I do not own the Harry Potter series or Pokémon.

Some scenes and dialogue are derived from Prisoner of Azkaban.

Chapter Eleven: How to Handle Magical Creatures

The atmosphere between the three Gryffindors did not dissipate as they went outside for their first Care of Magical Creatures lesson. Hermione and Ron were refusing to talk to each other, and Harry was stuck in the middle of them. Moon threw him a sympathetic look as they made their way down to Hagrid's hut. She spotted Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle huddled together, talking and laughing about something.

Hagrid stood outside his hut with a gigantic, slobbering dog hanging around his feet.

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

The group moved towards the trees, but walked along the edge of the forest rather than venturing into it. Within five minutes, they were standing outside a fenced area that was empty.

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

"How?" Draco interrupted, sounding rather put-out. Moon glanced at him in surprise. He was staring at the professor with cold eyes, but for a split-second she thought she saw his eyes flicker over to her once. She looked back at the three Gryffindors she was standing with, and all of them were looking at Draco with varying amounts of dislike.

"Eh?" Hagrid said.

"How do we open our books?" Draco asked as he pulled out The Monster Book of Monsters. Moon saw that he had tied the book shut with rope. Everyone else started pulling out their copies of the book, and all of them had bound or contained the books in some manner. Only Moon pulled out an unbound copy, holding the covers together with her palms as she let her pinky glide over the spine. The book shivered in her hands and let out something close to a purr, but remained unopened.

"Hasn'—hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" Hagrid asked sadly. Moon stroked the spine a little more intently. The book shuddered, and fell open when she removed her palm from the cover. The students gawked at her when she held up the book. Hagrid, however, was immensely glad.

"Yeh managed ter figure it out, Miss Blakesley," he stated.

"Just stroke the spine," Moon instructed. "They're not so difficult after that."

The other students ran their fingers down the spines of the books. Most were relieved to know how to control the books, others were displeased that they hadn't figured it out themselves. Draco was almost sulking, but Moon doubted it was because he didn't get the answer first.

"Righ' then, so yeh've got yer books ready, an' now yeh need the Magical Creatures. I'll bring 'em back here in a momen'!"

As Hagrid disappeared into the Forbidden Forest, the students swarmed around Moon. Hermione gripped her wrist, surprising Moon with her strength.

"How'd you figure it out?" Hermione asked. Moon noticed that the girl was far more tired than she had been during Divination, or even lunch.

"It's basically an animal," Moon said with a shrug, "so I figured that it would react like one. Sort of like how a dog likes getting its ears scratched."

"How were we supposed to figure that out?" Draco asked angrily. Moon gave him her flat, devoid-of-all-emotion stare.

"The question is difficult but the answer is simple," she replied. "When the answer is achieved, the question is forgotten."

"What?"

"Professor Hagrid must have figured it out quickly, or was told how to open the books," she said flatly. "He must have concluded that it would be the same for everyone else."

Draco opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off when Lavender cried out, pointing towards the other side of the enclosure.

One dozen creatures with the bodies of horses and the heads of eagles were moving towards the students. They each had massive wings, razor-sharp beaks, deadly talons and orange eyes. Hagrid was guiding the group of creatures using a leather chain that stretched and wrapped around the necks of the odd creatures.

"Gee up, there!" Hagrid shouted as he urged the creatures towards the edge of the fence. The other students took a few steps back, but Moon stood in her place, gazing at the creatures in awe. Hagrid secured the creatures to the fence with the leather chain, and turned to the class proudly.

"Hippogriffs! Beau'iful, aren' they?"

They certainly were beautiful; the Hippogriffs had such smooth coats, each a different colour, and the talons and the beaks looked as though they were made out of solid, gleaming steel.

"So," Hagrid beamed, "if yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer…"

Moon, Harry, Hermione and Ron approached the fence with caution. The others stood back, waiting nervously.

"Now," Hagrid announced, "firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' Hippogriffs is they're proud. Easily offended, Hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do."

Draco, Crabbe and Goyle had started muttering, and Moon shot them a cold glare. The three boys flinched and ceased talking.

"Yeh always wait fer the Hippogriff ter make the firs' move," Hagrid explained. "It's polite, see? Yeh walk towards him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn't bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt. Right—who wants ter go first?"

Moon looked around at her classmates. Most shuffled back, others were frozen to the ground, and even the Gryffindor trio looked nervous at the idea of saying hello. The Hippogriffs did appear fearsome, but Moon knew that appearances of creatures was usually deceiving.

"No one?" Hagrid asked, slightly bewildered that the class was so nervous.

"I'll do it," Moon said, and it took her a second to realize that she wasn't alone in saying that. Harry had also spoken up.

"I s'pose yer can both go," Hagrid said, just as Parvati and Lavender whispered something about tea leaves. Harry and Moon climbed over the fence.

"Right then," Hagrid said happily, "let's see how yeh do with Buckbeak and Stormswift."

He untied two of the Hippogriffs—the grey one and the black one—and led them over to the two students before he removed their leather collars. No one on the other side of the fence was speaking.

