Chapter 26
The fact Harry had to be forced out of bed by both Crabbe and Goyle was definitely saying something.
He had had a fitful nights sleep with dreams about Professor Riddle. Lifelike visions of Riddles own school days flashed quickly behind his eyelids, days of the handsome teenager walking confidently on the grounds Harry walks each day with his own Hogwarts uniform, just like the one Harry wears daily. Harry didn’t dream of the Professor talking to anyone or having any indication of friendship but Harry imagined he would’ve been very popular for many reasons.
When he and his friends walked to the Great Hall for breakfast he started wondering if Riddle was the worried man in his vision over the holidays. But looking at the new professor now, Harry didn’t think he had ever had a bad hair day.
The three girls were already at the table and eating happily. Pansy waved them over and pulled Harry to sit next to her so Draco didn’t get the chance to. However, it was Blaise who took offence but he sat on Harrys other side and ignored Harrys apologetic smile.
“Third years schedules, don’t loose them because I’m not getting you a new one.” said Snape as he handed each of them a small slip of paper.
“Oh Harry! We’ve got divination first period.” Pansy cheered. At least they didn’t have DADA until Wednesday.
Blaise looked at his time table and grimaced. “I’ve got arithmancy first, I looked over our textbook on the holidays and it looks like trauma.”
Harry patted his hand pityingly. “That’s what you get for being smart.”
“We’ve got muggle studies.” Goyle grinned, he and Crabbe tapped fists.
“I forgot you were taking that class.” Draco smirked. “If Weasel’s in it, make sure to give him hell.”
The cousins smirked back. “Yes, sir.”
“What about you, Malfoy?” Blaise asked with a mouth of peach puree.
“I’ve got a free.” Draco said proudly. “Care for magical creatures isn’t till after lunch and ancient runes is in period four.
“Lucky, d’you think they’d let me switch now?” Blaise groaned.
“Remus will go nice on you,” Harry reasoned, “he taught me the alphabet, you know?”
“It doesn’t matter what he taught you, it’s still gonna be difficult.” wailed Blaise, he put his forehead on the table and groaned loudly.
“Good grief, get yourself together boy and pass the almond milk.” A fifth year called from further down the table. Blaise raised his head a little, passed the milk, then went back to feeling sorry for himself.
“We mustn’t be in the same muggle studies class ‘cause my schedule says mine’s in fourth period.” Millicent pouted.
“Lemme see.” Crabbe said, grabbing her schedule.
“Jeez,” he snorted, “I wouldn’t have betted learning about muggles was so popular they’d have two classes.”
“Muggles are pretty cool.” Harry shrugged, his mother was a muggleborn so he hadn’t grown up as segregated as everyone else. “If they don’t abuse you, that is.”
Blaise looked shocked. “You aren’t saying that off experience, are you?”
Harry shrugged again. “My aunty, her husband and my bastard cousin used to treat me horribly whenever I went to visit. Aunt Petunia would call me a freak and stuff whenever my parents left me alone with them and they would hit me. Dudley my cousin, he and his friends would chase me around carrying sticks and if they caught up to me then I’d be like a punching back.” Everyone was staring at him in shock. “It’s not like I see them anymore!” Harry tried to redeem himself. “Mum and dad lost it when they went to pick me up after a sleepover and saw I had bruises all over me. I’m okay now.”
Pansy and Tracey had misty eyes and Harry immediately regretted bringing it up at all.
“Please forget I said anything, it happened ages ago.”
No one looked convinced but students were getting up around them to get to class so Harry quickly followed. Draco came up to his side and Harry was startled to see the murderous expression on his face.
“I can kill them, you know.” Draco whispered. “I can inform my father and he can get someone to make them regret ever hurting you.”
“Draco, calm down.” Harry laughed uneasily and pulled the taller boy to the side of the corridor so they weren’t trampled. “They may be terrible people and you can hate them all you want, but that is my mothers sister. My mum will tell you how much she doesn’t care for her, but my mum had to keep a forcefield around their house so my dad didn’t murder them all in their sleep. It’s fine.”
Dracos jaw tightened as he swallowed begrudgingly. It was lethally attractive but luckily Pansy and Tracey skipped up behind them to tell Harry to hurry up so they wouldn’t be late for Divination.
They said goodbye to Draco and headed to the North Tower. It involved walking up a very long twisted staircase, then opening a trap door which released a silver ladder and climbing up it carefully so they don’t accidentally step on anyones hands.
