Care for Magical Creatures
“I still don’t understand why you had to help him ‘Mione.” Ron whined as the trio walked into the great hall making their way to the long table beneath scarlet and gold Gryffindor banners.
“Yeah, Hermione.” Harry exclaimed, “He’s literally horrible to us all the time for no reason, especially you.”
“And he’s a bloody Slytherin, and he let you lose those house points too. What a dickhead.” Ron spat as he flopped onto their usual bench in the great hall, his hand grabbing the nearest slice of toast. Potions class the evening before had been all Ron and Harry could talk about since. Hermione groaned with exasperation.
“I told you before, I thought it would get him to stop annoying me! That’s all. Now can you drop it please? I just want to enjoy Hagrid’s first class today.”
The three took their fill of the breakfast spread before them, Ron casting the odd exasperated glance Hermione’s direction and scowling at his orange juice. They finished up so as to leave time enough to walk across the grounds and collected their things to leave. Hermione felt a gentle hand on her shoulder as Ron’s voice whispered in her ear.
“If he annoys you again, we will deal with him, ‘right?”
Before the young witch could respond, he had caught up to Harry and had already begun striding ahead of her out of the great hall.
“Hagrid told me he’s been planning all sorts for this class.” Hermione chirped as they stumbled down the sloping steps to a clearing in the forested grounds The trio found a spot leaning up against a large tree trunk as students of Slytherin and Gryffindor filed into the space. “Come on ‘urry up, I’ve got a real treat for you today.” Hagrid’s booming voice echoed over the clearing as he came into view, a welcoming smile stretched proudly across his face.
“Everyone gather ’round!” he called. “That’s it— now, firs’ thing yeh’ll want ter do is open yer books—”
Hermione pulled out her copy of The Monster Book of Monsters which growled menacingly at the contact. The boys looked at her with apprehension as they too pulled out their own copies.
“Finally, a book not even you could read!” Harry ginned at her as his book regarded him with contempt. “It almost took my fingers off when I tried to read it at the Leaky Cauldron.”
“Did yours not come with instructions?” Hermione asked curiously. “I got a little leaflet with mine that said to - ”
“How do we open our books?” Draco Malfoy’s cold sneer cut through the air interrupting her. His copy of the textbook was bound in a long length of green cord – barely containing the snarling creature within. His eyes met hers briefly before fixing back on Hagrid.
“Yeh’ve got to stroke the spine of course,” he laughed, incredulously before sending a knowing wink in the direction of the Harry, Ron and Hermione then turning to help their classmates with their feral textbooks.
Malfoy turned back to his Slytherin companions an exasperated look on his face.
“Great, first they give us textbooks that will rip our hands off and now they have that oaf teaching classes – this place has really gone to the dogs.” He jeered, unbinding his book and forcing it into submission with an unwilling stroke to the spine.
“Shut up Malfoy” Harry said in a low growl betraying his heightened emotions. Hermione felt anger rise in her tool as she stared daggers into the back of Draco’s blond head as he continued.
“My father will have a fit when they hear about thi - ”
“Shut up Malfoy” Harry’s voice cut across him loud and clear, startling Hermione.
Draco smirked to himself as he stalked over to the trio standing a head over the boys, he looked down at them intimidatingly.
“Careful, Potter, there’s a dementor behind you—” He mocked, anger bubbling between them before a strange screech caused them both to look towards the clearing.
Hagrid had appeared in the clearing, but with him was a strange creature with the front half of an eagle and the rear of a horse. It squawked again nudging Hagrid’s arm and observing the group of bewitched students before it.
“Hippogriffs!” Hagrid announced to the group, gesturing to the creature. “Beautiful, aren’ they?”
Hagrid invited Harry to meet the Hippogriff – called Buckbeak – as Hermione watched on in a mix of admiration and apprehension. As she watched her friend take off on the back of fantastic creature, she couldn’t help but pick up on someone whispering behind her, she turned and locked eyes with Draco. He was muttering something to one of his cronies – Crabbe. He stopped momentarily meeting her gaze, before continuing what she could only assume was plotting. As Harry landed and returned back to the trio she felt a cloak brush past her.
“I’ll go next – if Potter can do it, it must be easy.” Malfoy said striding past them up to Hagrid and the Hippogriff.
“I bet you’re not dangerous at all, are you, you great ugly brute?”
Suddenly the creature reared onto his hind legs and his great talons came down upon Malfoy in a flash knocking him to the ground. An audible gasp was heard from the class as crimson blood began to bloom on his robes. Hagrid turned as white as a sheet shooing the Hippogriff away and bundling the injured Slytherin up into his arms to take to the hospital wing.
Hermione caught a look at Draco’s face before he was whisked away. It was a mix of pain and anger. She knew that if Lucius Malfoy heard about this it would not bode well for Hagrid’s already precarious teaching position. She gritted her teeth, and steeled herself to the horrible idea of pleading with him.
“Class is dismissed” Hagrid murmured turning back once more to face the class. He looked so worried and hurt that she made up her mind.
Time to grovel to Draco Malfoy.