The class ended soon and we hurried down to the Great Hall for lunch with Ron still looking pale.
"Ron, cheer up," Hermione said and pushed the bowl of stew to him. "You heard what Professor McGonagall said. Divination isn't accurate."
For once, Ron poured it onto his plate, but didn't eat. When Hermione spoke I glanced at Mel, who had clearly proven to have relatively accurate, if not perplexing, visions. I was yet to tell the others about her exceptional powers, since Mel was determined to keep it a secret. I don't even think Fred and George knew. I didn't want to give Mel another reason to hate me, so I had decided to keep quiet about it.
Ron wouldn't stop worrying. He asked Harry if he had ever seen a large black dog at some point.
"Yeah, I have," Harry said. "I saw one the night I left the Dursleys'."
I frowned and Ron dropped his fork.
"Probably a stray," Hermione said calmly.
"That does sound creepy," I said.
Ron was looking at Hermione as if she were insane.
"Hermione, if Harry's seen a Grim, that's — that's bad," he said. "My — my uncle Bilius saw one and — and he died twenty-four hours later!"
"Coincidence," Hermione said airily, merely pouring pumpkin juice in her cup.
"I'm not a huge fan of fate or fortune telling either," I said, "but both scenarios sound a little uncanny. Though I did know a fortune teller who went by the motto of telling people what they wanted to hear. This whole Grim thing seems to happen every year. Maybe McGonagall is right and Professor Trelawney just likes to start off with a bit of drama. She did seem a little odd."
"You don't know what you're talking about!" Ron said, angrily. "Grims scare the living daylights out of most wizards!"
"There you are, then," Hermione said, condemningly. "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!"
"Though it doesn't mean you shouldn't be wary, Harry," I said, "Maybe the Grim is a coincidence but with these dementors lurking all over the castle and Sirius Black on the lose, you're still in danger—whether it's fate pulling the strings or mere coincidence. Hermione's right though. It's like when you're standing at the edge of a cliff. You might fear that you're going to fall, but it doesn't mean you're going to."
Ron was stubbornly choosing to ignore us and Hermione took out her new Arithmancy book.
"I think Divination seems very woolly," she said, opening it to the page she left off. "A lot of guesswork, if you ask me."
"There was nothing woolly about the Grim in that cup!" Ron said hotly.
"You didn't seem quite so confident when you were telling Harry it was a sheep," said Hermione coolly.
"Professor Trelawney said you didn't have the right aura! You just don't like being bad at something for a change!"
That was it for Hermione. With a loud slam, she closed her Arithmancy book so bits of food sprayed everywhere.
"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! That lesson was absolute rubbish compared with my Arithmancy class!"
She grabbed her bag and left. "You couldn't have just let it go?" I said to Ron before I gathered my things and followed Hermione out of the Great Hall.
"Wait a second," I said as we went out into the courtyard. "When did you have Arithmancy? You've been with us all day and we've only been in two classes."
"Don't worry about it," Hermione said and buried her face in her textbook.
When lunch ended, we headed out onto the grounds for Care of Magical Creatures. I grew a bit anxious as we gathered at Hagrid's hut, which was just at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Ron and Hermione were still angry at each other and didn't speak. Harry and I walked along with them, trying to diffuse the tension with small talk.
My anxieties about this lesson grew when I spotted three very unpleasant people—Malfoy, who was vigorously talking to his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle. He was probably still going on about the fainting fits. Clearly, the Slytherins would be joining us.
"Great," I muttered. "Another class with the Slytherins. Though at least Snape isn't here to pick favorites."
"I just hope they don't cause any trouble for Hagrid," Hermione said.
We approached the door of his hut where Hagrid waited with Fang at his side. He waited for everyone to arrive before leading us around the edge of the trees to the Forbidden Forest where there was a sort of paddock. Nothing was there at the moment.
"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 Malfoy said in his cool, drawling voice.
"Eh?" Hagrid said.
"How do we open our books?" Malfoy repeated, raising his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters. His was tied shut with rope.
"Hasn' — hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" Hagrid said, a little disappointed.
We all shook our heads.
"Yeh've got ter stroke 'em," Hagrid said, as if it were obvious. "Look —"
I gave him my copy and he tore off the Spellotape. It tried to bite him, though, Hagrid stroked the spine and it opened 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 me.
"They are, Hagrid," I said, making an effort to sound convincing. "Really. They're very clever."
"Oh, tremendously funny!" said Malfoy. "Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off!"
I was about to snap at him, but Hermione nudged me to stay quiet.
"We don't want to ruin Hagrid's first lesson," she reminded me.
"Righ' then," Hagrid said, and looked a little befuddled, "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 trudged into the forest and disappeared.
"God, this place is going to the dogs," said Malfoy loudly. "That oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him —"
"Really," I said. "You're going to tattle to your father like a little baby, now? Does baby Draco need his Daddy to solve all his problems?"
A few Gryffindors snickered.
"Careful, Murray," Malfoy said, abruptly. "There's a dementor behind you. Are you going to run to Dumbledore to cry after this, Mental Murray?"
"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry said.
"Ooooh," Malfoy and his cronies mocked as they rounded on him.
"Careful, Potter, there's a dementor behind you —"
Harry glanced over his shoulder, which caused Malfoy and his cronies as well as Pansy Parkinson to snicker.
"Oooooooh!" Lavender Brown squealed suddenly.
