Chapter 6: The Inner Eye and the Hippogriff

When Claire, Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the Great Hall for breakfast the next day, the first thing they saw was Draco Malfoy, who seemed to be entertaining a large group of Slytherins with a very funny story. The moment they passed by, Malfoy did a ridiculous impression of a swooning fit and there was a roar of laughter.

"I wonder if they notice how stupid they look," Claire said, as they sat down at the Gryffindor table.

"Ignore him," Hermione said to Harry, who looked irritated with Malfoy. "Just ignore him, it's not worth it…."

"Yea, Hermione's right, Harry," Claire agreed. "He's pathetic."

"Hey, Potter!" Pansy Parkinson shrieked, a Slytherin girl with a face that resembled a pug. "Potter! The dementors are coming, Potter! Wooooo!"

"New third-year course schedules," George said, sitting next to them with his twin passing out their schedules. "What's up with you, Harry?"

"Malfoy," Ron said, glaring at the Slytherin table.

George looked up in time to see Malfoy pretending to faint with terror again.

"That little git," he said calmly. "He wasn't so cocky last night when the dementors were down at our end of the train. Came running into our compartment, didn't he, Fred?"

"Nearly wet himself," Fred said, with a contemptuous glance at Malfoy.

"I wasn't too happy myself," George said. "They're horrible things, those dementors…."

"Sort of freeze your insides, don't they?" Fred said.

"You didn't pass out, though, did you?" Harry said in a low voice.

"Forget it, Harry," George said bracingly. "Dad had to go out to Azkaban one time, remember, Fred? And he said it was the worst place he'd ever been, he came back all weak and shaking….They suck the happiness out of a place, dementors. Most of the prisoners go mad in there."

"Can you blame them? I'd go mad too if I had to hang around those things." Claire said.

"Anyway, we'll see how happy Malfoy looks after our first Quidditch match," Fred said. "Gryffindor versus Slytherin, first game of the season, remember?"

Harry felt a bit more cheerful after Fred said that and began piling sausages and fried tomatoes on his plate. Hermione was looking at her new schedule.

"Ooh, good, we're starting some new subjects today." she said happily.

"Hermione," Ron said looking over her shoulder at her schedule. "How do you plan on attending three classes all at the same time? I mean I know you're good, but you're not that good."

"Don't be silly, Ron," Hermione said. "No one can be in three places at once."

Ron then saw Claire's schedule. "You have Divination and Muggle Studies like Hermione today at the same time. How do you two plan to be at both places at once?"

"Did you not hear what Hermione said Ron?" Claire replied. "We won't at both places at the same time. Now, get your nose out of our business."

"Pass the marmalade," Hermione said.

"But-" Ron was cut off by Hermione.

"Oh, Ron, what's it to you if our schedules are a bit full?" Hermione snapped. "It's all been fixed with Professor McGonagall and as Claire said keep out of our business."

Just then, Hagrid entered the Great Hall. He was wearing his long moleskin overcoat and was absentmindedly swinging a dead polecat from one enormous hand.

"All righ'?" he said, eagerly, pausing on the way to the staff table. "Yer in my firs' ever lesson! Right after lunch! Bin up since five gettin' everythin' ready….Hope it's okay….Me, a teacher..hones'ly."

He grinned broadly at them and headed off to the staff table, still swinging the polecat.

"Wonder what he's been getting ready?" Ron said, a note of anxiety in his voice.

"I don't know," Claire said, "but I hope it's nothing like Norbert or Fluffy."

After they finished breakfast, the four friends said goodbye to Fred and George and headed to Divination. The journey through the castle to the North Tower was a long one. Two years at Hogwarts hadn't taught them everything about the castle, and they had never been inside the North Tower before.

"There's-got-to-be-a-shortcut," Ron panted as they climbed their seventh long staircase and emerged on an unfamiliar landing, where there was nothing but a large painting of a bare stretch of grass hanging on the stone wall.

"You'd think after two years we'd be able to make it around this castle," Claire said.

"I think it's this way," Hermione said, peering down the empty passage way to the right.

"Can't be," Ron said. "That's south, look, you can see a bit of the lake out the window…"

"Maybe we could ask for directions." Claire suggested.

