After one more class and a quick Lunch I walked with my house mates to our next lesson. Yesterday's rain had gone leaving the grass shining with dew. It made for a nice day for our first Care of Magical Creatures class.

We arrived a little early but I could hardly contain my excitement. Draco was still upset I had picked this course and was insistent on following close behind. He worried about me too much. Pansy seemed to think so too and looked mad as she followed him. Crabbe and Goyle were not far behind and, as always, followed Draco too.

When we got to the front of the gamekeeper's hut I couldn't help but remembered last year's confrontation with Ron and Harry. They had thought I was the Heir of Slytherin and had been furious to find me out here in the middle of the night. That wasn't a very good night for me as not only did I realize how little trust they had on me but I had just had a huge fight with Draco. I frowned at the shack.

"So then what happened?" Goyle asked looking excited. Draco was still telling the story from this morning. It had gotten more complicated although it was still centered on Harry being a spiv. That boy had a better imagination than I had expected.

I glanced about and saw that our new professor looked very anxious to start, but in a good way. He must have been happy about his first day. Personally I didn't understand why someone would want to be a teacher but to each their own I suppose.

"C'mon, now, get a move on!" Professor Hagrid called as the rest of the class approached. He was talking excitedly and beckoned us to follow. We walked behind him as he led us around the edge of the Forbidden Forest and to a kind of paddock. He told everyone to gather around it so we could get a good look. To what, I wasn't sure. It was empty

"Now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books –"

"How?" Draco yelled next to me. Our professor looked confused. "How do we open our books" Draco repeated impatiently.

He took out his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which was wrapped shut with a rope. Everyone took out their own copy and all seemed to have wrapped theirs with something. Most were closed with belts, some were in bags. I looked down at mine which was wrapped with a thick piece of lace I had found in my room at the time. I had been afraid it would've ripped but it worked fine.

"Hasn' – hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" Hagrid asked crestfallen. The entire class shook their heads. He looked very surprised, as if he had expected the task was something very simple. He took Hermione's copy, ripped off the Spellotape that bound it and began stroking the spine of it. The book shivered and fell open lying quietly in his hand. I looked down at my own book surprised. It seemed so simple now yet I hadn't thought of that

"Oh, how silly we've all been!" Draco sneered next to me. "We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess!"

"I – I thought they were funny" he said uncertainly to Hermione

"Oh, tremendously funny!" Draco continued. "Really witty, giving us books that try to rip our hands off!"

"Shut up, Malfoy" Harry said quietly trying to defend our professor. He looked like a sweet man and they were friends so it was understandable.

"I told you we shouldn't have taken this class!" Draco whispered roughly next to me, making a face

"Shut up, Malfoy" I said imitating Harry's voice. Draco's frowned as I smiled. Hagrid left into the forest and out of sight. Annoyed, Draco began badmouthing the class. And our professor, obviously. Harry had to tell him to shut up again. I could tell he wasn't happy to have heard this three times in the course of a few minutes. He started making another sarcastic comment when Hagrid came back. With him a dozen odd looking creatures

They had the body of a horse except their front legs were of eagle as were their head and wings. Their beaks were strong and their bright orange eyes reminded me of the Weasleys' hair. They looked big and very dangerous. All had thick leather collars attached to chains. Hagrid being the only thing holding on to them. I saw Draco frown from corner of eye

"Hippogriffs! Beau'iful, aren' they?" Professor Hagrid said happily showing off his friends. I nodded unintentionally. They were majestic. "So, if yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer…"

I started to step forward but Draco held on to the back of my robes. I looked back and he gave me a warning look. I squinted my eyes at him but stepped back next to him. No one else stepped up after me. Harry Ron and Hermione eventually did but very cautiously. My guess was they were only doing it for Hagrid's benefit

Our professor explained how to approach them. They were proud so it had to be done right. I was used to having to be around very proud creatures so I guessed I would be fine. Hagrid made a point to warn us never to insult them. I couldn't even think of an insult that I would say to them anyway. They looked like the embodiment of beauty and strength to me

Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle were mumbling to themselves behind me while he spoke. They were completely ignoring Hagrid and I had a bad feeling this wasn't going to go well for them. I made noises so they'd turn around but they didn't. Finally I got fed up and slapped Draco on the arm

"Ow! What?" he said and rubbed his arm

"Pay attention" I scolded. He made a face and turned back to the boys. Hagrid continued to explain. After more of his lecture he asked who wanted to go first. I stepped up but Draco pulled me from the back by my robe again. "Oh now you listen"

"I'll do it" Harry announced. There were a surprising amount of gasps to his comment. Two girls whispered something to Harry but he ignored them. Wonder what that was about…

He went up to the paddock and Hagrid showed him what to do. He went through all the process with the Hippogriff Buckbeak. There was a little bit of trouble in the beginning but he was able to let him touch him. We all clapped; except for the three boys behind me that is. They looked very disappointed as Harry rode Buckbeak

We cheered as Harry got off. After that everyone got their own turn, getting to meet with their own Hippogriff. Mine was sweet or maybe I just had an act for dealing with difficult creatures. I stroked his beak gently and looked around. Poor Neville was having trouble with his. It made me giggle. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle all went to Buckbeak, patting his beak and looking scornful.

Worried he might do something he shouldn't I separated from my Hippogriff. I curtsied, not wanting to be rude to him, before walking over to Draco. He was saying something to his that didn't look to be happy words. I walked a little faster

"…you great ugly brute" I heard Draco say. In a flash, talons scraped against Draco arm. He let out a cry and I closed the space between us, faster. I kneeled next to him as Hagrid put Buckbeak back in the collar

"Hey, Deedee, are you okay?" I asked worried pushing his hair back. He was lying on the ground hugging his arm. Blood was blossoming over his robes

"I'm dying! I'm dying, look at me! It's killed me!" he yelled as the rest of the class panicked. I saw Pansy trying to come over to where we were but the other students weren't letting her.

"You're okay, it's okay Deedee" I whispered trying to calm him down. He was being overdramatic sure but he was still hurt and bleeding. He put his head closer to my knee but didn't open his eyes. It got me worried. Hagrid came to pick up Draco and walked off with him, taking him to the hospital wing. The class all followed and Slytherins shouted about Hagrid.

"They should sack him straight away!" yelled Pansy who was already crying. Her feelings for Draco were a little too strong if you asked me.

"It was Malfoy's fault!" A Gryffindor boy snapped back. Crabbe and Goyle flexed threateningly at his remark. They were seen as dumb brutes by a lot of people but they cared about Draco. It was a weird relationship but they were friends. I looked at them and shook my head, they relaxed. I didn't want anyone else getting hurt. Pansy ran leaving the rest of the class behind. I walked. While the rest of Slytherins headed to the dungeon I started up the stairs to the hospital wing. Hermione gave me a sympathetic look before we headed our separate directions.