He emerged into the strangest-looking classroom he had ever seen. In fact, it didn’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 were crammed inside it, all surrounded by chintz armchairs and fat little bean bags. Everything was lit with a dim, crimson light, the curtains at the windows were all closed, and the many lamps were draped with dark red scarves. It was uncomfortably warm, and the fire that was burning under the crowded mantelpiece was giving off a heavy, sickly sort of perfume as it heated a large copper kettle. The shelves running around the circular walls were crammed with dusty-looking feathers, stubs of candles, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless silvery crystal balls, and a huge array of teacups.
Harry came up behind the girls and they looked around in bemusement.
“Where’s the teacher?” Tracey whispered.
A voice came suddenly out of the shadows, a soft, misty sort of voice.
“Welcome,” it said. “How nice to see you in the physical world at last.”
Harry’s immediate impression was of a large, glittering insect. Professor Trelawney moved into the firelight, and they saw that she was very thin; her large glasses magnified her eyes to several times their natural size, and she was draped in a gauzy spangled shawl. Many chains and beads hung around her stick-like neck, and her arms and hands were built in with bangles and rings.
“Sit, my children, sit,” she said, and they all climbed awkwardly into armchairs or sank into bean bags. Harry, Tracey, and Pansy sat themselves around the same round table.
“Welcome to Divination,” said Professor Trelawney, who had seated herself in a winged armchair in front of the fire. “My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye.”
Nobody said anything to this unusual proclamation. Professor Trelawney delicately rearranged her shawl and continued, “So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you. Books can take you only so far in this field…”
Harry turned around with a smirk when he heard the familiar huff of Hermione. She was sitting with Ronald Weasley, Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil, and Neville Longbottom. He did not think the bookworm academic friend of his would last very long in this class.
“Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearings, are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future,” Professor Trelawney went on, her enormous, gleaming eyes moving from face to face. “It is a Gift granted to few. You, boy,” she said suddenly to Longbottom, who almost toppled off his bean bag. “Is your grandmother well?”
“I think so,” said Longbottom, shivering.
“I wouldn’t be so sure if I were you, dear,” said Professor Trelawney, the firelight glinting on her long emerald earrings. Longbottom gulped. Professor Trelawney continued. “We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year. The first term will be devoted to reading the tea leaves. Next term we shall progress to palmistry. By the way, my dear,” she shot suddenly at Parvati Patil, “beware a red-haired man.”
Parvati gave a startled look at Weasley, who was right next to her and edged her chair away from him. Harry and Pansy stifled a giggle but it didn’t stay silent for very long when Weasley glared at them from across the room.
“In the second term,” Professor Trelawney went 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 spell of the flu. I myself will lose my voice. And around Easter, one of our number will leave us forever.”
A very tense silence followed this pronouncement, but Professor Trelawney seemed unaware of it. “I wonder, dear,” she said to Lavender Brown, who was nearest and shrank back in her chair, “if you could pass me the largest silver teapot?”
Lavender, looking relieved, stood up, took an enormous teapot from the shelf, and put it down on the table in front of Professor Trelawney.
“Thank you, my dear. Incidentally, that thing you are dreading — it will happen on Friday the sixteenth of October.”
Lavender nodded scarcely.
“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 caught Longbottom by the arm as he made to stand 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.”
Pansy cackled at the pudgy boy and pulled his earlobe when he grabbed his first cup. Professor Trelawney’s prediction was right as Longbottom’s cup shattered on the ground while he shrieked. The professor swept over to him holding a dustpan and brush and said, “One of the blue ones, then, dear, if you wouldn’t mind… thank you…”
Tracey and Pansy were already partners when Harry returned to their table and he was tempted to ask if they could be a three when someone patted his shoulder.
“Want to be partners, Harry?” Hermione asked.
“Yes please.” Harry breathed. Anyone but Weasley.
They found an empty table and started drinking their scolding tea as quickly as they could. Then they swilled the dregs three times and turned the cup upside down in its saucer like Trelawney told them to. The liquid eventually drained and Hermione and Harry switched cups.
“Right.” Hermione decided as they both opened their books. “What does my future predict, Harry?”
“A load of soggy brown stuff,” said Harry. He squinted at the tea leaves but poor Hermione’s future wasn’t looking better than this.
