Hogwarts. Dungeons. Night. Snape made his way to Dumbledore's office. He heard about the students being attacked by Dementor inside their compartment train.
Harry got kissed by Dementor and the Dementor hurt his little witch. As Hermione grows, Snape becomes more and more protective over her. He cannot bear seeing her hurting.
Not even himself.
"Are you losing your mind! Dementor around the castle!" Snape burst inside Dumbledore's office. His robes flowing on his back. "The Ministry of Magic made a big mistake letting Dementor out seeking for Black".
Dumbledore nods. Snape spoke back. "He's the shift shifter. Not even Dementor knows where he had been".
"I understand my boy. But this is the Ministry we cannot obey their order". Silent. Dumbledore looks up at Snape. "Are you afraid if something happens to Miss Granger.."
"Don't.. you... dare.. say, Headmaster. I'll do anything for her. Everything. Even though she hates me.. still.. I.. will.. keep her safe".
"That an order, Severus". Dumbledore smiles sadly.
Snape stares at him. "If anything happens to her. I won't forgive you".
Hogwarts castle ground day. Morning. As bridge and castle glimmer in the distance, Hagrid emerges from the Forbidden Forest, dragging a fistful of dead ferrets by the tail.
A bird appears, circles his head playfully, chirp-chirp-chirping merrily before it... flutters off, pin-wheeling past flowers, into a bird bath, finally coming to rest upon... an ancient tree.
It twitters cheerfully, singing its lovely song, when a branch punts the bird into the air.
As feathers fly, the whomping willow resumes its shape.
In the Divination classroom Harry and Ron sit on fat little poufs in amurky, incense-laden room, along with Neville, Dean, Seamus and others.
"Welcome, my children. In this room, you shall explore the noble art of Divination. In this room, you shall discover if you possess..."
A crimson scrim flutters and Sybil Trelawney, Divination Professor, glides dramatically into view, eyes huge and bug-like behind enormous glasses.
"... the sight. Hello. I am Professor Trelawney. Together we shall cast ourselves into the future. This term, we'll focus on Tasseomancy, the art of reading tea leaves. So please, take the cup of the person sitting opposite you. What do you see?"
Trelawney walks around the room as she continues. "The truth lies buried like a sentence deep within a book, waiting to be read. But first, you must broaden your mind. First, you must look beyond".
"What a load of rubbish".
Ron spins. Frowns at Hermione. "Where did you come from?"
"Me? I've been here all this time".
Trelawney spinning on Neville. "You, boy... Is your grandmother quite well?"
"I.. I think so".
"I wouldn't be so sure of that. Give me the cup".
Neville gives her his cup. Trelawney felt something. "Pity". She laid the cup back on Neville's table, he quickly took a look inside the cup.. nothing what seems he saw and what Trelawney saw.
As the class exchanges uneasy glances, Trelawney smiles brightly. "Broaden your minds. Your aura is pulsing, dear. Are you in the beyond? I think you are. Sure. Look at the cup. Tell me what you see".
"Yeah. Harry's got sort of a wonky cross. That's trials and suffering. And that there could be the sun and that's happiness. So... you're gonna suffer, but you're gonna be happy about it".
Hermione laughed at that. Ron doesn't know anything that he'd said. He made himself foolish that she knew.
"Give me the cup". Professor Trelawney takes the cup, peers inside, and .. "Ahhh!" She gasps. Trelawney regards Harry with a mixture of pity and fear. "Oh, my dear boy. My dear... you have the Grim.
"The Grin? What's the Grin?"
"Not the Grin, you idiot. The Grim". All turn, see one of the students bent over the textbook.
Taking the form of a giant spectral dog. It's among the darkest omens in our world. It's an omen... of death.
Harry peers into his cup. The tea leaves shift. The dog disappears. And a new image emerges slowly... Sirius Black.
Later then. The trio emerge from the bridge, and make their way toward Hagrid's hut.
The Whomping Willow looms in the distance. Hermione walks to the front, still laughing at it.
"You don't think that Grim thing's got anything to do with Sirius Black?"
