Bold*- parstletounge

Italics - thoughts

"Normal"- speech and narrative

Chapter 41: Hippogriffs And A Falling Out

2/9/1993

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All through lunch Theo was worrying. After reading Draco's teacup he had grown more scared for his friend. Draco however didn't think anything of it, which was a bit stupid considering his cup had said he'd rush into things without thinking.

Cassandra enjoyed the walk down to the gamekeepers hut. She had always enjoyed nature, and magical creatures - she hoped to Merlin the oaf didn't ruin it for her.

When the reached the hut they had to wait for the Gryffindor's to arrive. Draco was talking to Greg and Vince, who were chortling, Cass grinned as she heard the word 'faint'.

"C'mon, now, get a move on!" Hagrid called to the now approaching house. "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"

"This better be good!" Whispered Cass to Blaise as they followed him into a kind of paddock.

"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-"

"And exactly how are we supposed to do that?" said Cassandra in a cold voice. Of course she knew, she just wanted to make him look bad.

"Eh?" said Hagrid.

Theodore got the idea and repeated her, "how do we open our books?" He took out his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which Cass had just secretly and silently bound shut with a length of rope.

"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 Grangers 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!" Blaise sneered as Hagrid went off, probably to get the thing they would be learning about. "We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess!"

"I think they're funny!" Said Granger trying to stick up for Hagrid.

"Oh, tremendously funny!" said Draco. "Really witty! God this place has gone to the dogs, wait until my father hears that Dumbledore's got this oaf teaching classes!"

"Shut up, Malfoy!" said Potter moving towards him.

"Oohohohoooo" Draco smirked looking at the others. He dropped his bag into Vince's hands and then strutted up to Potter cockily.

He then looked behind the boy, acting startled and stumbling back he pointed at something. "Dementor! Dementor!"

Everyone whipped around. The Slytherins laughed and put their hoods up.

"OooOOoOo" they said spookily as the others turned back around to face them. Granger then grabbed Potter and steered him away sneering. Cassandra high fived Draco and then gasped in amazement.

Hagrid was leading two Hippogriffs into the paddock!

"Oh my god! I've always wanted to fly on a Hippogriff!!" Cass stated.

Blaise slung an arm around her. "Just be careful though if you get the chance!"

She kissed his cheek, "I will Blaise don't worry!"

"Beau'iful, aren' they?" Stated Hagrid. "So, if yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer..."

Cassandra eagerly stepped forwards and was hesitantly followed by Potter, Weasley and Granger.

"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. 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?"

Cass heard the class back away.

"I will!" She stated climbing into the paddock.

Hagrid looked taken aback. "Erm right... anyone else want to go on the other one?"

She guessed he didn't want his first class to have a Slytherin as it's main focus.

A familiar voice then spoke up. "I'll do it."

Cassandra rolled her eyes as Potter climbed in behind her, earning praise frrom the half-giant as he did.

"Right then, let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak. Slytherin you go on Fleetwing."

Her eyes flashed red as she glared at him, "My name is Cassandra Riddle, get it right!"

The man paled as if remembering a Riddle from his past, "er righ', sorry."

He untied both Hippogriffs and slipped off their leather collars.

Cassandra rolled her eyes as Hagrid began telling Potter what to do, not including her at all. If he's going to exclude me then I'll just do it myself, she thought.

She stepped up to the reddish-brown creature. It examined her with fierce eyes. She bowed low to the ground, keeping her gaze and not blinking. After a few seconds Fleetwing bowed her head and Cassie beamed.

She made her way towards it slowly and held out her hand. The Hippogriff walked towards it and put her head under it. The Slytherins, the only ones of the class who weren't focused on Potter, cheered making Hagrid look over to the actual volunteer.

"Riddle?! Wha' d' yer think yer doin'?!"

She glared and used Fleetwing's wing to mount her gracefully. "Well, seeing as you are only bothering to teach the Gryffindor what to do I thought I'd get on with it! You'd think the groundskeeper wouldn't be biased to a specific house - especially if he wasn't in it!"

Hagrid paled and stuttered, "we'll 'ave no more o' tha' Riddle. Yer righ' though er 10 points to Slytherin, I guess, fer knowing what ter do an' volunteering firs'."

Cassandra nodded gratefully and watched as the half giant picked up an extremely reluctant Potter and put him on top of Buckbeak.

"Go on then, 'ave a fly!" He stated slapping Buckbeaks hind.

"YA!" Cass yelled squeezing her knees.

Both Hippogriffs took off running, raising their wings they began to flap, suddenly they were in the air.

It was absolutely nothing like a broomstick but Cassandra loved it all the same. It was freeing. She threw her arms up and screamed in delight as she soared through the sky. Around her she could hear Potters screams of terror; and laughed.

It was a lovely view and in all honesty she felt a bit lonely to be the only one to see if. She knew that Blaise would love it and that Theo would find it calming, but her mind couldn't help but drift to the handsome Hufflepuff seeker...

When Hagrid whistled for the creatures to come down it seemed all too soon. They landed and Cassandra dismounted Fleetwing with a pout. She leant her forehead on the creatures one and smiled as it nudged her affectionately.

