The Houses Competition

Round 2: Everybody Needs Companionship

House: Hufflepuff

Class: DADA

Word Count: 961

Prompt: [Creature] Hippogriff

The crowd parted subconsciously as the 16 year old walked through the market. Hagrid's broad shoulders and imposing height didn't quite hide the gangly nature of his rapidly growing limbs and he stepped carefully and subconsciously along despite the space in front of him. The teenager clutched a new pink umbrella, in good condition except for a layer of dirt at his side, tapping it nervously against his leg as he walked. Ogg had instructed him to buy some flobberworm pups, and only flobberworm pups, to replace a number that had been struck by disease on the school grounds, leaving more carnivorous residents hungry. Voices rang out through the crowd, creating a fair like atmosphere:

"Fine Zouwu for sale!"

"Auction at 10 everybody. You don't want to miss it"

"Peanuts, get your peanuts!"

Hagrid hadn't meant to veer off his course to the flobberworm stall; it had just sort of happened that he found himself standing at the fence of a hippogriff enclosure holding 3 males. He leaned his weight absentmindedly against the wood, paying no attention to how it creaked under his weight.

"Oy, you!" an attendant yelled, "off the fence!"

"Sorry," Hagrid started. Then he paused, "Sir, could I take a look at that one?" He pointed to the grey hippogriff at the opposite end of the enclosure. It held it's wing just off of its body and the feathers appeared tattered, as though they hadn't been grooming them. The hippogriff didn't seem to be making any attempt to compete with the other two in the enclosure for access to the feeding trough.

The attendant gave Hagrid an irritated look, "This ain't a petting zoo. You got money to buy?"

Hagrid reached into his pocket and felt the jingle of knuts and a few sickles in his bag. It wasn't much money, but the hippogriff wasn't in good shape. Surely nobody would be able to fly on him in this condition. He couldn't be worth much.

"I have money," he said, holding out the stack. He didn't open it; there was no need to show how little money there was.

"Eh," the attendant said. He opened the gate. Hagrid walked over to the creature, which lowered its head in warning. The teenager bowed deeply, keeping an eye on the creature in front of him. The hippogriff cocked his head, looking as curious as such an imposing creature could. Slowly, it lowered it's head.

Hagrid moved closer, noting how the hippogriff turned to move the injured wing away from him. He reached out a hand.

"Who's selling'im," he asked the attendant, not turning away from the hippogriff.

"Local camp," the attendant replied curtly, "but with a wing like that, can't see who'll want him. Fights with the others, too. He'll probably go for meat."

Hagrid stroked the animal's nose, and it moved in to allow him to place a hand on its neck. He smoothed the feathers absentmindedly. He had space. Dumbledore had convinced Headmaster Dippet to let him move to an old hut on the school grounds where he wouldn't have to pass his former classmates in the castle all day. Ogg would be furious if he came back without flobberworm pups, might even make good on the threat to fire him as groundskeepers apprentice. And if he did, would he be forced to leave Hogwarts? With a wing like that -. There were pretty good odds the hippogriff couldn't hunt anyway, even if it avoided infection.

"Hey now, will you let me look, eh?" Hagrid moved around the hippogriff, sidling into the small space between the creature and the fence. His large hands were gentle with practice – this wasn't the first creature he'd patched up – as he ran them along the bone. The hippogriff let out a low grumble and pawed its back foot against the ground. Hagrid hit a disconnection in the bone and the creature reared, knocking him against the fence. The hippogriff landed, one of it's hooves glancing against a rib. Hagrid grunted – he'd be taking that to the infirmary later. The attendant hustled over, clearly worried about the implications of an injury on his watch.

"You should git'out now. Auction's soon," he opened the gate and gestured at Hagrid to leave. The boy made a split-second decision and reached for his pocket.

"No, I want him," he tossed over the bag from his spot on the ground, hoping it was enough and watched as the attendant counted. The man considered. He grunted, jerking his chin at the gate and the halter hanging from it.

Hagrid got to his feet, running a hand tenderly along his side and jogged over to the harness, ignoring the sharp pang the speed sent through his chest. He came back to the hippogriff and bowed again, hurrying to put the harness on when the creature returned the movement.

"Come on Buckbeak," he murmured quietly, "I think you'll like Hogwarts."


Many years later Dumbledore handed the halter of the now aging hippogriff over to his groundskeeper. The two men didn't need to exchange words; they let their grief for Sirius's death hang in the silence between them. The hippogriff pawed at the ground.

"It's probably safer to change his name if he's going to stay here," the headmaster suggested gently, "Witherwings maybe?"

Hagrid nodded, "He'll stay here. Hogwarts 'is his home as much as mine. We'll keep 'im safe." The words held hope for the safety of far more than the hippogriff. Dumbledore nodded and watched as his gentle groundskeeper led the animal to the pumpkin patch. Those two had not been the first or the last to find safety and solace at Hogwarts; he could only hope to preserve that sanctuary in the dark days to come.