Chapter 29

Today was the first day of classes and we were all in the great hall eating breakfast. Professor McGonagall was going around, handing out our class schedules. Ron was eating like a pig, as usual, when McGonagall came over and handed us our schedules. Ron caught a glimpse of Hermione's. "I think someone made a mistake on your schedule, Hermione." Ron pointed out. "You have ten classed a day and some of them are at the same time."

Harry and I glanced at her class list. Ron was right of course. I knew Hermione had a time turner but even then it would be impossible to keep up. "Hermione, even if you had a way to get to all your classes it would still be impossible to stay on top of all your homework and you would be very tired." I gave her a meaningful look as I said this. "You already know all about muggles and you don't need to take the class to take the OWLs so you can drop it. Then there's Divination. It would be a complete waste of time. Divination is a stupid subject and the professor is an utter loon."

"Maybe your right about Muggle Studies but I want to try divination." She told me. I shrugged.

"If you want to choose your own torture then be my guess but remember I told you so." I said and she frowned at me.

I looked down at my schedule. I was taking Ancient Runes, Arithmancy and Care of

Magical Creatures. We all had Care of Magical Creatures first. I was planning to stick by the Slytherins this lesson so that we could hopefully avoid the whole Buckbeak sentenced to death fiasco. Draco is much more mature now but I was worried about the other Slytherins too.

Hagrid was waiting for his class at the door of his hut. He stood in his moleskin overcoat, with Fang 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!" Hagrid lead them 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 'ere." Hagrid said. "Take out yer books an' open them to page-"

"How exactly are we supposed to do that?" Interrupted Goyle, rudely.

"Eh?" asked Hagrid.

"How do we open our books?" Goyle 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.

"Hasn' - hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" said Hagrid, looking crestfallen.

"I did Hagrid." I called out to save him the embarrassment. I took my book out of my bag and stroked the spine. It fell open and I laid it on a rock.

"Well done Joanne. Ten points to Gryffindor." He beamed at me. "Now just do what Joanne did and stroke the spine. Then we can get started."

People reluctantly started taking their books out and stroking them. Once everyones books were open, Hagrid went off to get the magical creatures. Hagrid soon came back leading the Hippogriffs into the paddock. "Hippogriffs!" Hagrid roared happily, waving a hand at them. "Beau'iful, aren' they?" And they really were too. I couldn't help but admire their neat and colourful feathers. "So," said Hagrid, rubbing his hands together and beaming, "if yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer -"

I immediately started walking toward them. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville reluctantly followed my example. "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?" While the rest of the class backed away, I stepped forward.

"Can I?" I asked eagerly. Hermione was looking at me worriedly and Ron and Neville clearly thought I had lost it. I climbed over the paddock fence.

"Great Annie!" Hagrid exclaimed happily. He untied Buckbeak and lead him away from the group of other Hippogriffs. "Easy now, Annie," said Hagrid quietly. "Yeh've got eye contact, now try not ter blink... Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much..."

I kept my head up and looked strait into the eyes of the Hippogriff as I bowed low. Because I wasn't afraid, Buckbeak immediately responded with a bow back. I didn't need Hagrid to tell me. As soon as he bowed I moved over to him and pat his beak. "Well done Annie!" Hagrid looked very pleased. "I reckon he'll let you ride 'im." I climbed onto the majestic creature and situated myself on his back. I rapped my arms around it's neck.

Hagrid patted it's butt and it launched itself into the sky. The wings of the Hippogriff beat on either side of me as we soared through the soft blue sky. It circled around the lake before swooping down and skimming it's surface. All to soon, Buckbeak took me back to Hagrid and the others. I swung my legs over and jumped off his back. "Thank you, Buckbeak." I said as I stroked his smooth feathers.

The class was clapping and cheering. Everyone started filing into the paddock as Hagrid untied the other Hippogriffs. I hung around the Slytherins and watched them interact with the creatures. To my disappointment it was Draco who still caused the problem. He was frustrated because the Hippogriff wouldn't bow to him. I may have gotten him to be nicer to people but apparently that didn't extend to animals.