"Oh, honestly, Ron. If you ask me, Divination Is a wooly discipline. Now, Ancient Runes, that's a fascinating subject".
"Ancient Runes? Exactly how many classes are you taking?"
"A fair few".
Ron looks confused. "Hang on. That's not possible. Ancient Runes is at the same time as Divination. You have to be in two classes at once".
"Don't be silly. How could anyone be in two classes at once?"
Hermione mimicking Trelawney. "Broaden your minds .Use your Inner Eye to see the future..." She laughed.
From Snape's window office. He saw his witch walking to Hagrid's hut, book on her side with Potter and Weasley behind her.
She laughs? What kind of funny thing she laughed at.
Hagrid hut. Students gather around Hagrid as Harry, Ron and Hermione arrive. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle stand with the Slytherins.
"That's it. Come on, now. Come closer. Less talking, if you don't mind. I got a real treat for you today. A great lesson. So follow me".
Hagrid leads them toward a small paddock just this side of the Forbidden Forest.
In the paddock, a free standing iron rack hangs with dead ferrets, buzzing with flies. Nearby is a pumpkin patch.
"Right, you lot. Less chattering. Form a group over there. And open your books to the page".
Draco asks. "Exactly how do we do that?"
"Just stroke the spine, of course".
Hagrid looks. Belts, rope, Spellotape: any means available have been employed to bridle The Monster Book of Monsters, which quiver violently.
Hagrid turns, disappears into the trees. Neville then was attacked by the book monster while he was trying to open.
"Ahhhh..."
"Don't be such a wimp, Longbottom".
"I'm okay. Okay.. ahhhh... "
Hermione laid her book on top of the big stone, and she turned to Harry and Ron. "I think they're funny".
"Oh, yeah. Terribly funny".
The trio turn to Malfoy. Draco shakes his head, speaks loudly to Crabbe and Goyle.
"Witty. God, this place has gone to the dogs. Wait until Father hears Dumbledore's got this for teaching classes".
"Shut up, Malfoy".
Harry walked towards him. Eyes widening in fear, Malfoy steps back, points.
"Dementor! Dementor!"
Harry jumps, wheels in fear, finds... nothing. Instantly, the Slytherins make an eerie ooh... and ooh sound, then break up laughing.
Harry reddens, embarrassed, then... Hermione grabs Harry, turning his body to front, back to where Hagrid disappears into the trees.
"You're supposed to stroke it".
"Yeah".
A strange beast emerges from the trees. It has the torso, hind legs, and tail of a horse, but the front legs, wings and head of a giant eagle.
The students step back in fear, then Hagrid appears, shooing the beast on.
"Isn't he beautiful? Say hello to Buckbeak".
There seems no consensus on this, but the students stare in wary wonder nonetheless. As Hagrid coaxes the beast to the center of the paddock, Ron stares uneasily.
"Hagrid, exactly what is that?"
"That, Ron, is a hippogriff. First thing you wanna know is they're very proud creatures. Very easily offended. You do not want to insult a hippogriff. It may be the last thing you ever do. Now, who'd like to come and say hello?"
The entire class steps back, leaving Harry in front. "Well done, Harry. Well done". Harry looks around, then reluctantly approaches.
"Come on now. Now... you have to let him make the first move. It's only polite. So... step up. Give him a nice bow. Then you wait and see if he bows back. If he does, you can go and touch him. If not... Well, we'll get to that later".
Unsure, Harry nods anyway. "Just make your bow. Nice and low".
Harry steps forward. And... bows. Buckbeak's head cocks, eagle eyes studying Harry cannily.
"Back off, Harry. Back off".
Harry waits. And wait... "Keep still. Keep still".
Harry starts to step back, when... Buckbeak ducks his beak. Hagrid sighs, relieved.
"Well done, Harry. Well done. Here, you big brute, you".
The class claps. Harry smiles. "Right. I think you can go and pat him now. Go on. Don't be shy. Nice and slow, now"
Tentatively, Harry reaches out. "Not so fast, Harry. Slow down, Harry. That's it... Nice and slow. Now let him come to you. Slowly, now, slowly, slowly..."
