G'day guys. I hope you guys like this chapter for I had heaps of fun writing it. And i was going to call Snowflake in Latin but when I looked it up, well it was the same so it didn't matter. Look it up if you think I'm lying. Oh and forgive me if I get Hagrid's accent wrong at some stages. It's quite hard to write. Well enjoy and R&R.

-Doublesims

Chapter Ten: Meet the Hippogriffs

Harry was pleased to get out of the castle after lunch. Yesterday's rain had cleared; the sky was clear, pale grey and the grass was springy and damp underfoot as they set off for their first ever Care of Magical Creatures class. Ron and Hermione weren't speaking to each other after their fight they had a lunch. Harry walked beside them in silence on the way to Hagrid's hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

It was only when he spotted three only-too-familiar backs of them that he realised they must be having these lessons with the Slytherins.

Hagrid was waiting for his class at the door of his hut. He stood in his moleskin overcoat, looking up to the sky, with Fang the boar-hound at his heels. He looked back down when he heard his class approach him.

"C'mon now, get a move on!" He called. "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everone here? Right, follow me!"

For one nasty moment, Harry thought that Hagrid was going to lead them into the Forest; Harry had enough unpleasant experiences in there to last him a lifetime. However, Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees, and five minutes later, they found themselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing inside the paddock, but lent ageist one of the corner post was a shepherd's crock, and a white and light blue book bag. A The Monster Book of Monsters was sitting on the post, soaking up the sun.

"Whose are they?" asked Lavender asked pointing to the things.

"Oh they're Jack's he came down early." said Hagrid clapping his hands together he turned to the class. "Everyone gather around the fence here" he called. "That's it –make sure yeh can see. Now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer book –"

"How?" said the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy.

"Eh?" said Hagrid.

"How do we open our books?" Malfoy repeated. He took out his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which he had bound shut with a length of rope. Other people took theirs out too; some like Harry had belted their book shut; other had crammed them inside tight bags or clamped them together with bull-clips; or like Hermione's copy bound shut with Spellotape.

"Hasn' –hasn' anyone here bin able ter open their books?" said Hagrid, looking crestfallen.

The class all shook their heads.

"Yeh've got ter stroke 'em," said Hagrid, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. "Look…" He half faced Jack's things "um… AH. Stain-east-a! Come here!" Stranitsy jumped off the post and scuttled over to Hagrid and jumped in to his waiting hands. There were gasps of surprise from the class.

"What the –" said Ron looking at Stranitsy with disbelief. "Wait you said 'has anyone here opened their books'. So you mean to say someone managed to open their book?"

"And he was able ter train it and he also named it, this is Jack Frost's. He and his brothers had bin able ter open 'em, actually he said his brother's sand put his to sleep the firs' time he held it." Hargid said as he run a giant forefinger down Stranitsy's spine, Stranitsy shivered, and fell open and lay quite happily in his hands.

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

"Jack did." said Neville Longbottem. Malfoy gave him a stink-eye for that remark.

"I… I thought they were funny," said Hagrid uncertainly to Hermione.

"Oh, tremendously funny!" said Malfoy. "Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off!"

"Shut up, Malfoy" said Harry quietly. Hagrid was looking downcast and Harry wanted Hagrid's first lesson to be a success.

"Righ' then," said Hagrid, who seemed to have lost his thread, "so… so yeh've got yer books an' … an' … now yeh need the Magical Creatures. Yeah. So I'll go an' get the 'em. Hang on…" He strode away from them into the Forest and out of sight.

"God, this place is going to the dogs," said Malfoy loudly. "That oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him –"

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry repeated.

"Careful, Potter, There's a Dementor behind you –"

"Ooooooh!" squealed Lavender Brown, pointing towards the opposite side of the paddock.

Trotting towards them were an eleven bizarre looking creatures. They had the bodies, hind leg and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings and heads of what seemed to be giant eagles, with cruel, steel-coloured beaks and large, brilliantly orange eyes. The talons on their large front legs were half a foot long and deadly-looking. Each of the beasts had a thick leather collar around its neck, which was held in the vast hands of Hagrid, who came jogging into the paddock behind them.

"Gee up, there!" he roared, shacking the chains and urging the creatures towards the fence where the class stood. Everyone drew back slightly as Hagrid reached them and tethered the creatures to the fence.

"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid roared happily, waving a hand at them. "Beau'iful, aren' they"

And they were, once you had got over the first shock of seeing something that was half-horse, half-bird, you started to appreciate the Hippogriffs' gleaming coats, changing smoothly from feather to heir, each of them a different colour: stormy grey, bronze, a pinkish roan, gleaming chestnut and inky black.

