XXII. Dignified
Having or showing a composed or serious manner that is worthy of respect.
"The first day of school!" Hermione cheers, jumping from her bed, waking her roommates before her alarm the next morning, the first official day of the school year.
"Go back to bed!" Jayla whines, burying her head under the pillow.
"I can't!" She beams, jumping into her best friend's bed.
"Please, go back to sleep!" Ginny whines, looking up at them with her hair all over the place.
"Great look there, Gin," Parvati laughs, getting out of bed, and the rest get dressed for their first day.
"Sod off!" She growls, running into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.
"No! Gin! I need to go!" Abigail cries, banging on the bathroom door.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑶
When the Golden Quartet enters the Great Hall for breakfast, they first see Draco Malfoy, who seems to be entertaining a large group of Slyhrerins with a hilarious story. Draco makes a ridiculous impression of a swooning fit, followed by a roar of laughter from the table as they pass. "Ignore him," Hermione tells Harry from behind him. "Just ignore him; it's not worth it…"
"Hey, Potter?" Pansy Parkinson shrieks. "Potter! The Dementors are coming, Potter! Wooooooo!" Harry sits at the Gryffindor table between Jayla and George Weasley.
"Back off! Pug Pansy," Jayla sneers, earning a glare from the Slytherin girl. "I heard you wet yourself." A roar of laughter comes from some students, making Pansy go red in the face.
"New third-year timetables," George announces, passing them over. "What's up with you, Harry?"
"Malfoy," Ron answers, sitting on his brother's other side, glaring at the Slytherin table. George looks up in time to see Draco pretending to faint with terror again.
"That little git," He replies calmly. "He wasn't so cocky last night when the Dementors were down our end of the train. Came running into our compartment, didn't he Fred?"
"Nearly wet himself," Fred adds, contemptuously glancing at Malfoy.
"Pansy did. I went looking for Drake and found her running into the toilets," Jayla laughs, making the twins giggle.
"I wasn't too happy myself," George says. "They're horrible things, those Dementors…."
"Sort of freeze your insides, don't they?" Fred questions.
"You didn't pass out, though, did you?" Harry grumbles in a low voice.
"Forget it, Harry," George assures him 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…."
"Anyway, we'll see how happy Malfoy looks after our first Quidditch match," Fred remarks. "Gryffindor vs Slytherin, first game of the season, remember?"
"I know, but I can't play," Jayla sulks.
"Right, Katie's back," Ron nods.
"But I'm playing Hufflepuff, we're all taking it in turns, which I think was sweet of them." She grins, thinking of the Hufflepuff Seeker she'd like the rub the win in his face. Feeling slightly more cheerful, Harry helps himself to sausages and fried tomatoes, and Jayla has cinnamon porridge, looking over her new timetable.
"Ooh, good, we're starting some new subjects today," Hermione smiles happily, examining the timetable.
"Hermione," Ron frowns, looking over her shoulder, "they've messed up your timetable. Look - they've got you down for about ten subjects a day. There isn't enough time."
"I'll manage. I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall," She argues, moving her timetable away from him.
"But look," He laughs, "see this morning? Nine o'clock, Divination. And underneath, nine o'clock, Muggle Studies. And -," He leans closers in disbelief, "look - underneath that, Arithmancy, nine o'clock. I mean, I know you're good, Hermione, but no one's that good. How're you supposed to be in three classes at once?"
"Don't be silly," Jayla cuts in, helping her best friend. "Of course, I won't be in three classes at once."
"Well, then -." The redhead argues.
"Pass the marmalade," Hermione asks, trying to change the subject.
"But -." Ron says again.
"Oh, Ron, what's it to you if my timetable's a bit full?" She snaps. "I told you, I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall."
"Leave her alone, Ronald," Jayla sighs. "I can't wait till the weekend."
"Why?" Harry asks her, and she shows him her timetable. "You've got no time to study?"
"I have some time on the weekend," She argues.
"Between your extra Potions, Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts classes or your music club?" He questions, looking at her busy schedule, and just then, Hagrid enters the Great Hall, wearing his long moleskin overcoat and absent-mindedly swinging a dead polecat from one of his enormous hands.
"Ahh righ'?" Hagrid asks them, 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 grins broadly at them and heads off to the staff table, still swinging the polecat.
"Wonder what he's been getting ready?" Ron wonders, a note of anxiety in his voice, and the hall starts emptying as people head toward their first lesson, and he checks his timetable. "We'd better go, look, Divination's at the top of North Tower. It'll take us ten minutes to get there…" They finish their breakfast hastily, saying goodbye to Fred, George and Jayla and walk back through the hall. As they pass the Slytherin table, Malfoy makes another impression of a fainting fit. The shouts of laughter follow Harry into the Entrance Hall.