“Broaden your minds, my dears, and allow your eyes to see past the mundane!” Professor Trelawney cried through the gloom.
Harry took a deep breath so he could pull himself together.
“I see a circle,” Harry squinted at Unfogging the Future. “I think that’s the sun, so you’re going to be happy… that’s good! But…is that an airplane? I think so...so that means you’re going to have an unsuccessful project, that’s not so good.”
“This class is a joke and a waste of my time.” Hermione crossed her arms, looking very unimpressed.
“Don’t be rude in front of the teacher, Hermione.” Harry tutted teasingly. “She can hear you, she can hear everything.”
They both looked at Professor Trelaweny but nothing happened. Hermione rolled her eyes and went back to Harrys cup and her book.
She outraged after a long moment, “I literally cannot see anything!” And slammed the book shut so loudly it made Harry jump.
“Let me see that, dear.” Professor Trelaweny glided over, snatching Harry’s cup out of Hermione’s grasp. Everyone went quiet to watch.
Professor Trelawney was staring into the teacup, rotating it counterclockwise.
“The falcon… my dear, you have a deadly enemy.”
“But everyone knows that,” said Hermione in a loud whisper. Professor Trelawney stared at her.
“Well, they do,” said Hermione. “Everybody knows about Harry and You-Know-Who.”
As surprising as it was to see Hermione talk to a teacher like that, Professor Trelaweny chose not to comment and went back to the cup.
“The club… an attack. Dear, dear, this is not a happy cup…”
“How does she see all of this from a soggy pile of tea leaves?” Hermione whispered loudly, Harry shushed her. How tables turn.
“A pair of hearts… love is coming your way, dear…”
Tracey whistled from their table, making everyone giggle and the energy slightly relaxed. Harry blushed and tried to think of any girl he might fall for, or vice versa.
Everyone was staring, transfixed, at Professor Trelawney, who gave the cup a final turn, gasped, and then screamed.
There was another tinkle of breaking china; Longbottom had smashed his second cup. Professor Trelawney sank into a vacant armchair, her glittering hand at her heart and her 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?” asked Pansy at once, looking far too excited for the stressed atmosphere in the room. Everyone had gotten to their feet, and slowly crowded around Harry and Hermione’s table, pressing close to Professor Trelawney’s chair to get a good look at Harry’s cup.
“My dear,” Professor Trelawney’s huge eyes opened dramatically, “you have the Grim.”
“The what?” said Harry.
He knew he wasn’t the only confused one since Dean Thomas from Gryffindor shrugged and Pansy looked more confused than Harry but everyone else clapped their hands to their mouths in terror.
“Oh what is it this time?” Harry groaned. This year wasn’t going to be as easy as he planned.
“The Grim, my dear, the Grim!” cried Professor Trelawney, who looked shocked that Harry hadn’t understood. “The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! My dear boy, it is an omen — the worst omen — of death!”
Harry tried not to roll his eyes. He knew tea leaf reading shouldn’t taken as lightly as it is on most occasions, but he had been told he was going to die since he was one and a half years old, this was not new news.
Half of the class was turning their heads side to side to try and see the Grim in Harrys cup whereas the other half was on the verge of tears and looking at Harry with their hands covering their mouths. Even Weasley was looking astounded by the revelation.
Hermione stood up and moved around to the back of Professor Trelawney’s chair.
“I don’t think it looks like a Grim,” she said flatly.
“It does look rather like a hat.” Pansy pursed her lips, turning her head way so much till it was touching her shoulder. “You sure you don’t need to go shopping?”
“I’m pretty sure, thanks Pansy.” said Harry sassily.
Professor Trelawney was unmoving in her chair. “I think we will leave the lesson here for today,” she said in her mistiest voice. “Yes… please pack away your things…”
Silently the class took their teacups back to Professor Trelawney, packed away their books, and closed their bags. Tracey was sniffling softly and refused to meet Harrys eyes.
“Until we meet again,” said Professor Trelawney faintly, “fair fortune be yours. Oh, and dear,” — she pointed at Longbottom, “you’ll be late next time, so mind you work extra-hard to catch up.”
Harry, Pansy and Tracey descended the ladder down the trap door and headed to Potions. Professor Snape was getting them to write the starting page of the undetectable potions they would be learning this year but after Harry had written his page down, he saw that Tracey hadn’t even started.
“You okay?” whispered Harry.