"From who? We're the only ones here." Hermione said.

Just then, in the painting of a bare stretch of grass, a squat knight in a suit of armor clanked into the picture on his fat, dapple gray pony.

"Aha!" the knight yelled, seeing Claire, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "What villains are theses that trespass upon my private lands! Draw, you knaves, you dogs!"

The little knight tugged out his sword and jumped off the pony brandishing his sword violently, hopping up and down in rage. But the sword was too long for him; a particularly wild swing made him overbalance, and he landed facedown in the grass. Claire tried not to laugh as she moved closer to the picture and said, "Are you alright?"

"Get back, you-you," the knight stopped talking and took off his helmet. He stared at Claire as he bowed. "Fair maiden, what can I do to help you?"

Claire raised an eyebrow. "Um, well we're looking for the North Tower. You don't know the way, do you?"

"A quest!" The knight exclaimed in excitement as he put on his helmet. "Aye, I know the way! Follow me, fair lady and friends. We shall find our goal, or else perish bravely in the charge!"

He tried to pick up his sword but failed. He then tried and once again failed to mount the fat pony, gave up, and cried, "On foot then, good sirs and gentle ladies! On! On!"

They followed the knight along the corridor until they reached the classroom.

"Farewell!" cried the knight. He then turned to Claire. "It has been an honor to help such a lovely lady!" He bowed. "If you ever have need for a noble heart and steely sinew, call upon Sir Cadogan!"

"Yeah, we'll call you," muttered Ron as the knight disappeared, "if we ever need someone mental."

"It seems that knight had a crush on you, Claire." Hermione said.

Ron burst out laughing, while Claire glared at him.

"Yea, did you hear him?" Ron laughed. "'Fair maiden, what can I do to help you?'"

Claire glared at him as she said, "You won't be laughing when I tell the Fat Lady you have a crush on her."

He stopped laughing.

"But I don't and you wouldn't actually do that." Ron said.

Claire raised her eyebrow. "Do you really want to take that chance?"

Ron didn't tease Claire about the knight incident anymore as they climbed the last few steps and emerged onto a tiny landing, where most of the class was already assembled. There were no doors off this landing, but Ron nudged Harry and pointed at the ceiling, where there was a circular trapdoor with a brass plaque on it that read: Sibyll Trelawney, Divination Teacher.

"How're we supposed to get up there?" Harry said.

As if in reply to his question, the trapdoor suddenly opened, and a silvery ladder descended right at Harry's feet. Everyone got quiet.

"Like that," Claire said.

"After you," Ron said, grinning, so Harry climbed the ladder first.

As the four friends entered the classroom, they noticed that it looked like a mixture of someone's attic and an old-fashioned tea shop. Twenty small, circular tables were crammed inside it, all surrounded by chintz armchairs. The curtains were drawn and the whole place was lit dimly. It was stiflingly warm, and the fire burning under the crowded mantlepiece seemed to be given off a heavy, sickly sort of perfume as it heated a large copper kettle. Harry, Claire, Hermione, and Ron all sat at the same table.

Suddenly, a voice came out of the shadows, a soft, misty sort of voice.

"Welcome," it said. "How nice to see you in the physical world at last."

Professor Trelawney moved into the firelight, and they saw that she was very thin; her large glasses seemed to magnify her eyes to several times their natural size, resembling some sort of insect. She was draped in a gauzy spangled shawl with innumerable chains and beads hanging around her spindly neck. Her arms and hands were decorated with bangles and rings.

"Welcome, my children. In this room, you shall explore the mysterious art of Divination." Professor Trelawney said. "In this room, you shall discover if you possess the sight. Hello. I am Professor Trelawney. Together, we shall cast ourselves into the future. But know this. One either has the Gift or not. It cannot be divined from the pages of a book. Books only cloud one's Inner Eye."

Claire, Harry, and Ron glanced, grinning at Hermione, who looked startled at the news that books wouldn't be much help in this subject.

"You, boy!" Professor Trelawney said suddenly, turning to Neville. "Is your grandmother well?"

