Authors Note: Sorry for the delay, but between school and the difficulty of this chapter was for me, it took longer than expected. I am sorry if things feel rushed or forced, but it was hard getting all of these characters to mesh for their first interaction together. I rewrote it several times, and considered giving up all together. Thankfully though school has ended this week, and I was able to relax. This isn't my favorite chapter, but I plan on the next chapter to more than make up for it. Thank you for your support, and I would love some feedback. Especially with some advice on how to write Hagrid, since he was very difficult for me to get down.
Disclaimer: All settings and characters in this story are owned by J.K Rowling or Nintendo. A small section in this particular chapter contained parts directly copied out of J.K Rowling's book; Prisoner of Azkaban, and I make no claims to that, or anything else that shows up here except my own ideas. Please support the official content of both Harry Potter and Legend of Zelda Franchises
Chapter 3: Due Respect
The day was only half over and already Harry was experiencing a whirlwind of emotions and experiences, and very few of them were pleasant. First was his new Divination class, and all the things that went wrong with that class could fill a book. He, Ron and Hermione were almost late as they tried to find the class after breakfast, and had to rely on the help from a crazy Knight painting. Upon reaching the class, it was so filled with incense it was giving him a headache, and Professor Trelawny's droning didn't much help with it. The class was a joke, and right when Harry was beginning to enjoy himself while attempting to read Ron's tea leaves the Professor predicted his death.
Why did this always happen? Why couldn't he just come to Hogwarts and have a normal year like everyone else? Hermione didn't believe in Professor Trelawny prediction, but Ron and almost everyone else did, and that wasn't very comforting. First he learned that the maniac Sirius Black wants him dead, then the Dementors show up on the train, and now a stain on the bottom of a cup that is somewhat shaped like a dog is telling him he is going to die. Professor McGonagall made him feel a little better in Transfiguration class, but not by much.
At lunch Harry tried forgetting about everything, and he almost succeeded, but with Ron and Hermione arguing about whether Trelawny's prediction was right or not, he had a hard time doing so. Add in the fact that now several of his classmates were now working up the courage to ask him about the boy from last night, lunch did not turn out how to be relaxing. Thankfully though they were now outside and being on the castle grounds were already cheering him up.
The rain from yesterday had cleared up, and it was appearing to be a beautiful day outside. As he exited the castle he walked in-between Ron and Hermione who were not speaking to each other, but that wasn't new. Harry was going to enjoy the silence as they walked to their first ever class of Care to Magical Creatures. Before he could begin to enjoy the silence however, something caught his ear.
"Hey," Harry said, as he stopped and cocked his head to the side to hear the sound better. "Do you guys hear that?"
Ron and Hermione stopped and looked at him curiously. "Hear what?" Ron asked, before getting shushed by Hermione, who was struggling to listen now as well. Ron gave an annoyed look, and was about to tell Hermione off for rudely shushing him, when he heard something as well. It was faint, but it sounded like a song. It was high pitched, and it didn't sound like any instrument Harry had heard, though to be fair, he hasn't heard that many instruments.
"What is that? Where is it coming from?" Ron asked, still straining to pick up on the tune. Harry shrugged while Hermione looked around. "I think it is coming from the lake." Hermione said, after a pause, and the three of them looked in the direction of the lake. They looked out at the glistening waters, wondering if maybe somebody was down there. Harry thought he saw someone near the shore, but he couldn't really tell from this far away.
"I wonder who it is." Harry said, mainly to himself, still listening to the faint song. "And what they are using to make that noise" Ron added, squinting his eyes. Hermione was the first to look away, and started dragging the other two away.
"Come on, we are going to be late." She said, and reluctantly Harry and Ron began to follow her. "Whoever it is, I think they are using a leaflute." She added, as the two fell in step with her. Ron, who had forgotten that he was mad with Hermione, shot her a confused and curious look. "What is a 'leaflute'?"
"Leaflute is just a term for a leaf that you can use to whistle and make music with." Hermione explained, forgetting as well that she was angry with Ron. "My dad can do it, and is quite good at it."
"Why would you use a leaf to whistle?" Ron asked, making a face. "Why not just whistle yourself?" To that, Hermione just rolled her eyes at him. "Honestly Ronald, why even ask if you are just going just be so… Ron about it?"
"What is that supposed to mean?!"
Thankfully, the argument didn't get a chance to begin as the three neared Hagrids hut. Ron and Hermione shot each other annoyed looks, but didn't say anything as they came to a stop with the other students. Harry frowned, having just saw Malfoy and his two lackeys and gave a small groan to himself. Great, they were having class with the Slytherins. Malfoy better behave himself in Hagrid's first class if he didn't want trouble.
Hagrid was standing by the door of his hut, beaming down at all the students. When everyone eventually arrived, Hagrid called everyone to follow him as he started towards the Forbidden Forest. For a nasty moment, Harry thought that they were being led into the Forbidden forest, but gave a sigh of relief when Hagrid strolled around the trees. Five minutes later, the class was standing outside a kind of padlock, though there was nothing in it.