Harry lays his hand on Buckbeak's fierce beak. "That's it... Yes! Well done! Well done, Harry, well done!".
"Does he get to fly? I think he may let you ride him now".
Harry's smile dropped. "What?"
"Come on".
"Hey, hey, hey!"
Hagrid lifts Harry high, drops him onto Buckbeak's back. "Put you over here, just behind the wing joint. Don't pull out any of his feathers, because he won't thank you for that".
And before Harry's settled, Hagrid slaps Buckbeak's hindquarters.
As Buckbeak gallops forward, Harry slides scarily back, giant wings unfold, huge and powerful, and - WHOOSH!
They soar into the air. Rising higher. And higher. And higher. Hermione watches in amusement, she smiles.
"Wow. I think we should sit somewhere while we waiting".
Other students follow her. They sit and talk. Hagrid approaches Hermione and Ron.
"That was brilliant, Hagrid".
"Thank you, Hermione". He smiled.
Hagrid whistles then, and Buckbeak wheels, beating his way back to the paddock, galloping to a halt.
As Harry slides off, the class cheers all except Draco, who narrows his eyes maliciously.
"Well done, Harry, and well done, Buckbeak. How am I doing on the first day?"
"Brilliant, professor".
Hagrid's smile blushed. "You're not dangerous at all, are you, you great ugly brute!"
They both grin, when Draco pushes past them roughly, strides toward Buckbeak.
"Give me a go at that thing. If Potter can do it, it must be easy. You're not dangerous at all, are you, you great ugly brute -"
"Malfoy, no..."
In a flash, Buckbeak's steely talons slash down. Malfoy freezes. Looks down at the blood blossoming on his robes. Shrieks.
"NO! Buckbeak! Whoa, whoa, whoa... Whoa! Buckbeak!"
Instantly, Harry dashes forward. Buckbeak whips around, raises its talons and seeing Harry lowers them. Ducks its beak. Harry...realizing what he's done... breathes.
"Away, you silly creature..."
"It's killed me!"
"Calm down. It's just a scratch!" Hagrid looks at a deep gash glistening on Draco's limparm.
Hermione ran forwards in panic. "Hagrid! He has to be taken to the hospital".
"I'm the teacher. I'll do it".
"You're gonna regret this".
And with that, Hagrid looking shaken swoops up Malfoy, flops him on his arm, and lumbers toward the castle.
"Class dismissed!"
"You and your bloody chicken!"
Great hall night. In hushed voices, Draco, arm bound in a sling, holds court before a clot of Slytherins.
"Does it hurt terribly, Draco?"
"It comes and it goes. Still, I consider myself lucky. Madam Pomfrey said another minute and I could've lost my arm. I can't do homework for weeks".
Harry, Ron and Hermione watch from the Gryffindor table. "Listen to the idiot. He's really laying it on thick, isn't he?"
"At least Hagrid didn't get fired".
Hermione shaking her head. "I hear Draco's father's furious. We haven't heard the end of this".
"He's been sighted!"
They turn. Seamus and the other Gryffindors are huddled over a copy of The Daily Prophet. "Who?"
"Sirius Black!"
But the photograph on the Prophet's front page provides a schilling answer: Sirius Black.
Hermione snatched the daily prophet from Seamus and read. Whispers half to herself. "Dufftown? That's not far from here".
"You don't think he'd come to Hogwarts, do you?"
"With dementors at every entrance?"
"Dementors? He slipped past them once. Who's to say he won't do it again?"
As a flicker of fear passes through Harry's face, Bem ,a Nigerian boy, stares grimly at the grainy image of Black.
"That's right. Black could be anywhere. It's like trying to catch smoke. Like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands".
The students walk back to their dormitories. At the corridor Hermione stops and hides behind the wall where Snape couldn't see her.
How he knows she will walk in here alone. As Snape walks past where she's hiding, his foot stops and turns where she's hiding.
Smirking, he said. "Good night Miss Granger. I hope you will have nice dreams of yours".
Then Snape resumed his walk. Hermione left her hiding place. "It would be the worst nightmares if I had dreams of yours".