"So," said Hagrid, rubbing his hands together "if yer want to come closer…"

No one wanted to but Harry, Hermione and Ron moved to the fence cautiously.

"Now the firs' thin' yer have to know about Hippogriffs that they are very proud creatures yer never want to insult a Hippogriff it may be the last thin' yer ever do." Hagrid said very serious. "Now yer always wait fer the Hippogriff ter make the firs' move. It's polite, see? Yeh walk towards 'em, and yeh bow, an' wait. If they bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch 'em. If not, yar get away from 'em sharpish, cause those talons hurt.

"So –who want's ter go first."

Most of the class backed away in answer but Harry seemed to miss the memo. The Hippogriffs were tossing their heads and flexing their powerful wings; they didn't seem they like to be tethered there.

"Good man, Harry."

Harry looked back noticing everyone else had steeped back. He rolled his eye and went under the fence.

"Right then –let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak."

He untied one of the chains, pulling the grey Hippogriff away from his fellows and slipped off his leather collar. The class seemed to hold its breath, Malfoy's eyes were narrowed maliciously.

"Easy, now, Harry," said Hagrid quietly. "Yeh've got eye contact, now try not ter blink –Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much…"

Harry's eye immediately began to water, but he wouldn't dear to shut them; Buckbeak had turned his great, sharp head and was staring at Harry, with one fierce orange eye.

"That's it" said Hagrid. "That's it, Harry … now, bow…"

He didn't feel like exposing the back of his neck to Buckbeak, but did as he was told. He gave a short bow and then looked up. Buckbeak opened his wings and gave Harry the 'back off' symbol that birds make.

"Back off Harry, back off" said Hagrid sounding worried.

Harry backed off still bowing.

Crack. A stick snapped under Harry's foot he froze and looked at Buckbeak, not even blinking. Buckbeak relaxed his wings and regarded Harry with a keen eye, and then, to Harry's enormous surprise, the Hippogriff bent his scaly front knees, and sank into what was an unmistakable bow.

"Well done, Harry!" said Hagrid, ecstatic. "Right –yer can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!"

Harry made his way slowly to Buckbeak, letting him come to him first, reached out towards him. He patted the beak several times and Buckbeak lent into his touch. The class broke out into applause, all except three certain Slytherins.

"Righ' then, Harry" said Hagrid, "I reckon he migh' let yer ride him!"

"What?" Harry said, this was more he had bargain for. Hagrid lifted him up and on to the Hippogriff's back. "Hagrid wait!"

Too late Hagrid had gone behind Buckbeak "Don't pull out his feathers he want thank yar for that, and don't worry Jack's already up there." He slapped Buckbeak's rump.

The Hippogriff took off running and jumped off and up with his twelve-foot wings flapping.

The class watched as Buckbeak flew him once around the paddock once before he was joined with a white and light grey Hippogriff, with another rider. The snow white hair gave him away as Jack. They went around again Jack's laughter could be heard, before they headed back to the ground.

Harry looked like he was going to slip off over the beak, but Jack well Jack was planning something fun. He was side sitting, both legs on one side. Just before the white Hippogriff's feet touched the ground he pushed himself off, and run along the ground by Hippogriff's side.

"Well done" said Hagrid as he came up the boys and their Hippogriffs "Well done boys." the white Hippogriff shook his head playfully at Hagrid, Jack laughed. "And girl." added Hagird.

"Snowflake was great Hagird, she just wanted a bit of fun, that's all." said Jack, bring the white Hippogriff over with a hand on her neck. Hagird gave a nod she did look a lot less rowdy than before hand.

"Yes it seems so, thanks for the help, Jack" he helped Harry of Buckbeak before turning to the class. "OK, who else want a go?"

Emboldened by Harry's success and also by Jack's entrance, the rest of the class climbed cautiously into the paddock. Hagrid untied the Hippogriffs one by one, and soon people were bowing nervously, all over the paddock. Neville ran repeatedly backwards from his, which didn't seem to want to bend its knees. Harry watched Ron and Hermione with the chestnut one. Jack was balancing along the fence with his staff; which he received from the corner now he was off Snowflake, over his shoulders, watching everyone as a whole. Hagird had gone to help Neville and his Hippogriff.

Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle had taken over Buckbeak. He had bowed to Malfoy, who was now patting his beak, looking disdainful.