We looked to see a dozen odd creatures that looked like they were half eagle, half horse, trotted toward us. They were magnificent looking. Each of the creatures were restrained by a leather collar with a long chain. The ends of the chains were in Hagrid's hands as he hurried after them.
"Gee up, there!" he roared, as he urged the creatures closer. People were beginning to edge backward a bit as Hagrid tied the creatures to the fence.
"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid roared cheerily, waving at us. "Beau'iful, aren' they?"
The hippogriffs were beautiful, with each having a distinct color.
"So," Hagrid said, rubbing his hands together and flashing a huge smile at us all, "if yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer —"
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I carefully moved closer to the fence. We seemed to be the only ones.
"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."
I noticed Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle having their own conversation and I expected they were planning a way to ruin 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?"
The majority of the class stepped back. Harry, Hermione, Ron, and I glanced at each other, a little doubtful about it as well.
"No one?" Hagrid said, giving us a pleading look.
"I'll do it," Harry said.
There were sharp gasps from Lavendar and Parvati, who said,
"Oooh, no, Harry, remember your tea leaves!"
Harry didn't seem bothered by it and hopped over the fence. Ron was looking nervous again.
"Good man, Harry!" roared Hagrid. "Right then — let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak."
Everyone held their breath as Hagrid untied the grey hippogriff—Buckbeak. Malfoy narrowed his eyes with malice.
"Easy, now, Harry," Hagrid said quietly. "Yeh've got eye contact, now try not ter blink. … Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much…"
Harry kept his eyes from blinking and Buckbeak turned to meet his gaze.
"Tha's it," said Hagrid. "Tha's it, Harry … now, bow …"
Harry bowed. The hippogriff remained still.
"Ah," Hagrid said, sounding worried. "Right — back away, now, Harry, easy does it —"
Before Harry could move, the hippogriff abruptly returned his bow.
"Well done, Harry!" Hagrid said, excited. "Right — yeh can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!"
Harry moved closer and pet its beak. The hippogriff closed its eyes in enjoyment.
The entire class clapped, apart from Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who looked disappointed.
"Righ' then, Harry," Hagrid said. "I reckon he might' let yeh ride him!"
Harry was taken by surprise.
"Yeh climb up there, jus' behind the wing joint," said Hagrid, "an' mind yeh don' pull any of his feathers out, he won' like that. …"
Harry hoisted himself onto Buckbeak's back and it stood up.
"Go on, then!" roared Hagrid.
We watched in awe as the large wings opened wide and the hippogriff took off, soaring up towards the sky.
"Please don't fall," I muttered, my fingers crossed. I looked at Ron who was equally worried.
"This is it," he said, "The Grim is going to kill him now."
Hermione just rolled her eyes. "For the last time, it will not kill him," she said, "If he falls, which I really hope he doesn't, it won't be because of the Grim."
After a moment, Harry returned and Buckbeak hit the ground with a loud thud.
"Good work, Harry!" roared Hagrid. There were more cheers, except, of course, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. "Okay, who else wants a go?"
The class was now less fearful after Harry's success and we all went into the paddock to bow to the hippogriffs. Ron and Hermione practiced on the chestnut hippogriff and I tried Buckbeak, who bowed to me. I was in the middle of petting its beak when Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle approached.
"Step aside for your superiors, Murray," Malfoy said, "It's my turn."
I rolled my eyes.
"I think I'll stay right here, thanks," I said.
"That doesn't look very hard," Malfoy said, "It must be if Potter was able to do it…"
He strode toward the creature, without a care in the world. "I bet you're not dangerous at all are you, you great ugly brute?"
It happened fast. I was staring at Malfoy, livid at his stupidity when the hippogriff raised up and its sharp talons came down on Malfoy and me as well, sending him to the ground with a high-pitched scream. I fell too, blood oozing from the gash on my arm. Malfoy had a matching one.
"Damn't Malfoy," I muttered, as I clutched my arm.
"I'm dying!" Malfoy yelled as everyone panicked. "I'm dying, look at me! It's killed me!"
"Yer not dyin'!" Hagrid said, who had gone very white. "Someone help me — gotta get them outta here —"
"I think I can stand," I said, trying, unsuccessfully, to get up. Hermione and Ron carefully helped me to my feet while Hagrid lifted Malfoy. Harry, Ron, and Hermione supported me, especially as I began to feel faint, as we hurried to the hospital wing.
Malfoy was still moaning in pain as Madam Pomfrey stitched both our arms. She gave us both an ointment so it wouldn't scar and with a bandage, I was free to go. However, Malfoy insisted that his arm was broken and demanded to wear a sling.
"If you wanted your arm broken, you could have asked me to do it for you," I spat as Hermione urged me out of the hospital wing.
"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. …"
"Yeah, and to take everyone else down with him," I said, bitterly as we entered the Great Hall for dinner.
Klaus came over to see us and we explained everything that happened, catching him up to Harry receiving the Grim and Malfoy ruining Hagrid's first lesson.
"I can't believe it," Klaus said, "I wish I could get him back for getting you hurt too."
"Don't worry," I said, "I'm planning on figuring something out myself. I'm more worried about Hagrid though. What if Malfoy gets him in trouble?"
"They wouldn't fire him, would they?" Hermione said anxiously.
"They'd better not," Ron said.
We were all too worried to eat and stared gloomily at our pudding.
"Well, you can't say it wasn't an interesting first day back," Ron said gloomily.
Please Review to let me know what you think!