To her right Potter was talking with Hagrid, Buckbeak in the middle of the pen. She suddenly heard a noise and looked around to see her cousin pushing through the Gryffindor's and climbing into the paddock. He strutted towards the Hippogriff, "yes you're not dangerous at all are you? You great ugly brute!"

Draco's face contorted with terror and he screamed loudly. Cassandra flinched at the noise and held onto Fleetwings neck as tears welled up in her eyes from seeing her cousin on the floor, blood pouring from his arm: Buckbeak above him.

Hagrid was wrestling Buckbeak back into his collar as he strained to get at Draco. As soon as the creature was tied up Cass rushed to his side.

"Are you all right Draco?!"

"It's killed meh, it's killed meh! I'm dying!" He yelled as the class panicked.

Cassandra was frozen from shock and her mind went blank as for what to do.

"Hagrid!" Stated Granger. "He needs to be taken to the hospital wing!"

Hagrid lifted Draco easily of the ground and carried him towards the castle, Cass was still on the ground.

"My father will hear about this! You'll pay for it! You and your bloody chicken!" She heard Draco say as his voice got fainter and fainter.

She felt arms around her and looked up to find Blaise, she let him guide her up and, after stopping to say goodbye to Fleetwing, he led her to where the students were walking back to the castle.

"They should sack him straight away!" said Vince angrily.

"It was Malfoy's fault!" snapped Dean Thomas. Blaise glared at him and Vince and Greg cracked their knuckles.

It looked like there was going to be a full on row until something unexpected happened. Cass looked up from Blaise's arms, she saw Theo's distraught face and realisation set in.

"He's right."

"What!!?" Everyone stated.

"He's right." Cass repeated. "He didn't listen to the signs," she glanced pointedly at Theo so the Slytherins understood, she then turned back to the Gryffindor's glaring. "But you can't say this is all his fault! Hagrid should have been paying more attention instead of chatting to Potter and tied him up if he was going to turn his back on it! C'mon guys let's go make sure Draco's okay!"

They split off from the half shocked, half angry Gryffindor's and made their way to the hospital wing. Before doing so they went to try and find Daphne and Pansy as the two weren't in the class and would have no idea what happened.

Unfortunately there was no such luck so they headed to the infirmary about 35 minutes after Draco was attacked.

Madame Pomfrey looked annoyed at so many people visiting but didn't stop them from seeing their friend.

They all crowded around Draco's bed.

"Are you okay?"

"What's happening with Hagrid?"

"Did you speak to your father?"

"You idiot Draco Malfoy you should have listened more to Theo!!"

Draco looked at Cassandra and sighed. "I know but there's nothing I can do now is there? Madame Pomfrey's fixed my arm right up but father told me to play up the pain in hopes of getting the oaf sacked! Oh and get this! I asked him to request the creature to be beheaded and he said if that's what I want he'll do it!"

Cassandra's eyes flashed red and said in a deadly low voice, "you. asked. WHAT!"

"C'mon Cassie it's not a big deal! It's just a Hippogriff!"

"Are you being serious?"

"Why would I be joking?"

"That creature has done nothing wrong! It is your fault it attacked, and now it's going to be killed!?! You know as well as I that Uncle Lucius can't back down after he has said something as serious as that! You also know for a fact that I would not have wanted that to happen! Yet you did it anyway! Why?"

He glared at her and the others backed away. The last time the two cousins had got into a fight they hadn't talked to each other in four months.

"Because I want it dead for attacking me! It had no right and the fact that you act like I give a shit about you is beyond me!"

Cassandra doubled back and Draco's face fell as he realised he should not have said that.

Before he could apologise Cassandra stood abruptly from her seat, angry tears running down her face. "FINE! Don't you dare talk to me from now on Malfoy or I'll curse you like there is no tomorrow - and you know I can!"

She then ran out the infirmary, heading anywhere that was away from there. She had no clue where her legs were taking her for she was not looking.

Suddenly she ran straight into two tall figures. "Oh my gosh Cass are you okay?"

"Let's get you out of the corridors, we know you wouldn't want to be seen like this!"

She felt arms lift her up and she clung to the persons neck. She watched as the figures manoeuvred in and out of passageways, staying in the shadows and not being seen by anyone. The one who was not holding her walked in front of a familiar tapestry and a door appeared.

Cass got carried into a room that looked exactly like the formal living room of Riddle manor. Through her tears she grinned.

Fred then dropped her dramatically onto the couch.

"What was that for!" She said giggling as both boys sat on the coffee table in front of her.

"It was to make you laugh!"

"Now tell us, what's wrong?"

She looked at them, "I know you told my father you'd act like my big brothers and take care of me but you don't have to act like you care this much."

The twins glaced at each other.

"But we do care!"

"You're our friend!"

"Now tell us what's up!" They said simultaneously.

And she did.

They talked for ages, they didn't even go to the great hall for tea. Cassandra just called Emerald and she brought the food to them. Then after a big meal and lots of laughs, the three fell asleep in the room of requirement - unknown to them, leaving a very panicky Blaise Zabini in the Slytherin common room.