Tracey turned to him but before she could answer, Snape interrupted.
“Care to share why you are talking in my class, Mr Potter and Miss Davis?”
“Sir,” Tracey shook out. “we had Divination first and-“
“Ahh yes,” Snape sighed tiredly, “who’s dying this year, hmm?”
“I am, sir.” Harry put up his hand. His other friends who weren’t in Divination looked properly surprised.
“Professor McGonagall and I often bet on which student will be chosen to ‘die’ each year but it appears Sybill Trelaweny has chosen her victim early.” Snape quirked the right side of his lip upwards. “Each year a student is prophesied to die and each year no one does. You do not need to be alarmed, Mr Potter, if you do die we will provide you an immaculate funeral.”
Harry laughed at that and felt much better. Not that he was dreading his decided death, but it was reassuring to know other students have survived the tea leaf Grim.
“Now back to real magic.” Snape continued and turned back to the blackboard. “The Confusing Concoction helps to…“
“What happened to having an uneventful year?” Draco whispered in Harry’s ear.
“I’m the Chosen One,” Harry grinned, “trouble can’t get enough of me.”
After lunch, Harry and the boys had care for magical creatures. This would’ve been an exciting experience for Harry if it wasn’t for Draco Malfoy.
“This stupid biting book. Do you think the retarded oaf even thought it through when he put this book on the curriculum?” Draco snapped on the way out of the castle.
“My father will definitely be hearing of this monstrosity.” Draco spat as they walked along the muddy grass lawn towards Hagrid hut.
“This is as joke, taking us to his own excuse of a house to teach a class? I can’t imagine what his private lessons are about.” Draco chortled when they arrived at the hut, making Crabbe and Goyle snicker.
In front of them was Weasley, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas and Hermione. Harry would never have thought Hermione would do care for magical creatures and thought she’d be more interested in ancient runes, which was the class the girls were in right now. Weasley must have sensed the Slytherins were behind them because he turned around to glare at them. Harry flipped him the bird as a greeting and Weasley turned away.
Hagrid was waiting for the class at the door of his hut. He stood in his moleskin overcoat, with Fang the boarhound at his heels, looking impatient to start.
“C’mon, now, get a move on!” he called as the class approached. “Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin’ up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!”
For one nasty moment, Harry thought that Hagrid was going to lead them into the forest; Harry had had enough unpleasant experiences in there to last him a lifetime. However, Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees, and five minutes later, they found themselves outside a kind of paddock. It was empty.
“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?” drawled Draco.
“Eh?” said Hagrid.
“How do we open our books?” Draco repeated. He took out his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which had been bound shut with a length of rope. Harry followed, his bound with his fathers thickest belt. Others around them took theirs out, some had crammed the book into tight bags or clamped them together with binder clips.
“Hasn’ — hasn’ anyone bin able ter open their books?” said Hagrid, looking crestfallen.
Everyone 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 hand.
“Oh, how silly we’ve all been!” Draco 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 Draco. “Really witty, giving us books that tries and rips our hands off!”
Harry and Blaise shared a tired look. They would definitely be hearing about this all night.
“Just try to listen to him.” Harry whispered into his ear.
Hagrid was looking downcast and Hermione was busy talking to him, probably trying to make the him feel better. Harry smiled supportingly when Hagrid looked up at the class, the man may not be that qualified for this position but he was kind and deserves a successful first lesson.
“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.
“This place truly has gone to the dogs.” Draco started loudly. “I was joking at first but this oaf teaching classes is more of a joke on Dumbledores intelligence-”
“Shut your face for once in your life, Malfoy.” Weasley snapped.
“Wouldn’t want Hagrid to bring out a spider, would we Weasley?” Harry retorted.
“Look!” Lavender Brown squealed, pointing towards the other side of the paddock.
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 on 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.
“Get 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 hand at them. “Beau’iful, aren’ they?”
They were certainly something.
“So,” said Hagrid, rubbing his hands together and beaming around, “if yeh wan’ ter come a bit nearer…”
Only Hermione and Ron stepped forward cautiously. Blaise snorted under his breath and moved his head in nearer to whisper.
“Now, firs’ thing yeh gotta know abou’ Hippogriffs is, they’re proud,” said Hagrid. “Easily offended, Hippogriffs are. Don’t never insult one, ‘cause it might be the last thing yeh do.”