"Easy, now, yeh two," Hagrid whispered. "Eye contact is important here, try not ter blink—Hippogriffs don't trust yeh if yeh blink too much…"

Moon kept her eyes locked with the black Hippogriff—Stormswift, she presumed.

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

She bowed deeply, maintaining eye contact with Stormswift. The creature held her gaze for a moment, unmoving, until his knees bent in what she knew was a bow. Buckbeak did the same thing a moment later to Harry.

"Well done, Harry and Moon!" Hagrid cheered. "Right—yeh can touch them! Pat their beaks, go on!"

Moon stepped forward, noticing that Harry was not entirely sure of the safety of the situation. She stroked Stormswift's beak, and the Hippogriff closed his eyes, much like a pokémon did. The class applauded, but some were more forced than others.

"Rig' then, yeh two," Hagrid said happily, "I reckon they migh' let yeh ride them!"

Moon beamed at the idea of riding something other than a broom. She followed Hagrid's instructions, hoisting herself onto Stormswift's back and wrapping her arms around his neck with ease. Hagrid sent the two Hippogriffs off with a shout, and within moments, Moon was soaring through the air.

It was nothing like riding a broomstick, and Moon knew which one she preferred; Stormswift's wings beat strongly on both sides, making her much more confident in the ability to stay airborne; the Hippogriff's neck provided a stable place to hold on as opposed to the rickety school brooms that could snap at any second; the flight made her feel much more at home as they flew around the paddock.

The landing wasn't too terrible, either. A little bumpier than riding on Charizard, but there wasn't any shaky feeling that came with riding a broomstick. She dismounted Stormswift as the class cheered. Harry slid off Buckbeak's back, a little more shaken than she was. He obviously didn't enjoy the flight as much as she had.

"Good work, yeh two!" Hagrid roared. "OK, who else wants a go?"

The rest of the class must have decided it was safe, and everyone climbed over the paddock fence. Hagrid untied the rest of the Hippogriffs, and soon everyone was bowing to one of the creatures. Harry watched Hermione and Ron practise with the chestnut Hippogriff, while Moon went over and joined Draco with Buckbeak. Crabbe and Goyle stood back, acting as entirely-unnecessary bodyguards. Buckbeak bowed to the two of them in turn, and let them pat his beak. Moon wanted to talk to Draco, but the aura around him was chilly.

"This is very easy," the Slytherin drawled. "I knew it must have been, if Potter could do it… I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you? Are you, you great ugly brute?"

Moon spotted the talons slashing through the air, and reacted instinctively. She shoved Draco back as hard as she could. The blond boy stumbled back, and only managed to remain upright because Crabbe and Goyle caught him. Moon hadn't managed to get out of the way fast enough. One moment she was relieved that Draco hadn't been hit, the next she had fallen onto the grass. People shouted and screamed. Hagrid was pulling Buckbeak back into his collar and away from the students. Moon rolled onto her back and stared up at the sky until Hermione came into view.

"Moon?" the brunette asked worriedly. "Moon? Can you hear me?"

"No need to shout," Moon said, somewhat dazed. "What are you all screaming about?"

"Your arm…!"

Moon lifted her head off the ground. There was a rather deep gash in her left arm that stretched from her shoulder to just an inch above her elbow. Blood was seeping through her shredded robes.

"Huh," she said, sounding almost amused. "Well, I've had worse."

"We need to get you to the hospital wing," Hermione said. Moon sat up suddenly, causing a surge of pain to run through her arm. She took a sharp breath. The gash must have been deeper than she realized.

"What on earth are you doing?" Hermione questioned.

"What's it look like?" Moon retorted as she removed her outer robe. The black cloak was slashed open and had blood staining it, so she took off the entire thing and bundled it around her wound. She stood up and started to walk towards the castle.

"You can't walk there by yourself, you're injured!" Lavender called.

"It's my arm, not my leg," Moon said casually.

"That's not the point!"

"Fine," Moon huffed. "If anyone wants to walk with me to the hospital wing to make sure I don't pass out from blood loss, feel free."

"We'll take you," Draco said, gesturing for Crabbe and Goyle to follow.

"Haven't you done enough damage?" Ron sneered.

"Shut up, Weasley," Draco spat. Moon rolled her eyes and started for the castle again. A few seconds later, the blond and his bodyguards were flanking her.

"You really shouldn't be walking," Draco said in a low voice.

"What should I do?" she asked. "Fly up to the hospital wing on a broomstick?"

"Be carried there, or something."

"I don't want to be carried," she said. Goyle stepped ahead and held open the door for the other three.

"You're being ridiculous," Draco said harshly.

"You said independent wrong."

"You're going to faint if you keep walking!"

Moon walked faster.

By the time they made it to the hospital wing, Moon was feeling rather lightheaded. Madam Pomfrey heard them walk in, but was most likely drawn out of her office by the fuss Draco made. When the matron spotted the bloodied cloak, she shooed the three Slytherins out and ordered Moon to sit on the nearest bed.

