Disclaimer: I don't own anything in Harry Potter

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Buckbeak the Hippogriff

Diana and Maisie entered the Great Hall the next day, well rested and ready to started Second Year.

They headed towards the Gryffindor table, where Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting, along with Ginny, Colin and Jamie. Harry's face was red with anger.

"Hey, Potter!" shrieked Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin girl the year above Diana with a face like a pugs. "Potter! The dementors are coming, Potter! Woooooooo!"

"Shut it, Parkinson!" Ron yelled to Pansy.

Diana and Maisie made to sit down at the Gryffindor table, but Hermione stopped them.

"One week, remember," Hermione said.

So Diana and Maisie sat down at the Hufflepuff table.

"I wonder what we'll be doing this year," said Diana.

"I just really hope that Lupin'll be better than Lockhart," Maisie groaned, picking up her fork.

Lockhart had been their egotistic Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, but had been forced to retire after his memory was wiped due to an accident with Ron's wand.

Diana said, "Lupin seems better than Lockhart. They have nothing in common, really."

"Their names both start with L," Maisie pointed out.

"Let's just see Lupin's class before we judge!" said Diana.

"We've got a few days before that," Maisie informed her, checking their timetable.

Diana glanced up at the teachers table. Lupin seemed to be picking at his food, as though he wasn't hungry but was being forced to eat.

"Yes, I'm sure he's going to be as vain as Lockhart," Diana decided.

Maisie looked up at him and said, "He looks better than Lockhart. Let's hope he's a good teacher."

The morning started off well. Diana, Maisie, Colin, Ginny and Jamie had come back from a Charms lesson. Diana particularly enjoyed Charms because she was rather good at it, although Professor Flitwick comparing her to her aunt, Lily Potter, was a little annoying.

"I think Harry has some new classes today," Diana remembered.

Just then, Harry, Ron and Hermione came into the Great Hall. Diana could tell something was up.

"What is it?" asked Diana, careful not to sit down and the Gryffindor table.

"It's confirmed!" Harry exclaimed. "I'm going to die!"

"Explain," Diana ordered.

"So, we were in Divination, and we were looking at tea leaves..."

When Harry finished his story, Diana had mixed feelings. She was worried for her cousin, but also thought the Divination teacher sounded like a fraud.

"I think Divination's very woolly," said Hermione. "And Harry, how do you know you're going to die? Trelawney saw normal tea leaves in your cup? Oh no, you're going to die! And have you even seen a grim before?"

"We saw one the night Marge was blown up," Diana informed Hermione.

Ron dropped his fork with a clatter. "My Great Uncle Bilius saw one and died twenty-four hours later."

"Rubbish," scoffed Ginny, who was listening from nearby. "Great Uncle Bilius was dying anyway, he must've seen a stray while writing his obituary."

"Well, I think Arithmancy was much better than Divination!" Hermione said angrily, slamming a book shut.

"What's she talking about?" said Ron as Hermione stormed off angrily. "She hasn't had an Arithmancy class yet."

History of Magic was as boring as ever, so it was rather tragic that Diana had a good nights sleep. Rolf was the only person Diana knew - besides Hermione - who could listen to Binns drone on about Goblins Rebellions without falling asleep. Even though Luna could probably listen to him, she didn't try to.

So it was only Rolf who entered the Great Hall at 5 o'clock for dinner with knowledge about the Goblin Rebellions.

Diana headed down to the Gryffindor table, as Harry, Ron and Hermione were all looking solemn.

"What?" asked Diana. "What could it possibly be this time?"

"It's Hagrid," replied Hermione. "Our first Care of Magical Creatures lesson didn't go too well."

The three told Diana and Rolf (who had come over to see what was wrong a minute ago) what had happened.

"Hagrid's got Hippogriffs?" Rolf asked eagerly.

The three nodded.

"Can we go see them?"

"Why not," said Ron. "We'll need to ask Hagrid, though."

"I don't know," Hermione said anxiously, glancing at Harry.

"I'm allowed to walk across the ground with four other people!" Harry snapped.

And so, ten minutes later, they knocked on Hagrid's door.

"C'min," growled a voice.

Hagrid was sitting at his scrubbed wooden table. Fang, his dog, had his head in Hagrid's lap. One look told Diana 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 having difficulty in getting them into focus.

"'Spect it's a record," Hagrid said thickly when he recognised them. "Don' reckon they've ever had a teacher who on'y lasted a day before."

"You haven't been sacked!" gasped Hermione.

"Not yet," said Hagrid miserably. "But 's only a matter o' time, i'n't it, after Malfoy..."

"How is he?" asked Ron as they sat down.

"Madam Pomfrey fixed him best she could," said Hagrid. "But he's sayin' it's still agony... covered in bandages... moanin'..."

"He's faking it," Harry said. "Madam Pomfrey can mend anything. She regrew half my bones last year. Trust Malfoy to milk it for all it's worth."

"School gov'nors have bin told, o' course," Hagrid mumbled. "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 all Malfoy's fault!" Diana protested. She looked at Rolf.

"Er, Mr Hagrid?" asked Rolf. "Can you show me the Hippogriffs?"

Hagrid looked a little happier. He took Rolf outside, and Diana, Harry, Ron and Hermione decided to come to see them as well.

"Beau'iful, aren't they," Hagrid exclaimed as they reached a paddock full of Hippogriffs.

The Hippogriffs had bodies, hind legs and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings and head of what seemed to be giant eagles with cruel, steel-coloured beaks and large, brilliantly orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot and deadly-looking. Each of the Hippogriffs had a thick leather collar around it's next, attached to a long chain, which was tied to a tree. Each of the Hippogriffs had a different colour of feathers (or hair, it kept changing).

Rolf laughed and approached a Hippogriff. He stared at it, not blinking, and the Hippogriff started back. Rolf bowed to it, and the Hippogriff bowed back. Once it bowed, Rolf patted the Hippogriff, and it seemed to like him.

"My grandfather showed me Hippogriffs when I was two," Rolf explained as he patted the Hippogriff. "Ever year, on my birthday, he takes me to the Hippogriffs."

After Rolf had patted all the Hippogriffs, Hagrid took them back to his hut, looking considerably better.

When they got back, Hagrid stuck his head in a water barrel.

"Tha's better," he said. "Listen, it was good of yeh ter come an' see me, I really-"

He stopped dead, staring at Harry as though he'd only just realised he was there.

"WHAT D'YEH THINK YER DOIN', EH?!" he roared so loudly that Diana and the others jumped a foot in the air. "YEH'RE NOT TO GO WANDERIN' AROUND AFTER DARK, HARRY! AN' YOU FOUR! LETTIN' HIM!"

Hagrid grabbed Harry by the arm and started pulling him up to the castle.

"C'mon," said Hagrid angrily. "I'm takin' yer all back up ter school, an' don't let me catch yeh walkin' down ter see me after dark again. I'm not worth that!"