“Wouldn’t it be funny to offend in, aye?” Blaise winked.
“Should we see what happens?” said Goyle.
“If I get hurt, father will have the giant oafs head.” said Draco. “He’ll will never teach again.”
“Don’t do anything stupid.” Harry groaned.
“It’s not like he’s any good at teaching anyway.” Crabbe chuckled. “He doesn’t even have a wand.”
“Just remember he helped us in first year.” Harry pleaded. “It would be nasty to get him fired.”
“Calm down, Potter, I have the perfect plan.” Draco winked.
They looked up to see Hagrid trying to get a student to pat the Hippogriff. Not even Weasley was tempted to go towards the thrashing creature. And apparently Harry was an idiot now because he stepped forward and said,
“I’ll do it.”
His friends cheered him from behind, probably thinking he was taking one for the team to get Hagrid fired, but Harry truly had no idea what he was doing. He walked slowly towards the now unchained Hippogriff and jumped over the fence.
“Harry, your tea leaves!” Lavender whispered loudly, looking properly worried.
“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 forced him eyes to stay opened and they started to water, but he kept eye contact. 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.
“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.
Draco, Crabbe, Goyle and Blaise all clapped and cheered, not looking slightly disappointed he didn’t do what they planned. Weasley was politely clapping whereas Hermione was smiling in relief.
“Righ’ then, Harry,” said Hagrid. “I reckon he migh’ let yeh ride him!”
Harry shook his head. He was not here to break his neck, thank you very much. He was used to a broomstick which was much thinner than a Hippogriff but at least Harry knew he could trust a broom.
“Go on, Harry!” Draco called out.
“I promise yeh’ll be a’right.” Hagrid reassured him. He helped Harry onto the back of Buckbeak and told him not to pull any of its feathers.
“Yhe’r ready, go on then!” roared Hagrid, and slapped the Hippogriffs hindquarters.
Harry just had time to grab the Hippogriff around the neck before twelve-foot wings flapped open on either side of him. Rather than the smooth action of his Nimbus Two Thousand and One, Harry now felt himself rocking backward and forward as the hindquarters of the Hippogriff rose and fell as its wings beat uncomfortably. His hands slipped under the feathers and he didn't dare get a stronger grip.
Harry leaned back as Buckbeak lowered his smooth neck, feeling he might slip off over the beak, then felt a heavy thud as the four ill-assorted feet hit the ground. Buckbeak flew him once around the paddock and then headed back to ground. This was the bit Harry had been dreading. The only thing he managed to do was hold on and push himself upright again.
“Good work, Harry!” Hagrid roared as Harry jumped off the Hippogriff. Everyone except Weasley, Finnigan and Thomas were clapping. “Okay, who else wants a go?”
His friends clapped him on the back when they stalked towards the paddock and over the fence. After Harrys success, the rest of the class scurried forward to bow and pat the creature.
“We thought you were toast, mate.” Blaise breathed out.
“Me too.” replied Harry.
Draco noticed no one was in front of the Hippogriff and patted Harry on the shoulder one last time. “Wish me luck, I’ve got a class to sabotage.”
Draco bowed and the Hippogriff bowed in return. The blond looked slightly disdained as he patted its beak.
“This is very easy.” Draco said loudly. “Anyone could do it if Longbottom was able too,” he was referring to Neville Longbottom who bowed to the Hippogriff before them. “I bet you’re not even that dangerous, are you?” He stopped patting the Hippogriff. “Are you, you great ugly brute.”
It happened in a flash of steely talons, Draco let out a high pitched scream and next moment, Hagrid was wrestling Buckbeak back into his collar as it strained to get at Draco, who lay curled in the grass, blood blossoming over his robes.
“I’m dying!” Draco yelled as the class panicked. “I’m dying, look at me! It’s killed me!”
“Yer not dyin’!” said Hagrid, who had gone very white. “Someone help me — gotta get him outta here —”
Hermione ran to hold open the gate as Hagrid lifted Draco easily. As they passed, Harry saw that there was a long, deep gash on Draco's arm; blood splattered the grass and Hagrid ran with him, up the slope toward the castle.
“Oh my gosh, he actually did it.” Crabbe laughed in awe.
“How can you be laughing right now?” Harry shook. “Draco looked really hurt.”
They raced after Hagrid and Draco and the rest of the panicking class followed as well. The Slytherins kept trying to worry about Draco in peace but the Gryffindors were trying to start a debate.