"You shouldn't have walked here," Pomfrey said sternly as she removed the cloak.

"Everyone has said that, yet here I am," Moon said. The gash was bloody and crooked, but it didn't tear through anything too critical. It would heal without causing her many problems in the future.

"What exactly caused this?" Pomfrey asked as she waved her wand over the gash.

"A Hippogriff that Draco insulted."

Pomfrey let out a hiss. "Honestly, that boy…"

She put her wand away and moved to a cabinet of potions. "There's only so much I can do when it comes to injuries caused by Magical Creatures. A normal cut is just a quick spell to fix, but the magic from the beast is infused into the wound and resists healing spells. You'll need to wear a sling for the next week or so."

Moon huffed. "Fantastic."

Pomfrey brought over several bottles of potions and one goblet. She poured a red potion into the goblet and gave it to Moon.

"Blood-Replenishing Potion," Pomfrey said. "And I'll put some Murtlap Essence and Dittany on the cut. It won't heal entirely, but it shouldn't be so painful afterwards."

Moon downed the potion as Madam Pomfrey applied the other two potions to the cut. The matron bandaged her arm and put it in a sling. She refilled the goblet with a potion marked as a Pain-Reducing Potion, which looked like sky-blue paint and tasted roughly similar.

"Do I have to stay here for the night, or can I leave?" Moon asked.

"You may go if you wish, but come see me tomorrow during lunch or if you're feeling unwell. Don't strain yourself. I'll give you another dose of Blood-Replenishing Potion to take before bed, and a Pain-Reducing Potion if you think your arm hurts too much."

Moon placed the vials of potion in her bag and thanked Madam Pomfrey. She headed towards the Great Hall, not wanting to be late for dinner.

"Moony-loon!" a familiar voice shrieked. Moon tilted her head up to see Peeves waving wildly.

"'Lo, Peeves," she greeted. "Thought of any good pranks lately?"

The poltergeist didn't answer verbally, but pulled out a wooden spoon and a metal pot from… well, somewhere.

"That'll annoy Filch," she said cheerfully. "Make sure you pretend to stop after an hour or so, wait a few seconds, then start again."

Peeves snickered and let her pass by without incident. The poltergeist hadn't attempted to prank her since the bread incident. Moon figured it was because she found the pranks to be funny rather than irritating.

She let out a laugh as the sound of someone banging a pot with a spoon reverberated through the halls.

Moon managed to get to the Great Hall just before dinner was about to start. She blocked the door from closing with her foot and pushed it open with her good shoulder. She headed towards the Slytherin table, ignoring how the chatting amongst the students fell as she passed by. Draco looked at her with surprise when she approached.

"What are you doing?" he asked, bewildered.

"You asked me to sit here during lunch, I said I would sit here during dinner, you agreed, and here I am."

"Shouldn't you be resting in the hospital wing?" Pansy asked. The pug-faced girl didn't seem to be too happy that Moon was there.

"Madam Pomfrey let me go," Moon replied coolly. "Now, can I sit here, or do I have to eat with the Gryffindors again?"

The Slytherins all shuffled over to make space for her. Dinner was surprisingly more pleasant than she had expected an evening with the most cunning and ruthless house to be. In fact, aside from Parkinson, all the Slytherins treated her as though she were an old friend.

'Guess that's what happens when you save a rich kid from being killed by a rampaging Hippogriff,' she thought after dinner. Peeves' tantrum had escalated to including many unfortunate suits of armour, and Moon could hear the teachers screaming at the poltergeist through her door. As she read over The Monster Book of Monsters, the screaming and clanging stopped. She lifted her head.

Three… two… one…

Bang! Crash!

"PEEVES!"

She laughed so hard that the book snapped shut in frustration.

Sort of a fun chapter to write. Especially flying on Stormswift. I tried to make a clear distinction between Moon and Harry's preferences when it comes to flying. Harry, in the book, was very uncomfortable flying on Buckbeak, and liked flying on a broomstick much better. Moon, however, is used to flying on pokémon, and has a better understanding of how magical creatures behave compared to how she handled flying on a school broom.

I've deliberately written Draco as being friendly towards Moon. He's a Slytherin, and she's a new student that's been relatively receptive towards him. Draco did attempt to make friends with Harry in the beginning (a poor attempt, but still), and he's trying a similar approach to Moon with more success. Moon recognizes that Draco's a jerk, but she also knows enough about him and his family that she wants to stay on his good side for the time being.

Also, to clarify something from the last chapter: it's not so much that Ash (from the anime) exists in this story, it's more like Red (from the games) did some stuff that Ash did. In this story, Red is a nickname (same goes for Blue and Gold). Some ideas from the anime and the movies will be present in the storyline, but the background of the pokémon world is based more on the games. So… no magical adventure where you stay 10 for 20 years.

Fun fact: the surname Blakesley is the name of a town, but the meaning is roughly 'black wolf's meadow'. I chose this name because I thought it would be hilarious to have more wolf-related names in the Lupin family tree.

Anyway, that was a long A/N. Hope everyone has a great day!

Review?