Chapter XXIII
It was tuesday and they were already late for Hagrid's class. Although their friendship with Hagrid is really strong, it was a nightmare to have class with the slytherins. Besides that, Hagrid always brought something weird and frightening to teach about.
"Hello, Hagrid."
"Hi, Harry" he answered happily.
"What did you bring today to us?" Hermione asked.
"We have nice chaps today, but we'll wait the other students"
A few minutes later, all the students were in front of Hagrid's house.
"Alright then." He pulled a ball of thorns from a box. "It's an Onipse. If it likes you, its thorns turn to a soft thing, like you are touching silk, as you can see, but, if it gets angry.", the criature's thorns turned to hard and sharp stings. They attached themselves to Hagrid's glove. "As you can see, you must use the dragon leather gloves, just in case. These creatures are really useful as house guards, because they can feel magic and, if trained, they can differentiate good magic from bad magic. And, of course, they only obey wizards. I want you to try to make them trust you. That will be enough for today. I have here some cheese, cause they love cheese. You can be in twos or threes, I don't mind". He passed to each one a pair of gloves and let them pick an Onipse from the box.
"Good house guards? I prefer that stupid little owl of mine to this" Ron pointed to the Onipse he took from the box.
"Let's do it as fast as we can, before that crazy thing hurt us" Hermione said. Harry and Ron nodded.
An hour and a half later, after some scratches and yells, everybody was putting back the Onipse in the boxes. Only Neville didn't get any wounds and his Onipse lost a little of its hardness. Hagrid gave him a bar of chocolate.
"Do we have to deal with those things again?"
Hermione looked at him. "Don't complain, Ron. Hagrid already brought a lot of worst things to us".
"Her-hum-Granger!"
She turned her head to see who had called her, but she could not believe her eyes. "What do you want, Malfoy?"
"I want to talk to you"
"Go on"
Draco looked at Harry and Ron, who were beside her. "It's private".
"I have nothing private with you".
Malfoy smirked. "Is that so?"
She froze and, against her will, she felt her cheeks getting hot. "Yeah".
He got near her. Harry gave a step towards him, but Ron held him. Harry looked at him, asking for an explanation, but Ron just shook his head. Draco was inches from Hermione. "May I have to speak, in front of your best friends, what I doubt you had the courage to tell them?"
"What is he talking about, Hermione?" Harry asked.
She felt her knees starting to shake. "What do you want?"
"I told you. So, what do you say?"
She didn't want to stay alone with him anymore, but she also didn't want Harry and Ron to know what Malfoy did to her. "Alright. Let's talk private".
Harry eyes got wider than ever. "Hermione, what the hell."
"That's ok, Harry. Don't worry". She turned to Malfoy. "I can deal with him".
Draco smirked. "Lady's first".
Hermione passed by him, without looking back. Malfoy followed her.
Harry and Ron were exactly where they left them, just watching Hermione and Malfoy getting far from them.
"That's ok, mate".
"What are you talking about? That's not ok. Hermione alone with that imitation of a human being? You're must be crazy, and so is she".
Ron gave him a half-hearted smile. "I know what I'm saying. Let's get inside, Harry".
He didn't move for a few minutes, and then decided to follow Ron.
It was tuesday and they were already late for Hagrid's class. Although their friendship with Hagrid is really strong, it was a nightmare to have class with the slytherins. Besides that, Hagrid always brought something weird and frightening to teach about.
"Hello, Hagrid."
"Hi, Harry" he answered happily.
"What did you bring today to us?" Hermione asked.
"We have nice chaps today, but we'll wait the other students"
A few minutes later, all the students were in front of Hagrid's house.
"Alright then." He pulled a ball of thorns from a box. "It's an Onipse. If it likes you, its thorns turn to a soft thing, like you are touching silk, as you can see, but, if it gets angry.", the criature's thorns turned to hard and sharp stings. They attached themselves to Hagrid's glove. "As you can see, you must use the dragon leather gloves, just in case. These creatures are really useful as house guards, because they can feel magic and, if trained, they can differentiate good magic from bad magic. And, of course, they only obey wizards. I want you to try to make them trust you. That will be enough for today. I have here some cheese, cause they love cheese. You can be in twos or threes, I don't mind". He passed to each one a pair of gloves and let them pick an Onipse from the box.
"Good house guards? I prefer that stupid little owl of mine to this" Ron pointed to the Onipse he took from the box.
"Let's do it as fast as we can, before that crazy thing hurt us" Hermione said. Harry and Ron nodded.
An hour and a half later, after some scratches and yells, everybody was putting back the Onipse in the boxes. Only Neville didn't get any wounds and his Onipse lost a little of its hardness. Hagrid gave him a bar of chocolate.
"Do we have to deal with those things again?"
Hermione looked at him. "Don't complain, Ron. Hagrid already brought a lot of worst things to us".
"Her-hum-Granger!"
She turned her head to see who had called her, but she could not believe her eyes. "What do you want, Malfoy?"
"I want to talk to you"
"Go on"
Draco looked at Harry and Ron, who were beside her. "It's private".
"I have nothing private with you".
Malfoy smirked. "Is that so?"
She froze and, against her will, she felt her cheeks getting hot. "Yeah".
He got near her. Harry gave a step towards him, but Ron held him. Harry looked at him, asking for an explanation, but Ron just shook his head. Draco was inches from Hermione. "May I have to speak, in front of your best friends, what I doubt you had the courage to tell them?"
"What is he talking about, Hermione?" Harry asked.
She felt her knees starting to shake. "What do you want?"
"I told you. So, what do you say?"
She didn't want to stay alone with him anymore, but she also didn't want Harry and Ron to know what Malfoy did to her. "Alright. Let's talk private".
Harry eyes got wider than ever. "Hermione, what the hell."
"That's ok, Harry. Don't worry". She turned to Malfoy. "I can deal with him".
Draco smirked. "Lady's first".
Hermione passed by him, without looking back. Malfoy followed her.
Harry and Ron were exactly where they left them, just watching Hermione and Malfoy getting far from them.
"That's ok, mate".
"What are you talking about? That's not ok. Hermione alone with that imitation of a human being? You're must be crazy, and so is she".
Ron gave him a half-hearted smile. "I know what I'm saying. Let's get inside, Harry".
He didn't move for a few minutes, and then decided to follow Ron.