“It was obviously Malfoys fault.” Dean Thomas fought. “If he wasn’t so stupid-“
“Shut up, Thomas.” Blaise snapped.
They got inside the castle and followed Hagrid to the infirmary. Harry looked at his watch to see it was the end of classes. Dinner will be another hour.
“Oh goodness, what happened here?” Madam Pomfrey asked when Hagrid came in with a wailing Draco in his arms.
“He upset a Hippogriff.” said Hagrid.
“Deary me, put him on the bed, quick smart.”
The boys hovered around the bed. Draco had his eyes closed and was whimpering, clinging to his arm to stop the bleeding. His blond hair was stuck to his forehead with sweat and he wasn’t lying still. Harry pushed Dracos hair back and muttered reassurances.
“I’m dying.” Draco whimpered. “I’m in pure agony.”
“You’re not dying, Madam Pomfrey will help you.” Harry replied soothingly.
“I can hardly remember what happened. Is this heaven, Harry?”
Blaise snorted. “No, you’re in hell.”
This made Draco loudly wail all over again.
“Move out the way, no visitors until the patient is well.” Madam Pomfrey pushed through the crowd of boys and magic-ed Dracos robe and shirt away so he was shirtless.
Funnily enough, none of the boys left. Hagrid, however, seemed to take his chance and bolted out the door.
Harry smiled lightly as he admired his friend. How someone was that pale was a wonder to him, but it wasn’t the sickly pale, more of an alluring pale. Draco was thin and his ribs were slightly poking out, he had small muscles on his upper arms but the rest of it was skin and bone. Harry took a moment to admire his long fingers but it was ruined when Pomfrey started wrapping Dracos arm in plaster.
“I’ve done all I can.” Madam Pomfrey said as Draco stared horrifyingly at his newly slinged arm. “Come back tomorrow afternoon and it should be good as new.”
“What is this?” He yelled. “When my father hears about this-“
“It’s a sling, Mr Malfoy, used to keep your arm steady so you don’t ruin the damaged bone any more.”
“Damaged bone?”
“The Hippogriff must’ve snapped it.” Goyle explained.
“Snapped it?” Draco repeated.
“It’s only for twenty-four hours, you’ll be fine.” said Blaise.
“Twenty-four hours?”
Madam Pomfrey tutted and put bed robes on his bed, all neatly folded. “You will stay here for the night so I can check on your arm. Professor Dumbledore has called for your parents who will arrive shortly after dinner.” She turned to the other boys. “Mr Malfoy is not allowed visitors until the morning, I don’t want to walk in and see any of you sneaking around, understand?”
“Understand.” They said in unison.
“Off you go then.”
“Bye Draco!” Harry called, waving rapidly. Draco looked longingly at them and blew them a kiss.
“Tell everyone I’ll make it.”
As they walked to the Great Hall, Blaise started laughing.
“That plan certainly escalated.”
“He’s expecting us to make the story as dramatic as possible.” Crabbe thought aloud.
“Obviously,” Blaise snorted, “he’s a Malfoy, he’s going to get a temple when he dies. Nothing should be insignificant when it comes to him.”
“And I thought the two of you were fighting.” Harry teased.
“We talked it through last night, that’s old news.”
“That’s good.” Harry grinned and linked their elbows. “I don’t like to see my best friends fight.”
Dinner was full of people coming up to them, asking if Draco was okay. None of them meant it, they were just interested in the gossip. When the girls found out, Millicent covered her mouth, Tracey gasped and Pansy started a petition to get Hagrid sacked.
“If Hagrid stays, then I’m going!” She shouted over dinner.
“Good!” Someone shouted back from the Gryffindor table.
“It wasn’t Hagrid’s fault.” Harry reasoned.
“But it was Hagrid who brought that untamed beast to the lesson, was it not?” Pansy replied. “No one is safe from that madmans lethal plans.”
“Hey, that rhymed!” Daphne Greengrass grinned.
Pansy stared at the girl in over exaggerated shock. “This is no time for jokes.” Then she slammed her cutlery down and stormed out of the Hall.
Hagrid wasn’t at the staff table, but Professor Riddle was and he was smirking. He met Harrys eyes from across the room and winked. Harrys forehead flashed in pain but it ended as quickly as it started. He looked back at his plate, not feeling hungry at all.