"Drake! It's time for Ancient Runes," Jayla calls to her cousin, who leaves his friends happily, joining his cousin, and they head out of the Great Hall, heading away from the others to Classroom 6A.
"Thanks for that." Draco mutters.
"Course. You needed to stop laughing so much like that. It was hurting my ears," She jokes, making him nudge her away jokingly, and they walk up the Grand Staircase to the sixth floor, finding their classroom quickly.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑶
"Welcome, everyone," Professor Babbling greets the class with a friendly smile; the woman is a rather gorgeous and dignified old Witch with royal blue robes and long brown hair tied in a plait. "Today, we'll be starting with understanding what is expected over the year. What we'll be doing in-depth and what type of things we'll go over for the next few years. Some of you will find this easy, while others will find this problematic. I will help everyone, but please be realistic about your chances of success."
"Professor!" Hermione raises her hand in the air, seeming to appear out of nowhere, startling the cousins, who stare at her. "What?"
"Where the hell have you been?" Jayla asks her, trying to make sure no one but Draco notices she appears out of nowhere.
"Sorry," She smiles, and they look around the classroom with its golden walls and tapestries with runes etched into the fabric and a large chalkboard at the front of the room with a desk pushed into the right corner. The desks are all spread out in the room, leaving the students with space to write and learn. There were not as many students as Jayla thought there would be; there were at least ten or so from all different Houses, and some weren't who she thought, seeing some surprising faces around the room.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑶
Meanwhile, the journey through the castle to the North Tower is long. Two years at Hogwarts hasn't taught them everything about the castle, and they have never been inside before. There's - got - to - be - a - short - cut," Ron pants as he, Harry and Hermione climb their seventh long staircase and emerge on an unfamiliar landing, where there is nothing but a large painting of a bare stretch of grass hanging on the stone wall.
"I think it's this way," Hermione tells them, peering down the empty passage to the right.
"Can't be," He argues. "That's south. Look, you can see a bit of the lake out of the window…." Harry watches the painting with a fat, dapple-grey pony ambling onto the grass, grazing nonchalantly. A moment later, a short, squat knight in a suit of armour clanks into the picture after his pony, seeming to have fallen off as he has a few grass stains.
"Aha!" The knight yells, seeing the three Gryffindor students. "What villains are these that trespass upon my private lands! Come to scorn at my fall, perchance? Draw, you knaves, you dogs!" They watch in astonishment as the little knight tugs his sword out of its scabbard and begins brandishing it violently, hopping up and down in rage, but the sword is too long for him, and he lands face down in the grass.
"Are you all right?" Harry asks him, moving closer to the picture.
"Get back, you scurvy braggart! Back, you rogue!" He seizes the sword again, using it to push himself back up, but the blade sinks deeply into the grass, and he tries pulling with all his might, but he can't get it out again. Finally, he has to flop back onto the grass and push up his visor to mop his sweating face.
"Listen," The ravenette says, taking advantage of the knight's exhaustion, "we're looking for the North Tower. You don't know the way, do you?"
"A quest!" The knight's rage vanishes instantly, clanking to his feet and shouting. "Come follow me, dear friends, and we shall find our goal, or else shall perish bravely in the charge!" He gives the sword another fruitless tug, trying and failing to mount the fat pony, and cries, "On foot then, good sirs and gentle lady! On! On!" And he runs, clanking loudly, into the left-hand side of the frame and out of sight.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑶
Elsewhere, in Classroom 6A, Jayla smiles as she watches Professor Babbling write the mission plan for the year on the board and write it down in her notebook while doodling runes in the corners. "And what is this, Darkmore?" Babbling asks, appearing over her shoulder and seeing the doodles.
"I was drawing, miss." Jayla answers honestly, trying to hide her drawings.
"I see. Are they runes?" She asks, seeing some of the pencil scratches on the page.
"I must have done them by accident, Professor. I was reading the Runes Dictionary the other night." She answers.
"Very interesting. Have you ever read Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms?" The Professor asks her, and she shakes her head.
"No, ma'am," The young Heiress answers.
"I'd give it a good look over. It happens to be in our Library." Professor Babbling informs her, smiling.
"Thank you, Professor, but isn't it a sixth-year book?" Jayla questions.
"I think you'll be up to it." She assures her, smiling before walking away, looking over the other students.
"Thank you, miss." She smiles and returns to writing in her notebook as their teacher stands in front of the chalkboard again, writing something else.
"Thank you, mis," Draco teases her hushedly.
"Shut up, Drake," The young Heiress smiles, nudging him in his side, and Hermione smiles, seeing another side of Draco, though she knows it is only with Jayla, as she said in her letters about America.
