The Tragic Tale of the Boy Who Lived and the Boy Who Wanted to Die [ON HIATUS]

Classes started, as usual, first thing the next day. He decided to put all the dementor and diary business behind him, and pay attention in class. He was determined to beat that Mudblood Granger in at least a few classes.

After lunch that day, it was time for Care of Magical Creatures. As soon as he made it down near the gamekeeper’s hut, he knew it wouldn’t be good. It turns out that this class was shared with the Gryffindors, something he was not looking forward to. Potions was easily one of his favourite classes, and although that too was shared with the Gryffindors, Professor Snape tended to favour the Slytherins. Draco was pretty sure that Hagrid wouldn’t be as kind.

“C’mon now, get a move on! Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin’ up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!” He led them down onto this paddock, with nothing there but a fence. Hagrid announced that they would want to open their books.

“How?” Draco asked. He had not been able to open his book at all over the summer, something he was quite upset about, as he had wanted to read ahead. His book was currently bound by some rope he had found.

“Yeh’ve got ter stroke ‘em. Look-” Hagrid grabbed Granger’s book, and took off the tape that kept it shut. He stroked the spine, and it opened up immediately.

“Oh, honestly, they couldn’t have written that on it? Merlin’s beard, who in their right mind would make a book that tries to bite your hand off.” Daphne said. She wasn’t very happy at the fact
that Pansy seemed reluctant to so much as touch her book, so she had Daphne open it for her.

“I- I thought they were funny.” Hagrid said hesitantly.

“Oh yeah, really witty, giving us books that try to kill us the instant we try to open them.” Draco started taking off the rope on his book, but unfortunately, Potter had heard his snide remark.

“Shut up, Malfoy.” Draco was quite taken aback by that. Of course, he should have expected Potter to say something, but he hadn’t expected, well, that. He really didn’t know what he was expecting, but a simple ‘shut up’ seemed quite harsh. He hadn’t even said anything directly to Potter, so why was he getting involved? And why did he care so much as to what Potter said to him?

Hagrid, who had apparently left, came back with a dozen large, terrifying animals. They looked like a cross between a horse and a bird. Hagrid introduced them as hippogriffs, and started going on about how beautiful they were, and how to properly introduce yourself to them. All Draco could think about was how far he wanted to get from them. They looked like they could kill him easily.

Of course, Potter went and made a big show of it, striding up to one and, when he had successfully introduced himself to it, flew away on its back.

“Show off.” muttered Draco, but even he had to admit it was impressive. How he just walked up to it, just like that. How he hadn’t even jumped when it took off with a start. He hated to admit it, but he wouldn’t have been anywhere near as brave.

After he landed, they all got to try. Draco reluctantly walked over to the hippogriff that Potter had just flown on. If Potter could do it, it couldn’t be that hard. As soon as he bowed to the hippogriff, exactly as he had seen Potter do, he half-hoped it didn’t bow back. If it didn’t he wouldn’t have to go near it. Unfortunately, he soon found himself going to go pat its beak. As he pet the hippogriff, whose name turned out to be Buckbeak, he was suddenly very aware of the fact that Potter was looking in his direction.

The two of them made eye contact for a good few seconds, until Draco looked away. He couldn’t let Potter think he was a coward, so he decided to make it look like it wasn’t a big deal, to be petting a hippogriff.

“This is very easy. I knew it must have been. I bet you’re not dangerous at all, are you? You great ugly brute.” He hadn’t even processed what he was saying before he was on the ground.

He felt sharp pain in his right arm, and could feel his blood everywhere. He saw Hagrid restraining Buckbeak and a large puddle of blood surrounding him. It was pain beyond any pain he had felt before. He closed his eyes in agony, he couldn’t bear the sight of his own blood any longer.

“It’s killed me, it’s killed me!” He cried, wishing for the pain to stop, for it to all go away. He hadn’t remembered passing out, but he then awoke in the hospital wing with a start. His arm was throbbing with pain, and he had a rather large migraine from the whole ordeal. Madame Pomfrey was not at all pleased.

“What did you think you were doing, provoking a hippogriff? Nasty cut to your arm, very deep. Your parents were alerted about the damage, your dad is coming up to see you tonight about it.” Draco was caught off guard by that last sentence.

“My father's coming? Like, up here?”

“Yes, he’s coming to see you. That was a pretty nasty fall you had, you’ll have to stay overnight.” But Draco didn’t care that he had to stay overnight. He could hardly believe it, his father cared enough to come all the way up to see him.

He always kept telling himself that his father really did love him, even if he never showed it. Now he had proof. He laid back on the hospital bed, and decided to try and sleep off the headache. He could worry about all this later. For now, all he was concerned about was the real reason his father was coming all the way up from Wiltshire. He could tell himself all he wanted that it was because of his arm, and fatherly love, but something told him it was more than that. He would just have to wait and see.