"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?" 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 books shut; others had crammed them inside tight bags or clamped them together with binder clips.
"Hasn'- hasn' anyone 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 took Hermione's copy and ripped off the Spellotape that bound it. The book tried to bite, but Hagrid ran a giant forefinger down its spine, and the book shivered, and then fell open and lay quiet in his hands.
"Oh, how silly we've all been!" Malfoy sneered. "We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess!"
"I- I thought they were funny," Hagrid said 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 em. Hang on…" He strode away from them into the forest and out of sight.
"God this place is really going to the dogs. That oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him-"
"Shut up Malfoy." Harry repeated, clenching his fist.
"Careful Potter, there is a Dementor behind you-"
"Ooooooh!" Squeled Lavender Brown, pointing to the other side of the padlock. 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, brilliantly orange eyes. The talons of 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 ends of all of these were held in the vast hands of Hagrid, who came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures.
"Gee up, there!" he roared, shaking the chains and urging the creatures toward 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 hang at them. "Beau'iful, aren' they?"
Harry could sort of see what Hagrid meant. Once you 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 hair, each of them a different color: stormy gray, bronze, pinkish roan, gleaming chestnut, and inky black.
"So," said Hagrid, rubbing his hands together and beaming around, "if yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer-"
No one seemed to want to.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione, however, approached the fence cautiously.
"Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' hippogriffs is, they're proud," said Hagrid. "Easily offended, hippogriffs. Don't never insult one, cause it might be the last thing yeh do."
Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle weren't listening; they were talking in an undertone and Harry had a nasty feeling they were plotting how to best disrupt the lesson.
"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 sharpish, cause those talons hurt."
"Right- who wants ter go first?"
Most of the class backed farther away in answer. Even Harry, Ron, and Hermione had misgivings. The hippogriffs were tossing their fierce heads and flexing their powerful wings; they didn't seem to like being tethered like this.
"No one?" said Hagrid, with a pleading look.
"I'll do it," said Harry.
There was an intake of breath from behind him, and both Lavender and Parvati whispered, "Oooh, no, Harry, remember your tea leaves!"
Harry ignored them. He climbed over the paddock fence.
"Good man, Harry!" roared Hagrid. "Right then- let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak."
He untied one of the chains, pulled the gray hippogriff away from its fellows, and slipped off its leather collar. The class on the other side of the paddock seemed to be holding 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 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," said Hagrid. "Tha's it, Harry… now, bow…"
Harry didn't feel much like exposing the back of his neck to Buckbeak, but he did as he was told. He gave a short bow and then looked up.
The hippogriff was still staring haughtily at him. It didn't move.
"Ah," said Hagrid, sounding worried. "Right- back away, now, Harry, easy does it-"
But then, to Harry's enormous surprise, the hippogriff suddenly bent its scaly front knees and sank into what was an unmistakable bow.
"Well done, Harry!" said Hagrid, ecstatic. "Right- yeh can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!"
Feeling that a better reward would have been to back away, 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.
The class broke into applause, all except for Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were looking deeply disappointed.
"Righ' then, Harry," said Hagrid. "I reckon he might' let yeh ride him!"
This was more than Harry had bargained for. He was used to a broomstick; but he wasn't sure a hippogriff would be quite the same.
"Yeh climb up there, jus' behind the wing joint," said Hagrid, "an' mind yeh don' pull any of his feathers out, he won' like that…"
Harry put his foot on the top of Buckbeak's wing and hoisted himself onto its back. Buckbeak stood up. Harry wasn't sure where to hold on; everything in front of him was covered with feathers.
"Go on, then!" roared Hagrid, 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. It was nothing like a broomstickand Harry knew which one he preferred; the hippogriff's wings beat uncomfortably on either side of him, catching him under his legs and making him feel he was about to be thrown off; the glossy feathers slipped under his fingers and he didn't dare get a stronger grip; instead of the smooth action of his Nimbus Two Thousand, he now felt himself rocking backward and forward as the hindquarters of the hippogriff rose and fell with its wings.
Buckbeak flew him once around the paddock and then headed back to the ground; this was the bit Harry had been dreading; he leaned back as the smooth neck lowered, feeling he was going to slip off over the beak, then felt a heavy thud as the four ill-assorted feet hit the ground. He just managed to hold on and push himself straight again.
"Good work, Harry!" roared Hagrid as everyone except Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle cheered. "Okay, who else wants a go?"
Emboldened by Harry's success, 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 backward from his, which didn't seem to want to bend its knees. Ron and Hermione practiced on the chestnut, while Harry watched.
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. "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?"
Harry had not been looking at Malfoy, and was instead watching his friends make progress with their Hippogrif. He heard him however, and his heart sank as he turned to look upon the unfolding scene. What happened next happened so fast Harry assumed he had blinked and missed it. Buckbeak had reared up on it's hind legs, and was about to bring it's talons down on Malfoy when someone came sprinting over the padlock fence.
Malfoy gave a scream as someone tackled him out of the way from the sharp talons. He and his savior made a 'thud' noise on impact with the ground, and rolled slightly. Malfoy laid on the ground making pitiful groaning noises as his savior stood quickly, standing over Malfoy protectively, ready to guard against the next attack from Buckbeak.
