Chapter Twelve: More Surprises
When Harry was banned from Quidditch for life along with the Weasley twins I tried out for Seeker, but my heart wasn't in it. I played very badly when I auditioned; so badly, in fact, that once the Snitch flew up my sleeve and hid there for five minutes before I noticed it. All in all, that was not one of my better performances. I was overjoyed when Ginny made the team, however, and somehow my father's backpack brought up a Nimbus 2009 as a congratulatory gift for her (which will not be on the market for another four years from this writing, but that's another story.)
(My father's backpack has conjured many things which I know were impossible for me to have place there, but I did not find out that it was special until Professor Flitwick examined it. Professor McGonagall had told me at my fourth birthday that it was a bag of holding, but Professor Flitwick informed me that it was also a bag of conjuring, very similar in concept to the Room of Requirement. He said that very few wizards or witches could create something that powerful, and to guard it well.)
One week in mid-November, Ginny and I walked down to our Care of Magical Creatures class, but it wasn't Professor Grubbly-Plank as I'd become accustomed to. Instead, there was this giant of a man waiting for us at the hut, whom (Ginny whispered to me) was Hagrid, a good friend of Harry's. I stared at him, perplexed, for he was covered in blood, bruises, and gashes from head to toe. He boomed a hello to us all and led us to a corral containing some unicorn foals, though I picked up a distinct lack of interest in them from him. Ginny noticed my querulous look and murmured that he preferred dangerous animals, which he called "interesting creatures," especially the fanged and venomous kind.
I chuckled quietly and whispered that he'd probably be half-way interested in Jakkin because of his fangs, but be turned away by the lack of poison. Jakkin, who was following me everywhere, curled up on the top of a fencepost and pretended to sleep, waiting to see what this new teacher made of him. Professor Hagrid watched him with interest all through the lesson, and then asked me about him afterwards. I told him our history, and he asked if he could study Jakkin a bit. I said yes, nudged Jakkin into wakefulness, told him what was going on, and flew off to my next class, urged on by the impatient Ginny.
I was very startled in the last week of November not to be celebrating Thanksgiving; but as it is not an English holiday, it wouldn't be observed here. Once again, the twins cheered me up by sneaking in a small feast for me, Ginny, and the rest of the fourth-year girls. I'd never had a brother before (my non-remembrance of Harry notwithstanding), and I came to love them as brothers, as I loved Ginny like a little sister. I felt very much at home with the Weasleys and the fourth-years, for I had always been the youngest: even Cat and Try were about four weeks older than I.