"Now, we're going to be talking about the Rune Dictionary that you all should have bought with you today. We will be reading through the first two chapters, and I will be setting you some homework," Professor Babbling announces, earning a few groans from the students, "I know. I know. But you must show you understand this subject by giving a precise essay on the history of runes and their uses today."
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑶
Back with Harry, Ron and Hermione, they hurry after him along the corridor, following the sound of his armour. Every now and then, they spot him running through a picture ahead. "Be stout heart; the worst is yet to come!" He yells, and they see him reappear in front of an alarmed group of women in crinolines whose picture hangs on the wall of a narrow, spiral staircase.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑶
"Professor!" Jayla calls, raising her hand into the air, wanting to answer the question, and the woman smiles warmly, seeing the eagerness.
"Yes, Miss Darkmore?" Professor Babbling smiles. "What is the correct answer?"
"4, Professor," She answers, grinning at Hermine, who huffs, muttering about knowing the answer.
"Correct, Miss Darkmore. Well done." The teacher replies and returns to the chalkboard as the writing disappears before she begins writing again.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑶
However, in the North Tower, puffing loudly, Harry, Ron and Hermione climb the tightly spiralling steps, getting dizzier and dizzier until they finally hear the murmur of voices above their heads and know they have reached the classroom. "Farewell!" The knight cries, popping his head into a painting of some sinister-looking monks. "Farewell, my comrades-in-arms! If ever you have need of noble heart and steely sinew, call upon Sir Cadogan!"
"Yeah, we'll call you," Ron mutters as the knight disappears, "if we ever need someone mental." They climb the last few steps and emerge onto a tiny landing, where most of the class is assembled. There are no doors off this landing, and Ron nudges Harry, pointing at the ceiling with a circular trap door with a brass plaque.
"Sybill Trelawney, Divination teacher," Harry reads. "How're we supposed to get up?" As though in answer to his question, the trap door suddenly opens, and a silvery ladder descends right at Harry's feet, and everyone goes quiet.
"After you," Ron grins, so Harry climbs the ladder first.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑶
Harry emerges into the strangest-looking classroom, which he has never seen. In fact, it doesn't look like a classroom at all; more like a cross between someone's attic and an old-fashioned tea shop. At least twenty small circular tables cram the room with chintz armchairs and fat little pouffes. There are crimson lights lit everywhere as the curtains are all closed, and the many lamps are draped with dark red scarves. It is stifling, and the burning fire under the crowded mantelpiece gives off a heavy, sickly perfume as it heats a large copper kettle. The shelves around the circular walls are crammed with dust-looking feathers, stubs of candles, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless silvery crystal balls and a massive array of teacups.
Ron appears at Harry's shoulder as the class assembles around them, all talking in whispers. "Where is she?" Ron wonders, and a voice comes suddenly out of the shadows, a soft, misty sort of voice.
"Welcome," The soft voice greets the students. "How nice to see you in the physical world at last." Harry's immediate impression is of a giant, glittering insect. Professor Trelawney moves into the firelight, and they see she's skinny with large glasses magnifying her eyes to several times their natural size. She is draped in a gauzy spangled shawl. Innumerable chairs and beads hang around her spindly neck, and her arms and bands are encrusted with bangles and rings. "Sit, my children, sit," She tells them, and they climb awkwardly into armchairs or sink onto pouffes. Harry, Ron and Hermione sit around the same table. They sit on fat little pouffes with a few other Gryffindors. However, they miss the Darkmore Heiress since she told them she didn't believe Divination would do her any good. If Jayla wanted her future told, she'd go to her mother, who can see into the future, unlike Professor Trelawney, who has a reputation for being a massive fake. "Welcome, my children. In this room, you shall explore the mysterious art of Divination. In this room, you shall discover if you possess…" Professor Trelawney glides dramatically into view, facing the students. "... 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."
"What rubbish," Hermione says under her breath, making Ron spin, surprised to see her, and frowning.
"Where'd you come from?" Ron asks her.
"Me? I've been here all along," She tells him, getting out her books.
"You, boy!" Trelawney spins around on Neville, startling him. "Is your grandmother well?"
"I… I think so," Neville answers, growing nervous about his guardian.
