DISCLAIMER : I own nothing but Astrophel and the plot!
A/N : Thanks again for reviews. And i know i suck for this EXTREMELY short chapter :(
The next day, I felt more energized. I grabbed my Care for Magical Creatures textbook and headed towards the Great Hall. I took a toast and buttered it while standing up and left as I took a bite out of it. 'How could she eat so little?!' one girl said. 'She's part French.' Another said as I rolled my eyes.
I was informed that the first lesson is at the Black Lake instead of the Forbidden Forest. I sat down at one of the benches opposite the Black Lake, I took out Little Women and continued to read page two hundred. There were about ten minutes before the class started, but no one else was there except for me. I sighed. The cold wind was bursting at my face and kept turning the pages, which pissed me off. I just closed the book and put it down on the bench beside me.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I could hear someone coming. Someone rather large. I opened my eyes and saw Hagrid wearing leather gloves and holding a bucket, making sure it was kept away from him. I walked towards him curiously.
"Hi Hagrid." I wished.
"Whoa, stand back. Vicious little creatures these are." He said as he moved away from me. He put down the bucket at the far end of the bench and took off his gloves. "What are those?" I asked looking disgustingly at the little creatures in the bucket. They looked like sticks and twigs jumping to get out.
"Bowtruckles. They bite, but it's like being injected." He said chuckling. "But you're a half-giant. So it's not supposed to hurt you." I reminded him. "Oh, er, right." He remembered.
"We'll just have to wait for the rest of your classmates now." He said. "So we're learning Bowtruckles today, then?" I asked unimpressed. "Oh, no, no! We are learning about Hippocampuses today." He said excitedly. "Aren't they dangerous?"
"No, no, they're friendly creatures. But they live deep in the lake, far away. No creature lives at the shore of the lake. They'd die." He laughed as if it were funny.
A few minutes passed and everyone started to come towards the Lake. I could see Fred, George and Lee were laughing at a joke while I saw Cedric Diggory smiling at me mysteriously. I blushed.
"Alrigh' everyone. I'm going ter have ter confiscate your wands fer today's lesson. Come on everyone, in the box." Hagrid said as he passed around the box and everyone put in his or her wands. "Due to some incidents last year, Dumbledore wouldn't want to risk the population of the species we're about to study." Hagrid looked at the Weasley Twins as they high-fived each other.
"Okay! Everyone sit down and turn ter page sixty. We're learning about Hippocampuses today. I'd tell you stuff about it and yer will see the creature itself!" Hagrid said, as everyone looked both frightened and excited.
I sat down on the ground—no one was allowed to sit on the bench as it was unfair—and opened to page sixty. There was a drawing of a Horse-mermaid creature.
"As yer all know, it's a friendly creature. So it won't hurt yer unless yer attempt to hurt it. Their saliva is very popular in potion making ingredients. These creatures are however, visible to the Muggle eye, which made a few folks make stories about em'. They are willing to save a person's life when in a dangerous situation. Only in water, like drowning or so. They're somewhat like a dolphin in the Muggle world." Hagrid explained as we all closed our books.
"Now. Get up and lets summon the Hippocampus. Take note, to bow when it arrives." Hagrid said as he took the bucket of Bowtruckles and everyone was gathering around the Black Lake. I was right in front of the shore in between Hagrid and Fred Weasley.
Hagrid started throwing a few Bowtruckles with his wand directly in the middle of the Lake. I felt someone thrust around me. I got annoyed and saw that it was Fred fooling around with his friends. "Stop it, will you?" I asked him sternly. But the pushing kept on going harder and I got pushed in front. Unfortunately for me, there was a huge rock at my feet and I was thrown into the freezing water.
I tried to swim upwards but the water somehow was sucking me in. I rummaged through my pocket robes, trying to find for my wand but—oh dear, I left it in the box! I was swimming as fast as I can, my life depended on it. Then, someone pointed their wand at the surface of the water towards me and cast a spell, which made me come upwards.
I breathed in the cold air and the water was freezing. I looked around me as my vision blurred. I was crying and breathing heavily. I saw the person who rescued me—Hagrid. Every other student looked at me in panic.