Thankfully though Hagrid had not been frozen like the class, and was wrestling with Buckbeak, trying to get him back in the collar. This is the scene Harry's mind had finally processed. The stranger who was standing over Malfoy's body was holding a large branch in his hand, tense as he watched Hagrid try to restrain Buckbeak. When he was certain that the hippogriff was restrained, he relaxed and dropped the branch, moving aside as all the Slytherins rushed around Malfoy.
"Oh my God, are you okay?" Squealed Pansy, as she dropped to her knees, and cradled Malfoy's head in her arms. Malfoy opened his eyes and sat up, and started to pat down his own body, checking for damage.
"Step aside!" Came the howling of Hagrid as he came to Malfoy's side. He roughly, though not meaning to of course, picked him up and started checking for any damage. "Yeh all righ'?! Not hurt are yeh?" Malfoy pushed him off and gave a sneer at Hagrid's concerned and scared face.
"Get off me you oaf! This is your fault! That creature almost killed me!" Malfoy straightened out his robes, making his glare switch between Hagrid and Buckbeak, who was fighting his restraints to attack Malfoy again. "When my Father hears about this he will make sure you are fired and that ugly creature is put down! And you-" He suddenly turned on the person who had talked him, to blinded by rage at this point to realize that is what save him. "How dare you. What makes you think you could-"
"What, save your life?" The stranger asked with a laugh. "Gosh I really don't know. Maybe you could try to be a bit more grateful huh? After all, it was your own fault?"
Malfoy looked affronted. "My fault!? That stupid creature attacked me-"
"Yes it did. Because you insulted it." The stranger said, losing his jolly tone. "I am not part of this class and even I realized that was a wrong thing to do. Maybe this will treat you about respect."
Malfoy's eyes grew wide with indignation and anger. "I will teach you respect!" He sputtered out, and his hand went for his wand, but before he could pull it out, the strange had jumped forward, and placed a shoulder into his gut. Malfoy fell back to the ground, dazed.
"You killed him!" Pansy shrieked, as she rushed to Malfoy's side, and Crabbe and Goyle stood between him and his assailment. This caused the stranger to laugh. "Please, I just disabled him before he could pull out his weapon, give him a few minutes."
The stranger then turned and walked to Hagrid, who was looking upon the scene with despair, unsure on how to handle the situation. The stranger offered his hand to him with a smile. "I assume you are the Instructor in charge? My name is Link. Sorry for the intrusion but I was wandering the grounds when I saw someone flying one of those creatures and I got curious."
Hagrid stared dumbfounded at Link, and numbly took his hand. He didn't know what to do. Just when it looked like his first day of teaching was going well, he had somehow messed it all up. Thankfully no one got hurt, but it was a blow to his confidence.
"Uh, Thanks." Hagrid said, blinking. It didn't register with him that this was someone who should not have just been wandering around. Hagrid, despite all his kindness and loyalty, was a little slow on the uptake, and he was to focus on trying to recover his lessons. "Yeh part of me class? What house you in, Slytherin?" Hagrid looked at his green clothing.
"Oh no, I am not a student of this school." Link said cheerily. "I arrived here unexpectedly last night. I woke up in the infirmary not that long ago and I was just wandering around. Like I said, I saw someone flying around on one of those beautiful creatures, and I came to see what was up."
"Las' nigh'…?" Hagrid said slowly, before realization dawned on him, and the rest of the students watching on. "Ye're the boy who fell in the Gryffindors table!? Wha're you do'in up and roamin about!? You need res' and to talk to the Headmaster!" Yeh shouldn't be up!" Hagrid quickly picked up the boy, and started briskly walking towards the castle.
"Class dismissed! Follow me to the castle!" He hollered behind him, as all the students excitedly followed him, all thoughts of what happened with Malfoy and the Hippogriff left out of their minds. Link tried to object but Hagrid just kept shushing him and lecturing him how he needed to rest and get better and how after his injuries he had no right to walk around. Eventually the boy just settled down, accepting the fact that this giant man was not letting him go.
The class followed behind Hagrid at a walk, excitedly talking about how the mysterious boy had showed up. Malfoy tried to moan about Buckbeak and the assault the boy named Link did to him, but no one seemed all that interested. Harry, Hermione, and Ron was at the back of the group, with Hermione beaming at the other two.
"See, I told you he would be fine! Madam Pomfrey is one of the greatest healers around."
"Yeah, guess you were right." Harry said, his eyes looking from Hagrid to Malfoy. "But did he really have to step in front of Malfoy?"
"Harry! Don't say that! If he hadn't saved Draco then who knows what would have happened to Hagrid." Hermione said, and Ron and Harry gave a reluctant nod. "He could have been fired. Now he has a chance to explain that it was Malfoy's fault."
"Yeah, but I still would have liked to see Malfoy get swiped by that big ole' chicken." Ron said, getting sharp nudged by Hermione and a laugh from Harry. He couldn't help but agree.