"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you, dear," She considers, the firelight glinting on her long emerald earrings. Neville gulps as she continues placidly. "We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year. The first term will be devoted to reading tea leaves. Next term, we shall progress to palmistry. By the way, my dear," The teacher shoots suddenly at Parvati, "beware a red-haired man." Parvati looks startled at Ron, who is right behind her, and she edges her chair away from him. "In the summer term," Professor Trelawney goes 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 numbers will leave us forever." After this announcement, there's a tense silence around the room, but Professor Trelawney seems unaware while Parvati eyes Ron dubiously, edging her pouffe away. "I wonder, dear," She says to Lavender, who is nearest and shrinks back in her chair, "if you could pass me the largest silver teapot?" Lavender looks relieved, stands up, takes an enormous teapot from the shelf and puts it on the table in front of the Professor. "Thank you, my dear. Incidentally, that thing you are dreading - it will happen on Friday the sixteenth of October." Lavender trembles. "Now, I want you all to divide into pairs. Collect a teacup from the shelf; come to me, and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink; drink until only the dregs remain. Swill these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside-down on its saucer; wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then give your cup to your partner to read. You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of Unfogging the Future. I shall move among you, helping and instructing. Oh, and dear -" She catches Neville by the arm as he stands up, "after you've broken your first cup, would you be so kind as to select one of the blue patterned ones? I'm rather attached to the pink." Sure enough, Neville no sooner reaches the shelf of teacups when there is a tinkle of breaking china. Professor Trelawney sweeps over to him, holding a dustpan and brush. "One of the blue ones, then, dear, if you wouldn't mind… thank you…."
When Harry and Ron get their teacups filled, they go back to their table and try to down the scalding tea before swilling the dregs around as Professor Trelawney instructed, and then drain the cups and swap them. "Right," Ron says as they open their books on pages five and six. "What can you see in mine?"
"A load of soggy brown stuff," Harry jokes, but the heavily perfumed smoke in the room makes him feel sleepy and stupid.
"Broaden your minds, my dears, and allow your eyes to see past the mundane!" Professor Trelawney cries through the gloom, and Harry tries to pull himself together.
"Right, you've got a wonky sort of cross…" He guesses, consulting Unfogging the Future. "That means you're going to have 'trials and suffering' - sorry about that - but there's a thing that could be the sun. Hang on… that means 'great happiness'... so you're going to suffer but be very happy…."
"You need your Inner Eye testing, if you ask me," Ron teases, and they stifle their laughs as Professor Trelawney gazes in their direction. "My turn…" He peers into Harry's teacup, his forehead wrinkling with effort. "There's a blob a bit like a hat," He guesses. "Maybe you're going to work for the Ministry of Magic…" He turns the teacup the other way. "But this way, it looks more like an acorn… what's that?" The redhead scans his copy of the book. "'A windfall, unexpected gold.' Excellent, you can lend me some. And there's a thing here," Ron turns the cup again, "that looks like an animal. Yeah, if that was its head… it looks like a hippo… no, a sheep…" Professor Trelawney whirls around as Harry snorts with laughter.
"Let me see that, my dear," Trelawney says reprovingly to Ron, sweeping over and snatching Harry's cup from him as everyone goes quiet to watch as she stares into the teacup, rotating it anticlockwise. "The falcon… my dear, you have a deadly enemy."
"But everyone knows that," Hermione whispers loudly as the Professor stares at her. "Well, they do." She argues. "Everyone knows about Harry and You-Know-Who." The boys stare at her with amazement and adoration, never having heard Hermione speak to a teacher like that before. Professor Trelawney chooses not to reply, lowering her bug-like eyes to Harry's cup again and continuing to turn it.
"The club… an attack. Dear, dear, this is not a happy cup…" Trelawney muses.
"I thought that was a bowler hat," Ron says sheepishly.
"The skull… danger in your path, my dear…." She adds as everyone stares, transfixed, at the Professor, who gives the cup a final turn, gasping, and then screams. There is another tinkle of breaking china as Neville smashes his second cup, and the woman sinks into a vacant armchair, her glittering hand at her heart and eyes closed. "My dear boy - my poor dear boy - no - it is kinder not to say - no - don't ask me…."
"What is it, Professor?" Dean asks her at once as everyone gets to their feet, and slowly, they crowd around Harry and Ron's table, pressing close to Professor Trelawney's chair to get a good look at Harry's cup, seeing the teacher regarding Harry with a mixture of pity and fear.
"My dear," Trelawney says, her eyes open dramatically huge, "you have the Grim."
"The what?" Harry asks, finding the words.
"The Grin? What's the Grin?" Seamus asks, looking around.
"The Grim." Parvati corrects him. "Not the grin, you idiot."
"But what does it mean, Professor?" Lavender asks.