"I-I think so," Neville stuttered.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." she said, before continuing. "We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year. The first term will be devoted to reading the tea leaves. Next term we shall progress to palmistry. By the way, my dear," she shot suddenly at Parvati Patil," beware a red-haired man."

Claire stifled a laugh as Parvati gave a startled look at Ron, who was right behind her, and edge her chair away from him.

"In the second term," Professor Trelawney went on, "we shall progress to the crystal ball-if we have finished with fire omens, that is. Unfortunately, classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty bout of flu. I myself will lose my voice. And around Easter, one of our number will leave us forever."

How nice. Claire thought sarcastically. Positive energy in that one.

Professor Trelawney then instructed the class (while also warning Lavender Brown that the thing she was most dreading would happen on Friday the sixteenth of October) to divide into pairs and collect a teacup from the shelf. She would fill it and then they'd sit back down and drink until only the dregs remained. Then they'd swill the cup three times with their left hand, turn the cup upside down on the saucer, wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then give the cup to your partner to read. Harry and Ron paired up as well as Claire and Hermione.

"This is complete rubbish," Hermione muttered as she handed Claire her cup.

"I actually find this interesting," Claire said, as she looked in Hermione's cup.

"How? There's no logic to this at all. It's all make-believe and guesswork." Hermione replied.

"Well, not everything in the world can be explained by facts." Claire stated. "Ok, I see candlestick. That means you need to look at things from a wider point of view. How appropriate. There's also a crane which means you will experience heavy burdens and anxiety. Tough luck."

"Alright, I'll read your's now." Hermione said, grabbing Claire's cup. "There's quite a few images in your cup. This one looks like a compass. This implies that you'll spend your life traveling and participating in interesting activities. That sounds exciting. There's a Fender which mean you'll constantly come in contact with someone you strongly dislike. Then there's a looking-glass. That means you desire to know the truth, even if it's unpleasant to you. That one looks like a falcon which means you have a deadly enemy. Right next to the falcon is a skull indicating there's danger in your path. That's not good. And lastly there seems to be two large dogs."

"Claire's got a dog too?" Ron asked. "Harry has one to. Let's see if they look the same."

Hermione and Ron compared Claire's and Harry's cups.

"Let me see those, my dears," Professor Trelawney said to Hermione and Ron.

Hermione and Ron handed her the cups and Trelawney gasped then screamed.

"In all my years, I have never seen anything like this," she said.

"Like what?" Claire questioned.

"My dear, you have the Grim." Trelawney said to Harry and then turned to Claire. "And you have not just one Grim, but two." Trelawney said.

Everyone looked confused.

"What's the Grim?" Dean Thomas asked.

"The Grim, my dear, the Grim!" Professor Trelawney cried. "The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! It is the omen-the worst omen- of death!"

Lavender Brown clapped her hands to her mouth. Everyone was looking at Harry and Claire.

"But that's impossible no one can die more than once." Hermione said, remembering that Claire had two of the Grim.

Professor Trelawney surveyed Hermione with mounting dislike. "You'll forgive me for saying so, my dear, but I perceive very little aura around you. Very little receptivity to the resonances of the future."

It was a good thing the bell had rung because Hermione looked like she was going to have a few choice words with Professor Trelawney. They made their way to Transfiguration. Claire tried to focus on the lesson in Transfiguration but her mind kept going back to Divination. How could she have two Grims? There's no way she could die twice. She was only human. Professor McGonagall had noticed that most of the class seemed to be distracted and not focusing on the lesson.

"Really, what has got into you all today?" Professor McGonagall said.

Everyone's heads turned towards Claire and Harry, but nobody spoke. Then Hermione raised her hand.

"Please, Professor, we've just had out first Divination class, and we were reading the tea leaves, and-"

"Ah, of course," Professor McGonagall said, suddenly frowning. "There is no need to say any more, Miss Granger. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?"

Everyone stared at her.

"Me," Harry said finally.

"And me." Claire said, grimly. "Well, she technically said I'd die twice."

Professor McGonagall seemed to be a bit surprised by Claire's statement.