"This is very easy," Malfoy drawled, loud enough for Harry to hear him. Jack stopped to watch him, hoping he wouldn't do anything foolish. Malfoy continued anyway. "I knew it must have been, if Potter could do it… I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you?" he said to the Hippogriff. "Are you, you great ugly brute?"

It happened all too fast for anyone to follow. A flash of steely talons. A big gust of wind. A high-pitched scream from Malfoy, followed by a grunt of pain which wasn't. All anyone could comprehend was Jack was in-between Malfoy who was on the ground and Buckbeack, who looked like he didn't know what to do. Jack's staff was at the ground at his feet and he had grabbed his arm where there was a long, deep gash, and blood was blossoming his robes.

The whole paddock was at a standstill. That was until Buckbeak moved forward to nuzzle Jack.

"Hey" said Jack softly giving him a gentle pat. "It's alright, I know you didn't mean to hurt me." Jack tuned to the shacking Malfoy "You're an idiot, you know that."

Jack took another look at Malfoy, his eye sight was going fuzzy. "He didn't get you did he?" Jack asked he only barely noticed he was starting to sway.

"Hagird! You have got to get them to the hospital" yelled Hermione

"I'm the teacher I'll take 'em" Hagird said picking Jack up. "Malfoy can yah walk?"

Malfoy nodded as he got to his feet, still shaking, haven gone into shock.

"Ah" said Hagird seeing Malfoy's look in his eyes. He picked up Malfoy as well and put him on his shoulders, using both hands to hold Jack in a bridal style. "Hold on." He directed to Draco. "Class dismissed!" Hagrid ran with them, up the slope towards the castle.

Very shaken, the Care of Magical Creatures class followed at a walk. Hermione grabbed Jacks things and staff before leaving the paddock.

The Slytherins were all shouting about Hagrid.

"They should sack him straight away!" said Pansy Parkinson, who was in tears.

"It was Malfoy's fault!" snapped Dean Thomas. Crabbe and Goyle flexed their muscles threateningly.

"I want to know why Jack did what he did." asked Seamus. "No one else would have."

"Ha, looks like Frost is a lot braver than any of you so called Gryffindors" called another Slytherin. The thing was most of the Gryffindors were thinking the same thing.

They all climbed the stone steps into the deserted Entrance Hall.

"I'm going to see if they're OK!" said Pansy, and they all watched her run up the marble staircase. The Slytherins, still muttering about Hagrid, headed away in the direction of their dungeon common room; Harry, Ron and Hermione proceeded upstairs to Gryffindor Tower.

"Do you think they'll be alright?" asked Hermione nervously.

"'Course they will, Madam Pomfrey can mend cuts in about a second," said Harry, who has had his fair share of injuries healed by magic by the matron.

"That was a really bad thing to happen in Hagrid's first class, though wasn't it?" said Ron, looking worried. "Trust Malfoy to mess thing up for him…"

They were among the first to reach the Great Hall at dinnertime hoping to see Hagrid, but he wasn't there.

"They wouldn't sack him, would they?" said Hermione anxiously, not touching her steak-and-kidney pudding.

"They better not," said Ron, who wasn't eating either.

Harry was watching the Slytherin table. A large group including Crabbe and Goyle were huddled together, deep in conversation. Harry was sure they were cooking up their own version of how Malfoy had ended up in the Hospital Wing.

"Oi, Harry, Ron, Hermione?" asked an Australian voice. The three looked at each other in worry. The looked over to see Sandy and Aster heading towards them.

"Do ya know were Jack is?" asked Aster.

"Um… you don't know?" asked Ron, not wanting to the one to tell him what happened to his brother.

"If I did, would I be asking?"

"Oh right. Um Jack is…" said Ron, looking at the others for help some help.

"Yes mate."

"He's in the…" Harry started but couldn't finish, how do; you tell an older brother their younger brother is hurt.

"He's in the Hospital Wing" said Neville helping out Harry, when he couldn't finish. "He jumped in front of Malfoy, so he wouldn't get hurt."

Aster looked taken back. "He did what?"

"Malfoy didn't listen to Hagird about the Hippogriffs." Neville explained "He insulted one, Jack jumped in-between Malfoy and the Hippogiff and –"

"Good or bad, naughty or nice" Aster said, taking a step backwards seeing what had happened. "Oh Crikey Frostbite, you always were a Guardian." He looked up to the staff table; North and Ana weren't there. "Come on Sandy! Tooth and North are probably already there with him."

With that Aster run out of the hall; with his shorter but older brother hot on his heels.

"Well, you can't say it wasn't an interesting first day back" said Ron gloomily.