"'The Grim…'" Bem says, and everyone turns to see him bent over her textbook. "'Taking the form of a giant spectral dog, it is among the darkest omens in our world. It is an omen… of death." Harry peers into his cup, seeing the tea leaves have shifted, and the dog disappears, revealing a new image emerging slowly… Sirius Black.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑶
After first-period classes finish, Jayla waits outside the Transfiguration classroom and sees Harry, Ron and Hermione walking towards her, looking rather glum. "How was Divination?" Jayla asks them, stepping into the room, but before they can answer, Professor McGonagall gives them one withering stare, and they sit at their desks, beginning the lesson.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑶
After a busy lunch with Jayla running to find the Professors to talk about her extra classes with them and what they'd be covering for the year, and with Professor Lupin, he told her he may not be able to teach her all the time, which made her wonder, but she didn't question him. The Golden Quartet emerges from the bridge and goes toward Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures, with the Whomping Willow looming in the distance. "Death omens. Honestly. If you ask me. Divination's a very woolly discipline." Hermione comments, walking in front of the boys with Jayla. "Now, Ancient Runes. That's a fascinating subject."
"Very fascinating. I rather like it," Jayla agrees.
"Ancient Runes? Exactly how many classes are you taking this term?" Ron asks Hermione.
"A fair few," Hermione replies.
"Hang on. Ancient Runes is the same time as Divination. You'd have to be in two classes at once." He argues.
"Don't be silly. How could anyone be in two classes at once?" The bushy-haired brunette disputes, lies and shares a look at Jayla. "Broaden your minds…" She mimics Trelawney, making the young Heiress giggle.
"Sounds delightful." Jayla giggles. "Who's dying this year?"
"I got the Grim…." Harry replies, and she sighs.
"What a load of rubbish," She grumbles. "Death omens are everywhere!" She waves her arms around and makes the others laugh. "Don't worry, Harry; I think my Mum would have told me if she saw you in trouble this year."
"Thanks," He smiles, trying to push it to the back of his mind, wanting to enjoy their next class.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑶
All the students gather around Hagrid's hut with the half-giant at the door waiting for the rest of the class to join them, and the Golden Quartet arrive, seeing the three Slytherin goons standing with the other less irritable snakes in the far corner of the group. "C'mon now, get a move on! Got a real treat for yeh. Great lesson comin' up. Follow me," Hagrid announces, leading the large class away from the hut toward the Forbidden Forest at a paddock he's made especially for the class inspired by former Professor Kettleburn.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑶
The class appear at the small paddock that Hagrid built just on the side of the Forbidden Forest with a freestanding iron rack in the paddock hanging with dead ferrets and buzzing flies past the pumpkin patch. "Gather 'round. Find yerself a spot. That's it. Now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books -." Hagrid informs the class, but they argue about the books.
"And exactly how do we do that?" Draco argues, holding his book with a fancy-looking belt wrapped around it. Hagrid looks to see all the Monster books wrapped in either belts, rope or Spellotape and any means available to keep from biting them as they violently quiver in their owner's hands apart from Jayla's, who purrs in her arms.
"Crikey. Didn' yeh know? All yeh've got ter is stroke 'em. Look -." He explains, taking Hermione's book, snapping the Spellotape binding it, and as it begins to bite, Hagrid runs his forefinger down the book's spine, making it shiver, falling quietly open. "Right then," The half-giant glances at the class. "So… So… yeh've got yer books, an' now yeh need the Magical Creatures. Right. So… I'll… I'll go an' get 'em." Hagrid turns, disappearing into the trees, and Draco shakes his head, standing with Crabbe and Goyle.
"God, this place is going to the dogs," Goyle groans. "Wait until my father hears Dumbledore's got this Oaf teaching classes."
"What's he going to do? Whine to your mother?" Jayla snaps, earning a few giggles and laughs; even Malfoy seems amused by her jab.
"Why you, filthy -," Goyle sneers, and his eyes go wide in fear, stepping back, pointing behind the others. "Th-There's - There's a - There's a Dementor! Dementor!" Everyone jumps, swirling around to look in fear, but they find nothing and instantly, the Slytherins put up their robe hoods, jokingly making spooky noises before breaking into laughter. The others glare at the Slytherins when Hagrid returns with a strange but gorgeous beast emerging from within the trees. It has a horse's torso, hind legs, and tail, but the front legs, wings, and head of a giant eagle. As they appear, most students step back in fear, but Jayla beams, admiring the beautiful creature.
"Gee up, there!" Hagrid grins. "Beau'iful, isn' he?" There seems to be no consensus on this statement, but the students stare in wary wonder as the half-giant coaxes the beautiful beast to the centre of the paddock, and Ron stares uneasily.
"Hagrid. Exactly what is that?" Ron asks.
"A Hippogriff, of course," Jayla answers, smiling warmly.