"I see," Professor McGonagall said, fixing her eyes on them. "Then you both should know that Sibyll Trelawney has predicted death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them has died yet. Seeing death omens is her favorite way of greeting a new class. I guess this year she decided on changing things a bit and predicting the death of two students, or more specifically saying that one student would die more than once. If it were not for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues-"

Professor McGonagall broke off, and they saw that her nostrils had gone white. She went on, more calmly, "Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. True Seers are very rare, and Professor Trelawney-"

She stopped again, and then said, in a very matter-of-fact tone, "You both look in excellent health to me, Potter, Smith, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you both that if either of you die, you need not hand it in."

"Glad to know if I end up dead, I won't have to worry about my homework." Claire muttered.

When Transfiguration ended, the four friends went to the Great Hall for lunch. As they sat down, Ron asked Harry and Claire, "You haven't seen a great black dog anywhere, have you?"

"Yeah, I have," Harry said. "I saw one the night I left the Dursleys'."

Ron let his fork fall with a clatter. "And you Claire?"

"Well, I saw one at Diagon Alley when we were shopping for our school supplies." Claire said.

"Probably a stray," Hermione said calmly.

Ron looked at Hermione as though she was crazy.

"Hermione, if they've seen a Grim, that's-that's bad," he said. "My- my uncle Bilius saw one and-and he died twenty-four hours later!"

"Coincidence," Hermione said airily, pouring herself some pumpkin juice.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Ron said, starting to get angry. "Grims scare the living daylights out of most wizards!"

"There you are, then," Hermione said in a superior tone. "They see the Grim and die of fright. The grim's not an omen, it's the cause of death! And Claire and Harry are still with us because they're not stupid enough to see one and think, right, well, I'd better kick the bucket then!"

Ron mouthed wordlessly at Hermione, who opened her bag, took out her new Arthimancy book, and propped it open against the juice jug.

"I think Divination seems very woolly," she said, searching for her page. "A lot of guesswork, if you ask me."

"I enjoyed the class," Claire said. "Up until the whole Grim incident."

"There was nothing woolly about the Grim in that cup!" Ron said hotly.

"You didn't seem so confident when you were telling Harry it was a sheep," Hermione said coolly.

"Professor Trelawney said you didn't have the right aura! You just don't like being bad at something for a change!"

He had touched a nerve. Hermione slammed her Arthimancy book down on the table so hard that bits of meat and carrot flew everywhere.

"If being good at Divination means I have to pretend to see death omens in a lump of tea leaves, I'm not sure I'll be studying it much longer! That lesson was absolute rubbish compared with my Arthimancy class!"

She snatched up her bag and stalked away. Ron frowned after her.

"What's she talking about?" he said to Harry. "She hasn't been to an Arthimancy class yet."

Ron then looked at Claire. "You wouldn't happen to know, would you Claire?"

"Even if I did, I couldn't tell you," Claire said. "Now, I'm going to get a head start on my Muggle Studies homework before our next class. See you two later."

"She hasn't been to her Muggle Studies class yet though." Ron said as Claire left. "There's something going on with them."

Claire walked to the library. When she arrived there, she saw Hermione working on her Arthimancy homework. Hermione looked up as Claire sat down in front of her.

"You didn't tell him, did you?" Hermione questioned.

"No," Claire said. "Remember what Professor McGonagall said? She said we couldn't tell anyone."

Claire pulled out her Muggle Studies book and Care of Magical Creatures book The Monster Book of Monsters.

"So, we have Hagrid's class next," Claire said. "Any idea how we're suppose to open these….books?"

Hermione shook her head. "I feel as though it's something really simple. I mean the book acts like an animal when you try to open it. There must be some way to open it without it trying to tear off your arm."

Claire thought for a few moments. "Maybe you have to stroke the spine or something."

Hermione shrugged. "It can't hurt to try."

Claire cautiously stroke the spine of the book and, to both her and Hermione's amazement, it opened.

"Well, you weren't kidding when you said it'd be something really simple." Claire said.

When lunch ended, Claire, Hermione, Ron, and Harry met up to walk down to Care of Magical Creatures class together. Ron and Hermione weren't speaking to each other, which Claire and Harry were becoming accustom to. They soon reached Hagrid's hut and spotted four familiar backs ahead of them. They realized in that moment they'd be having the class with Slytherins.