"Why won't you bow? Your just a stupid turkey!" He yelled at it. As soon as he opened his mouth, I started moving towards him. Buckbeak rose onto his hind legs and lifted it's talons to get at Draco. I just managed to push him out of the way. Buckbeak's claws scraped down my arm. It really really hurt. Needless to say I was really peeved but I had to do it so Draco won't try and get Buckbeak executed now.

As soon as the Hippogriff hit me he calmed down and backed away with his head bent. He looked like he felt bad. I turned to Draco. "You idiot!" I yelled at him. "You never insult a Hippogriff. That was one of the first things Hagrid told us, you stupid prat!"

"I-I'm S-Sorry." He spluttered and he sounded it too. "Thank you for pushing me out of the way." He said as he eyed my wound guiltily. I looked down at my arm. Buckbeak's talons had gone through my sleeve and blood was seeping through the rips in the fabric. I shrugged.

"It's just a scratch." I told him.

Hagrid looked as if he was about to have a panic attack. He gave Malfoy a detention and awarded me fifty points for saving a fellow student. Then he told Hermione to take me to the hospital wing. We were walking down the corridor. I was trying to stop the bleeding. Flitch would give me a detention if I got blood on the stone floors. It was kind of hard not to though. The wound was too big to cover with my hand. We walked round the corner and literally ran right into Fred and George. I fell right on top of Fred and got blood all over his white button up uniform shirt. I quickly got off him and George helped him to his feet.

Fred looked down at his shirt. "I'm so sorry." I said as a took out my wand and got rid of the stein. "There, all better."

"What on earth happened?" Fred asked me. He and George were staring at my bloody arm.

"She saved Malfoy from an angry Hippogriff." Hermione told them.

"Why would you do that?!" George asked in disbelief.

"Actually I was saving Hagrid and the Hippogriff from the lawsuit Lucius Malfoy would have put forward if anything happened to his son." I clarified.

"Oh." They said in union.

"But isn't Lucius Malfoy in Askaban?" Hermione asked. You have got to be kidding me!

"I completely forgot. I'm so stupid!" I exclaimed. I did that for nothing! I was starting too feel a little faint. There was a small red puddle at my feet and I had already been leaving a small stream behind me. Hermione saw what I was looking at.

"Oh Merlin! We should get to the hospital wing." She muttered. She was looking a bit queazy at the sight of all the blood. I don't know why though. Being friends with Harry means that you're familiar with blood, whether it be yours of someone else's. Blood was still dripping from my arm. I was getting very tired.

"Yeah we should-" I started but I never got to Finnish that sentence.

...

"She looks very pale." I heard a male voice.

"Is she going to be okay?" A different person asked.

"When is she going to wake up?" This voice belonged to a girl. I was too tired to try and figure out who they were.

"Soon. She was weak from all the blood loss and that's why she fainted. Hopefully she'll be fine after a few good meals and a lot of rest." I was starting to come out of my haze and I recognized that voice as Madame Pomfrey. I've been in the hospital wing enough times to know what she sounds like.

I tried to open my eyes but had to shut them quickly because the light was hurting them. I blinked a few times and tried again. The world came into focus and I sat up. I regretted it instantly, for my head started spinning. The twins, Draco, Ron, Harry, Neville and Hermione were standing around me. Madame Pomfrey must have gone out of the room. "What happened?" I asked. I was in a daze and my memory was a little fuzzy.

"You feinted in the hallway." Hermione told me. "Fred carried you to the hospital wing." I blushed. Wait, why did I just blush because Fred was carrying me?

"You were injured because you saved me from my own stupidity." Said Draco guiltily.

"It's good that you admit you're an idiot." I told him. The Draco in first year would have never done that. Maybe he is changing.

"I'm so sorry." He said again.

"It's what friends are for." I said, brushing his apology aside.

"No, I owe you a life debt." He insisted.

"Buckbeak wouldn't have killed you." I laughed.

"Who knows what he would have done if you hadn't pushed me out of the way and distracted him. I owe you my life." He insisted. I could see he wasn't going to budge on this so I just nodded reluctantly.

Madame Pomfrey walked in. "Oh good, you're awake." She said before she shooed everyone away and said I needed rest.

...