"Correct! 10 points to Gryffindor. Now firs' thing yeh gotta know is they're proud. Easily offended, Hippogriffs are. Don't ever insult one, 'cause it migh' be the las' thing yeh do. Right then - who wants ter come an' say hello?" The entire class steps back, leaving Harry and Jayla in front. "Good one, Harry! Jayla!" The half-giant beams, making Harry look around, seeing his classmates have abandoned them, though the young Heiress doesn't seem bothered. "Tha's it. Easy now… stop!" Hagrid warns them as they slowly approach the Hippogriff, who seems on edge. "This here's Buckbeak, Harry, Jayla. Yeh want ter let 'im make the firs' move. It's polite, see? Jus' take step forward, give 'im a bow, and if Buckbeak bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. Ready?" Jayla nods eagerly, while Harry nods, still unsure. "Righ', Jayla, you firs'." The two-toned-haired girl quickly steps toward the Hippogriff before bowing lowly to the ground; Buckbeak seems okay with her and steps toward the beautiful, magical creature.
"Hello, aren't you gorgeous?" Jayla smiles, petting his feathers.
"Thank you. You're very unique," Buckbeak replies, nudging her hair to the side, making her giggle.
"Yer turn Harry," Hagrid smiles, looking at the other two, and Harry gulps, feeling a little less nervous as he steps forward, bowing to Buckbeak, who cocks his head, his eagle eye's studying Harry.
"Who is he? Nasty!" Buckbeak snaps, growing aggressive, stomping his hoof into the ground.
"Back off, Harry! Back off!" Hagrid warns him, waving his arm, and Hermione gasps, grabbing Ron's hand in fright, both avoiding eye contact as they watch. Harry steps away, still bowing, when Buckbeak ducks his beak, making Hagrid sigh in relief along with the class and Jayla.
"Good boy, is it his smell?" Jayla whispers, getting a nod from the Hippogriff. "I see." She plans something for the ravenette.
"Well done, Harry! Go on. Give 'im a pat." Hagrid claps, and Jayla smiles, leading Buckbeak toward Harry, who tentatively lays his hand on the Hippogriff's beak who happily leans into the boy's touch as the class claps. "Look at that! I reckon he migh' let yeh ride 'im!"
"Excuse me?" Harry questions, looking at him.
"Really? Do you mind, Buckbeak?" Jayla asks excitedly.
"Of course, Princess," Buckbeak nods, lowering himself to the ground, allowing her onto his back.
"We'll jus' set yeh behind the wing joint in front of Jayla. Mind yeh don' pull any feathers out. He won' like that." Hagrid warns him, grabbing Harry from the ground around the waist and lifting him high, dropping the boy onto Buckbeak's back in front of Jayla before Harry settles, grabbing the feathers gently when Hagrid slaps Buckbeak's hindquarters, rearing up and cursing in surprise. "Off yeh go!" As the Hippogriff gallops forward, Jayla wraps her arms around Harry's chest, making him blush, and Buckbeak's giant wings unfold, running across the paddock before rising into the air.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑶
Jayla beams as they rise higher and higher into the air, and Harry gradually loosens his hold on Buckbeak's neck, losing himself in the joy of flying and turning, seeing Jayla raising her arms in the air. Harry smiles, seeing their shadows as they fly through the air, heading toward the Whomping Willow, circling the angry tree. The teens soar over the castle and then swoop, with heart-stopping speed, over the Black Lake; Jayla giggles, seeing the Giant Squid wave its tentacles above the water. "I could stay here forever!" Jayla beams, laughing.
"Same!" Harry replies, and Buckbeak lowers over the water, his talons tickling the smooth glass of water, and the teens spread their arms out, enjoying the breeze. They hear Hagrid's whistle summoning them back,
"Aw, come on, Buckbeak," She smiles, and Buckbeak swoops up, beating his wings toward the paddock.
"Don't worry, Princess, I'll let you fly another time," Buckbeak assures her and lowers toward the ground.
"I'll keep you to that," The young Heiress grins, looking at Harry. "You're invited too, Harry. We can fly anytime."
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑶
Buckbeak gallops to a halt in the paddock, and the teens slide off; the class cheers all except Draco, who narrows his eyes maliciously. "Good work, Harry, Jayla!" Hagrid claps, walking toward them. "How'm I doin' me firs' day?" He asks them under his breath.
"Brilliant… Professor," Harry replies.
"Definitely amazing, Professor," Jayla adds, beaming at him, all three smiling at each other when Draco pushes his way roughly through the students gawking at them and strides toward the Hippogriff.
"Give me a go at that thing. If Potter can do it, it must be easy," Draco sneers. "You're not dangerous at all, are you, you great ugly brute -."
"Malfoy! No!" Hagrid cries, and in a flash, Buckbeak rises into the air, but Jayla jumps in front of her cousin, trying to calm the magical creature as it slashes its talons down; Draco watches in horror, seeing his cousin's robes with a slash on her left shoulder with blood blossoming through the tear.
