Chapter 15: Malfoy & Buckbeak
Malfoy, Crabbe & 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. "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 in a flash of steely talons; Malfoy let out a high-pitched scream and next moment, Hagrid was wrestling Buckbeak back into his collar as he strained to get at Malfoy, who lay curled in the grass, blood blossoming over his robes. "I'm dying!" Malfoy yelled, as the class panicked. "I'm dying, look at me! It's killed me!" "Yer not dyin!" said Hagrid, who had gone very white. "Someone help me – gotta get him outta here-" Hermione ran to open the gate as Hagrid lifted Malfoy easily.
Harry thought quickly. No doubt Malfoy would use this incident as a way to get Hagrid sacked. His father, Lucius Malfoy, while no longer on the Hogwarts board of governors, was still rich, and deep pockets meant influence. He had bought his son's way on to the Slytherin Quidditch team the previous year by donating seven Nimbus Two Thousand and One broomsticks, after all. "Hagrid!" he shouted, as Hagrid started running for the castle. "Malfoy insulted Buckbeak! I heard him! And don't forget you're a teacher!" Hagrid stopped and looked down at Malfoy, moaning for all he was worth. "Did ye now?" he said, his eyebrows furrowing together. Hagrid dropped Malfoy on the ground. "Then ye can get yerself up to tha 'ospital wing. It's yer arm, not yer legs tha's hurt. Ye can walk. An' twenty points from Slytherin, fer disobeyin' yer teacher." Malfoy slowly got to his feet, muttering something. Harry didn't hear him, but Hagrid did, because he then barked "An' another twenty an' a detention fer insultin' yer teacher!"
Hagrid then turned back to the rest of the class. "Now fer homework," he said sternly, "Ah want yer to all write dahn what ye've learned abaht Hippogriffs, especially abaht not insultin' 'em. "And as fer you – " he glared at the Slytherins in the class "- if I 'ear abaht any o' yer tryin' to get me in trouble over wha' happened to Malfoy, I'll be goin' to Dumbledore, and ye'll be outta mah class, and inta detention. Class dismissed."