"Oh, great," Claire muttered sarcastically.

Malfoy was talking animatedly to Crabbe and Goyle while Jason Saxton, the Durmstrang transfer student from last year, was leaning up against a tree. Claire noticed that he looked a bit different from last year. He'd grown at least several inches and his hair had grown out slightly making it look like a mini afro. Jason must've noticed Claire was staring at him because he caught her eye and gave her a sly smile and a wink. Claire rolled her eyes and turned her attention to Hagrid, who was waiting for his class at the door of his hut. He stood in his moleskin overcoat, with Fang at his heels, looking impatient to start.

"C'mon, now, get a move on!" he called as the class approached. "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"

They followed Hagrid around the edge of trees to a small paddock. There was nothing in there.

"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" he called. "That's it-make sure yeh can see- now firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books-"

"How?" Draco Malfoy said in a cold, drawling voice.

"Eh?" Hagrid said.

"How do we open our books?" Malfoy repeated. He took out his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which he bound shut with a length of rope.

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

Claire raised her hand. "You have to stroke the spine."

Claire demonstrated how to open the book and the class seemed surprised that it didn't bite off her hand.

"Good job, Claire!" Hagrid praised. "Five points ter Gryffindor!"

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

"Shut up, Malfoy," Claire said.

"Righ' then," Hagrid said, "so-so yeh've got yer books an'-an'-now yeh need the Magical Creatures. Yeah. So I'll go an' get 'em. Hang on…."

He strode away from them into the forest and out of sight.

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

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry said.

"Careful, Potter, there's a dementor behind you-"

"Oooooooh!" Lavender Brown squealed, pointing toward the opposite side of the paddock.

Trotting toward them were a dozen of the most bizarre creatures Harry had ever seen. They had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and heads of what seemed to be giant eagles, with cruel, steel-colored beaks and large, orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly looking. Each of the beasts had a thick leather collar around its neck, which was attached to a long chain, and the end of all of these were held in the vast hands of Hagrid, who came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures.

"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid roared happily, waving a hand at them. "Beau'iful, aren' they? Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know is they're proud. Easily offended, Hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it migh' be the las' thing yeh do. Right then-who wants ter come an' say hello?"

The entire class took a step back except for Harry.

"Good man, Harry!" Hagrid said. "Right then- let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak."

Harry looked around and then behind himself to see the class had taken a step back.

"Gee, thanks," Harry muttered to Claire, Ron, and Hermione.

"No, problem," Claire teased.

Harry reluctantly took a step forward.

"You think he'll be alright?" Hermione said.

"This is Harry we're talking about. He's defeated Voldemort- Really, Ron? Get over it.- twice and defeated a giant snake. I think he'll be fine with a Hippogriff as long as he listens to Hagrid." Claire said. She then looked towards Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Saxton and noticed they weren't paying attention at all to Hagrid's lesson. "However, I think Malfoy and his goons won't be as they aren't paying attention."

Ron and Hermione looked towards them.

"He's probably planning out how he's going to ruin Hagrid's first lesson." Ron said.

"Wouldn't put it below him to do such a thing," Claire said.

They turned their attention to Harry.

"Yeh always wait fer the hippogriff ter make the firs' move," Hagrid continued. "It's polite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn' bow, then get away from him, 'cause those talons hurt. Easy, now, Harry." Hagrid said quietly as Harry slowly made his way to Buckbeak. "Yeh've got eye contact, now try not ter blink….Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much…."

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

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

Harry gave a short bow and then looked up. The hippogriff was still staring haughtily at him. It didn't move.

"Ah," Hagrid said, sounding worried. "Right- back away, now, Harry, easy does it-"

But then, to Harry's surprise, the hippogriff suddenly bent its scaly front knees and sank into what was an unmistakable bow.

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

Harry moved slowly toward the hippogriff and reached out toward it. He patted the beak several times and the hippogriff closed its eyes lazily, as though enjoying it. Harry smiled glad that he wasn't attack by the hippogriff.

"Righ' then, Harry," Hagrid said. "I reckon he might' let yeh ride him!"

