"We have Care of Magical Creatures today instead of Animagus, right?" Haylie asked at lunch.
"I think so," Lexie replied. "She said something about only having it every other day."
"What do you think Hagrid'll show us?"
"Well, he had some ideas for lesson plans, but he hadn't decided for sure last time we talked." She looked at her watch. "Sorry, Haylie, but I'm gonna leave now, alright? I have to make a bathroom run and I don't want to be late to class."
Haylie frowned. "You're leaving me?"
"Well, there's only a few minutes left anyway, and here come the guys. See you later!" She said, running out of the Hall. Jeremy, JT and Chris walked over to Haylie.
"Wanna start walking?" Chris asked.
"Sure. Where were you guys?" She asked, getting up.
"I didn't finish my homework," said JT. "We were in the library. Working."
"Copying, more like," retorted Jeremy. "Off me, thank you very much." The four of them headed out the door and around the corner.
When they got to Hagrid's hut, they looked around for any sign of Lexie, but could find none.
"Where did she go?" wondered JT, but at that moment Hagrid came out of his hut and asked the class to gather around.
"Today I've got a real treat fer yeh. Didn' think I'd be able ter do this, but…anyways, come over here with me." And he walked off. Following him, the class reached a small clearing just within the borders of the Forest. Hagrid whistled. There was a few moments of awkward silence, then suddenly Haylie heard hoof beats, but they sounded wrong somehow; only half there, and other sounds that she couldn't identify. Into the dappled light of the clearing walked a strange and beautiful creature that Haylie would have recognized anywhere, and Haylie realized why the hoof beats had sounded wrong. The back legs and body were that of an Arabian mare, but the front legs, wings and head was that of a regal bird-Peregrine falcon? Haylie guessed. It's large tawny eyes scanned the class, piercing glare seeming to cut through them. Shifting on its front legs, the creature's talons gouged a deep furrow in the earth as easily as a knife through butter. Those claws could rip someone's arm off, Haylie thought.
"Does anyone know what this is called?" Hagrid asked. Only three hands went up-the inevitable Hermione, Potter-fan Haylie, and, surprisingly, Carrie-Ann. Hagrid called on Carrie-Ann.
"Isn't it-isn't that thing a hippogriff?" She said timidly.
The hippogriff, which had been gazing about the class suddenly snapped to attention, golden eyes glittering and feathers ruffled in what looked to be irritation, bordering on anger.
"Yes, she is a hippogriff. This is Luna. Say hello, Luna," he cooed, patting her on the head. She looked at him in what seemed to be disgust. "You're all gonna get ter meet her. Who wants ter be first? Harry?" he said, looking at him hopefully.
"Umm…no thanks, Hagrid. I'll let someone else have a turn," he replied, stepping back. Jeremy looked at JT, and they shoved Chris forward.
"Chris? Great!" said Hagrid, looking relieved that someone had "volunteered."
Chris shot daggers at Jeremy and JT before stepping forward. Jeremy smiled maliciously.
(You do know that he could get seriously injured doing this, right?) Asked JT as Chris walked to the front, very pale and shaking.
(Yup.)
"I'm gonna walk yeh through it, alrigh'?" said Hagrid reassuringly. "Just step forward and bow. Don' blink too much. Tha's it," he said, as Chris bent forward slowly. After a moment's pause, the hippogriff dipped into a graceful bow, looking almost like a ballet dancer.
"She likes yeh! Go on and pet her. Go on now," he encouraged, as Chris slowly reached out his shaking hand. She came forward, and he flinched in surprise, but laid his hand on her beak. One by one, the class each bowed to the mare, waiting for her approval before most laid a nervous hand on her beak and scuttled off. When it came Haylie's turn, she approached Luna slowly and the two watched each other for a moment. It seemed to Haylie that there was something vaguely familiar about Luna, but she couldn't place it. Without hesitation, the hippogriff bent to a bow and stepped toward her, head held high and proud before dipping to permit the girl to pet her. After a few moments, Hagrid proclaimed that Chris could probably ride her now.
"I think she's used to yeh most of all now," he said. Both Luna and Chris looked up at him in shock. But before either of them knew what was happening, Hagrid had picked Chris up and placed him neatly on Luna's back, leaving him with his arms wrapped around her neck. He gave a whistle and the hippogriff broke into a fluid canter, heading for a space in the trees. Lifting off, her wings pumped, gaining altitude as they swept above the tree cover and into open air, leaving the class behind them. Circling once about the Hogwarts' grounds, Luna flapped her wings, catching a current that carried them down to the lakeside and past McGonagall's class, who stared in amazement at the duet in the sky. Leaning to one side to catch a better glimpse of the castle, he felt himself slipping. For one moment, there was nothing but empty air as he fell, then Luna was there, twisting through space, catching him. One dip of a wing and they headed over the lake, which looked like a gleaming sapphire from high above. Without warning, the hippogriff leaned forward and dropped towards the mirror still surface of the lake. Pulling up inches from the surface of the water, she held them over the lake. So close they seemed to run on the shimmering water. As they raced through the air, Chris felt the wind in his face, whipping through his hair and for a moment was free. The hippogriff beat her wings, gaining speed. The pair skimmed over the lake, reveling in the glory of flight and the freedom of the sky. It seemed to last for eternity, the whisper and rush of the breeze, and finally a spin, pulling him out of his dream. Then, wheeling up and over the forest again, Luna came soaring back, landing smoothly in the center of the clearing. Shaking her proud head, the mare slowed to a trot, then came to a halt before Hagrid and knelt, letting her rider slip to the ground.
For a moment, the boy and the hippogriff regarded each other, the amber of the falcon's eye and the deep brown of his mirroring each other for a second. Then Luna stretched her wings once, settling them on her back before turning and disappearing back into the forest.
"Class dismissed," Hagrid called, just as the bell rang.
As they walked back to the castle, Lexie rejoined them.
"Where were you, Lex?" Haylie asked. "You missed the whole class! You would have loved it."
"Oh, I was there," she said.
"No you weren't; we would've seen you." Jeremy pointed out.
"Well, if you were there, then where were you? What were you doing the whole period?" asked Chris.
"I was flying."