I just floated on the surface of the water and was too panicked to do anything. Oh God, help me!
Hagrid let out his huge hand and urged me to go to him. But before I could swim towards him, I was being dragged back instead. "Hagrid!" I yelled out sobbing. I couldn't see anything, as my vision was still blurry.
All of a sudden, I was side saddling on what it felt like was a horse. But I wasn't sure. I held onto the neck of the creature and it was swimming towards shore.
It got at the shore and I got off. It was a Hippocampus! Oh wow! I bowed at the Hippocampus and the Hippocampus nodded it's head. I stroked it and it went deeper in the water and it vanished.
Hagrid carried me onto the bench and covered me with a blanket. I held onto the blanket tightly, shivering. I knew how I looked like right now—messy wet hair all over the place, my face drained its color and my lips blue from the coldness.
I heard Hagrid mumbling something and Fred Weasley helped me up. As much as I didn't want to go with him—the person who pushed me in the lake—I had to, I was unable to walk myself. I wanted to go somewhere warmer.
He took my arms and put it around his neck and he supported me by the waist. We walked inside the castle and I was still shivering.
"Whe.. Where.. a-are.. yo-you.. tak-ing.. me?" I asked, difficult trying to talk while you shiver. "Hospital wing." He told me and we walked more. "I'm so sorry." He said apologetically. "Shut up!" I yelled violently. "I—" Fred said by I was too mad at him.
We arrived at the Hospital Wing and Madam Pomfrey looked frightened and asked Fred what happened. "Nearly drowned in the Black Lake." He said with guilt. "Damn right you are." I scolded him as Fred kept quiet.
Madam Pomfrey helped me to the furthest bed and closed the curtains, asking me to strip off my clothing and put on the clothing she had given. I stripped it off slowly since I was shaking and I put on the towel.
"Here, take some of this before you take a hot shower." Madam Pomfrey said as she gave a flask with hot chocolate in it. I took a big sip out of it and my insides burned with delight and I took more.
"Alright, shower." She said as I took a hot shower. Oh wow was it heaven!
I changed into my casual clothes, a t-shirt and pajama pants as I got in the bed that Madam Pomfrey charmed to make it heated. Wow, it felt great.
Fred however, was sitting there looking at the floor with his head down. "I'm so sorry. George and Lee were pushing each other around and I happened to hit you." He said as I ignored him. "What are you doing here, anyway? It's been three hours. Go back." I warned him. "I.. Its my fault you're here. So I'm staying." He said confidently. I had never seen him so serious before. "Fine." I muttered as I closed my eyes and snuggled myself in the warm blanket.
As I was starting to have a nice nap, three people came in. All of them were girls, I assumed by their giggling.
"Hello there, Astrophel." Cho greeted.
"She needs some rest, Cho." Fred grumbled. Finally! Something great happening from Fred Weasley!
"Who's this? Your new boyfriend? I thought you're going out with Diggory." She said coldly. "Fuck off." I said, wanting to go to sleep so badly. "Excuse me?! No one says fuck off to me." Cho said as she whisked her hair. "I just did." I said as I closed my eyes. I could tell Cho looked shocked, even with my eyes closed. "You look awful, by the way." Cho said meanly. "Don't worry. I know I'd never be as awful looking as you." I told her as she started to weep and ran away with her friends.
"That was brilliant!" Fred said laughing. "Right." I said as I closed my eyes again.. "Astrophel!" Hagrid's voice said.
"Yes?" I grumbled. I just want some sleep, please!
"Sorry 'bout what happened today. Dumbledore said you'd be able ter attend classes after you rest fer 'bout a day or two." He said looking guilty. "Out! Out! Miss Perkins needs some rest if you expect her to be walking." Madam Pomfrey said swatting her hands as if Hagrid and Fred were mosquitoes. "Right, sorry!" Fred said as he got up and Hagrid waved goodbye. Instead of leaving, Fred walked up to me and squeezed my hands. "Sleep tight," he said grinning as he walked out.
A/N: Yes, short chapter. But I promise you the story will get better!