Harry's smile dropped. "Excuse me?"

"We'll jus' set yeh behind the wing joint. Mind yeh don' pull any feathers out. He won' like that." Hagrid said, as he lifted Harry onto Buckbeak.

"Go on, then!" Hagrid roared, slapping the hippogriff's hindquarters.

Without warning, twelve-foot wings flapped open on either side of Harry; he just had time to seize the hippogriff around the neck before he was soaring upward. Claire, Hermione, and Ron watched in amazement as the hippogriff took off.

Several minutes later, Harry and Buckbeak returned and Hagrid told Harry, "Good work!"

"How'm I doin' me firs' day?" Hagrid asked Harry under his breath.

"Brilliant….Professor." Harry said.

Just then, Draco pushed past them roughly toward Buckbeak.

"Give me a go at that thing." Draco said. "If Potter can do it, it must be easy. You're not dangerous at all, are you, you great ugly brute-"

"Malfoy! No!" Hagrid exclaimed.

But it was too late. Buckbeak's steely talons slashed down on Malfoy. He let out a high-pitched scream and Hagrid wrestled Buckbeak back into his collar as he strained to get at Malfoy, who laid 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'!" Hagrid said, who had gone very white. "Someone help me— gotta get him outta here—"

Hermione ran to open the gate as Hagrid lifted Malfoy easily. As they passed, Harry saw that there was a long, deep gash on Malfoy's arm; blood splattered the grass and Hagrid ran with him, up the slope toward the castle.

Very shaken, the Care of Magical Creatures class followed at a walk. The Slytherins were all shouting about Hagrid.

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

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

They all climbed the stone steps into the deserted entrance hall.

"I'm going to see if he's okay!" Pansy said, 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, Claire, Ron, and Hermione proceeded upstairs to the Gryffindor Tower.

"D'you think he'll be all right?" Hermione said nervously.

"'Course he will. Madam Pomfrey can mend cuts in about a second," Harry said, who had had far worse injuries mended magically by the nurse.

"That was a really bad thing to happen in Hagrid's first class, though, wasn't it?" Ron said, looking worried.

"Trust Malfoy to screw things up for Hagrid." Claire said.

They were among the first to reach the Great Hall at dinnertime, hoping to see Hagrid, which they did. Hagrid still looked a bit upset as he ate his food at the teacher's table. The four friends noticed that Malfoy was sitting at the Slytherin table with his arm bound in a sling.

"Does it hurt terribly, Draco?" Pansy asked, concerned.

"It comes and goes." Draco said, a tad theatrical. "Still…I consider myself lucky. According to Madam Pomfrey, another minute or two….and I could've lost the arm."

"Too bad he didn't." Claire muttered, as they sat down at the table. "That little git. He's really laying it on thick, isn't he?"

"At least Hagrid didn't get sacked." Harry said.

"Yes," Hermione agreed. "But I hear Draco's father's furious. I don't think we've heard the end of this…."

"Well, I will personally tell Draco's father that his son is a complete idiot who should've listened to Hagrid instead of trying to show up Harry." Claire said.

"He's been sighted!" Seamus exclaimed.

The four friends turned to Seamus and the other Gryffindors who were huddled together over a copy of The Daily Prophet.

"Who?" Ron asked.

"Sirius Black," Seamus said.

Hermione read over the shoulders of the Gryffindors.

"Achintee? That's not far from here…." Hermione said, sending a worried look towards Claire and Harry.

"You don't think he'd come to Hogwarts, do you?" Neville said, fearfully.

"With the Dementors at every entrance?" Lavender said.

"He's already slipped by them once. Who's to say he can't do it again?" Seamus said.

This chapter was kind of cool to write. I really liked writing the whole Knight in the portrait bit. For the tea leaf reading I actually researched it. I found some symbols that I felt would foreshadow events that are going to happen in the series. Jason made a brief appearance in this chapter. You'll be seeing more of him later on.

Reply to Reviews:

Rainpelt the Doctor: Thanks!

NicoleR85: You'll find out in the next few chapters if Lupin is protective over Claire like he is with Harry.

OliviaNeith: I did enjoy writing Draco getting hurt by Buckbeak.