"Buckbeak, calm down. Don't listen to him!" Jayla cries, covering her bleeding shoulder, and the Hippogriff calms down, seeing the injured girl moving toward her, but Draco gets the wrong idea and pulls her back. "Draco! No! Don't!" She warns him, and Harry and Hagrid move in front of Buckbeak, stopping him from attacking the blond boy, who ducks his beak down.
"It's hurt you! You stupid bird!" Draco shouts, looking at Jayla, surprising his Housemates, and she calmly moves her hand covered in blood to see the deep gash on her shoulder.
"Calm down, it's just a scratch…" Jayla assures him and moves toward Buckbeak. "I'm okay, Buckbeak. It's only a little scratch."
"I'm sorry, Princess. I didn't mean to." Buckbeak replies, moving toward her bloody hand as she pats his head.
"I know. It's okay. I'm fine. I promise," The Darkmore Heiress tells him, trying to soothe the great magical creature.
"Hagrid, she's got to be taken to the hospital. I'll go with you if you like -." Hermione gasps, running over to her best friend, checking her over.
"No. I'm the teacher. You all… you all just… Class dismissed!" Hagrid announces and takes Jayla out of the paddock as Harry stays with Buckbeak, who seems overly down about the poor girl.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑶
Hagrid fumbles with his hands as Madam Pomfrey cleans the blood off of Jayla's hands before healing the large scratch that leaves a faint large talon scar on her left shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Jayla," Hagrid weeps.
"It's okay, Hagrid. It wasn't your fault," Jayla assures him for the hundredth time and winces as Pomfrey dabs at the wound. "I was wondering if I could help you with your creatures?"
"Really? Are you sure?" He asks, surprised at how calm she is after being attacked by Buckbeak.
"Yeah. I love going into the forest at home. And I'd love to help," She replies, smiling.
"You'll be no such thing at the moment, Miss Darkmore. You need to rest your shoulder for a month." Madam Pomfrey advises the young Heiress.
"But Madam Pomfrey! I have Quidditch training soon," Darkmore sulks.
"You won't on that shoulder, you don't," She retorts, bandaging Jayla's shoulder tightly, so she can barely move it.
"Thank you for bringing her here, Hagrid," McGonagall says, walking into the room and seeing Jayla sitting on the edge of the bed with a blood-soaked shirt and torn robe next to her as Hagrid mutters, bowing his head. "What in blazes happened?"
"It's my fault, Professor; I got in the way." Jayla answers, lying for her favourite Groundskeeper. "Buckbeak got scared, and I jumped in the way."
"I see. Well, your family has been notified. We'll have to see what they say. For now, Buckbeak will be staying away from students. Are we clear, Hagrid?" She informs them.
"Yes, Professor," Hagrid and Jayla answer.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑶
Jayla sits with her friends in the Great Hall for dinner as Lavender and Parvati huddle over a dozen teacups, talking in hushed voices and trying to avidly interpret patterns. At the same time, Draco gushes up all the attention from his friends at the Slytherin table surrounded by his friends. "You must have been so scared, Draco?" Pansy coos, rubbing his arm to get his attention like a whining puppy.
"Oh, yeah. My poor cousin, as brave as she is, can't seem to be thinking straight… poor thing. According to Madam Pomfrey, another minute or two… she could've lost her arm." Draco dramatically says, making a few people who can hear her roll their eyes.
"You're such a hero," She moans over him.
"The little git. He's really laying it on thick, isn't he?" Ron grumbles, looking at Jayla with her sling.
"At least Hagrid didn't get sacked," Harry comments, helping cut up Jayla's food and feed her because she can't move her left arm.
"Yes. but I hear the Ministry is furious. I don;t think we've heard the end of this…." Hermione adds, growing worried.
"He's been sighted! He's been sighted!" Seamus shouts, running into the room, carrying a copy of the Daily Prophet and the other Gryffindors huddle around.
"Who?" Ron asks, and they see the chilling picture of Sirius Black on the front page, providing the answer.
"Dufftown? That's not far from here…" Hermione gasps, reading the article.
"You don't think he'd come to Hogwarts, do you?" Neville wonders, and Jayla pats his shoulder, seeing the fear in his eyes.
"With the Dementors at every entrance?" Lavender comments, looking away from her teacups.
"Dementors? He's already slipped by them once, hasn't he? Who's to say he can't do it again?" Seamus retorts, scaring some of the younger years. Harry looks at the paper, fear passing over his face.
"That's right. Black could be anywhere. It's like trying to catch smoke, like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands," Bem muses darkly.
"Thanks for that gloomy analogy there, Bem," Jayla jokes, thinking of something else and looking at the others.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑶
Growing tired of the pain and multiple potions and remedies she's taken, Jayla goes to the Gryffindor Common Room with her friends after dinner. Seeing the place crowded, everyone knows better than sitting in her armchair by the fire, and they begin their homework from Professors McGonagall and Babbling. Still, all four keep breaking off and glancing out of the tower window. "There's a light on in Hagrid's window," Harry announces suddenly, and Ron looks at his watch. "If we hurried, we could go down and see him; it's still quite early…."
"I don't know," Hermione replies slowly, and Harry sees her glance at him.
"I'm allowed to walk across the grounds," He reminds her pointedly. "Sirius Black hasn't got past the Dementors here, has he?" So they put their things away before heading out of the portrait hole, glad not to meet anybody on their way to the front doors as they aren't entirely sure they are supposed to be out.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑶
The grass is still wet and looks almost black in the twilight. As the Golden Quartet reach Hagrid's hut, they knock, hearing a growl. "C'min," When they enter, Hagrid is sitting in his shirt sleeves at his scrubbed wooden table, Fang's head lying on his lap. One look tells them that the half-giant has been drinking a lot with a pewter tankard almost as big as a bucket in front of him, and he seems to be having difficulty getting them into focus. "'Spect, it's a record," Hagrid slurs thickly when he recognises them. "Don' reckon they've ever had a teacher who on'y lasted a day before."
"You haven't been sacked, Hagrid?" Jayla gasps, worrying about what will happen.
"Not yet," He replies miserably, taking a huge gulp of whatever is in the tankard. "But 'sonly a matter o' time, i'n't it; after the Ministry…"
"But I'm fine. I told my parents. They believed me. I'm sure of it." She argues as they sit down around the cabin. "It isn't even that serious."
"I know. Madam Pomfrey fixed you best she could," The half-giant agrees dully, "But someone told the Ministry. Saying you were in agony… covered in blood and bandages… moanin'..."
"Someone told the Ministry?" Harry asks. "But Madam Pomfrey can mend anything. She regrew half my bones last year. Trust Malfoy to milk it for all it's worth."
"I don't think it was him," Jayla argues.
"School gov'nors have bin told, o' course." Hagrid grumbles miserably. "They reckon I started too big. Lovely Sophia was in my corner. Shoulda left Hippogriffs fer later… done Flobberworms or summat… jus' thought it'd make a good firs' lesson… s'all my fault…."
"It's all Malfoy's fault, Hagrid," Hermione assures him earnestly, looking at Jayla, who somewhat agrees.
"We're witnesses," Harry tells him. "You said Hippogriffs attack if you insult them. It's Malfoy's problem he wasn't listening. We'll tell Dumbledore what really happened."
"I told you. We talked with McGonagall, she knows everything," Jayla huffs.
"Yeah, don't worry, Hagrid, we'll back you up," Ron tells him, trying to cheer the half-giant up, and tears leak out of the crinkled corners of Hagrid's beetle-black eyes. He grabs Harry and Ron and pulls them into a bone-breaking hug.
"I think you've had enough to drink, Hagrid," Hermione tells him firmly, taking the tankard from the table and stepping outside to empty it.
"Ar, maybe she's right," Hagrid agrees, letting go of the boys, who both stagger away, rubbing their ribs. Hagrid heaves himself out of his chair and follows Jayla unsteadily outside, and the boys hear a loud splash.
"What's he done?" Harry asks nervously as Hermione returns with the empty tankard.
"Stuck his head in the water barrel," Jayla answers, stepping back into the room, and Hermione puts the tankard away. Hagrid returns, his long hair and beard sopping wet, wiping the water out of his eyes.
"Tha's better," He says, shaking his head like a dog and drenching them all. "Listen, it was good of yeh ter come an' see me; I really -." Hagrid stops dead, staring at Harry as though he'd only just realised he was there. "WHAT D'YEH THINK YOU'RE DOIN', EH?" He roars so suddenly, making them jump a foot in the air. "YEH'RE NOT TO GO WANDERIN' AROUND AFTER DARK, HARRY1 AN' YOU THREE! LETTIN' HIM!" Hagrid strides over to Harry, grabs his arm and pulls him to the door with the others close behind. "C'mon!" He barks. "I'm takin' yer all back up ter school, an' don' let me catch yeh walkin' down ter see me after dark again, I'm not worth that!"
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑶
The Golden Quartet sit in the Gryffindor Common Room again, wondering what will come of Hagrid and Buckbeak. Jayla quickly writes to her parents again, needing to know what will happen about the situation and talk of the school governors getting involved.
