Talons And Tea Leaves
When Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the Great Hall for breakfast the next day, the first thing they saw was Draco Malfoy, who seemed to be entertaining a large group of Slytherins with a very funny story. As they passed, Malfoy did a ridiculous impression of a swooning fit and there was a roar of laughter.
"Ignore him," said Hermione, who was right behind Harry, "Just ignore him, it's not worth it..."
And while that was easier said then done with Pansy Parkinson shrieking across the table, Harry was focusing more on ignoring the hurt he felt when Malfoy laughed along with the rest of the Slytherins. No matter how many fights or insults thrown his way by the silver eyes boy and his lackeys, it always hurt just like the first time. And Harry had no idea why. And Fred and George's reassurances of Malfoy's own terror on the train did nothing to help. It only made if worse in fact.
"Anyway, we'll see how happy Malfoy looks after our first Quidditch match," said Fred. "Gryffindor versus Slytherin, first game of the season, remember?"
Feeling slightly more cheerful, Harry helped himself to breakfast. 'Playing against Malfoy, at least I get to see him play at all.' And Harry nearly choked on his spoonful of fried tomatoes on that thought. 'Why the bloody hell am I think of Malfoy that way? I'm supposed to hate him. I should.'
With that thought taking up precedence in his mind, Harry, Ron, and Hermione finished up breakfast, said goodbye to Fred and George, and walked back through the hall on their way to Divination. As they passed the Slytherin table, Malfoy did yet another impression of a fainting fit. The shouts of laughter followed Harry into the entrance hall. Walking away, Harry tried to feel angry, disgusted, but the only thing he could muster was hurt and dejection. And he hated it.
Divination was...interesting.
When Harry and Ron had had their teacups filled, they went back to their table and tried to drink the scalding tea quickly.
"Right," said Ron as they both opened their books at pages five and six, "What can you see in mine?"
"A load of soggy brown stuff," said Harry.
"Broaden your minds, my dears, and allow your eyes to see past the mundane!" Professor Trelawney cried through the gloom. How lovely.
"Right, you've got a crooked sort of cross..." He consulted Unfogging The Future. "That means your 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 that means you're going to suffer but be very happy..." That doesn't sound right.
And of course because that was just his luck, altering turning his unhappy teacup three times and giving news of bad luck, Trelawney screamed like she was in pain, and sank into a vacant armchair, hand clutching her heart and her eyes closed. "My dear," Professor Trelawney's huge eyes opened dramatically, "you have the Grim."
"The what?" said Harry.
"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's stomach lurched. That dog on the cover of Death Omens in Flourish and Blotts-the dog in the shadows of Magnolia Crescent...only Hermione injected logic into the situation though. And Harry couldn't be more grateful, even if it meant others stared at him throughout the rest of the lesson. And listening to Hermione and Ron debate, disagree, about what was in the bloody cup throughout lunch.
'It had to be a death omen hadn't it,' Harry thought to himself, half paying attention to his friends, 'it couldn't have been a sign that said I was going to find a soulmate, or better yet, why I feel the way I do when Malfoy is around. And isn't that dangerous territory.'
Harry was brought back to attention when Hermione rose from her seat abruptly, snatched up her bag, and stalked away angrily. So much for a nice lunch. He really needed to talk to his friends about disagreeing so often.
And Harry couldn't have been more grateful to get out of the castle and into the open air after lunch for their first ever Care Of Magical Creatures class. He couldn't be more excited for Hagrid, whose first ever lesson was today as well. It was only when Harry spotted three only too familiar backs ahead of them that he realized they must be having these lessons with the Slytherins. Malfoy was talking animatedly to Crabbe and Goyle, who were chortling. Harry was quite sure he knew what they were talking about.
'They better not ruin Hagrid's first lesson,' Harry though to himself. He'd have to make sure they didn't try anything. Unfortunately, Harry couldn't control what came out of Malfoy's mouth.
"Hasn't-hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" said Hagrid, looking crestfallen when Malfoy asked, quite snidely, how to open the teethed books. "Yeh've got to stroke 'em," said Hagrid, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. "Look-" 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!" Malfoy sneered. "We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess!" Harry's eyes cut sharply to him, 'Malfoy, don't.'
"I-I thought they were funny," Hagrid said uncertainly to Hermione and Harry.
"Oh, tremendously funny!" said Malfoy. "Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off!"
"Shut up, Malfoy," said Harry quietly. Hagrid was looking downcast, and Harry wanted Hagrid's first lesson to be a success. "I thought they were funny too, Hagrid," he said trying to cheer Hagrid up.
"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, sending a grateful look Harry's way.
"God, this place is going to the dogs," said Malfoy loudly. "That oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him-"
"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry repeated. 'You're just as bad as your father,' was on the tip of his tongue, but he held back, knowing it wasn't true. No matter how much he wanted to say it to get Malfoy to stop talking.
"Careful, Potter, there's a dementor behind you-"
"Oooooooh!" squealed Lavender Brown, pointing toward the opposite side of the paddock.
"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid roared happily, waving a hand at them. "Beau'tiful aren't they?" Though no one, except Harry, Ron, and Hermione, moved cautiously closer to the fence.
"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."
Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle weren't listening; they were talking in an undertone and Harry had a nasty feeling they were plotting how best to disrupt the lesson. Here we go.
"Yeh always wait for the hippogriff ter make the firs' move," Hagrid continued. "It's polite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, and yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn't bow, the get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt. Right-who wants to go first?"
"I'll do it," said Harry. Wait for the hippogriff to make the first move, walk toward him, and bow. Sounds ideal, doesn't it.
The class broke into applause after the hippogriff's bow and allowance of Harry to touch his beak, except for Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were looking deeply disappointed. Well, maybe not Malfoy. He looked more...worried? Now Harry's eyes were playing tricks on him.
Harry put his foot on the top of Buckbeak's wing and hoisted himself onto its back. And without warning, twelve-foot wings flapped open on either side of Harry, and they weren't on the ground anymore.
I'll go.
That's all it took. I'll go. Who cares if it gives Draco a heart attack, all he says is 'I'll go.' He regretted being such a bastard to the oaf...no, Hagrid, but he had to act that way around the Slytherins. Anyone of them could be talking to his father about that happens at Hogwarts. But did Potter really have to agree to go first on the back of a giant winged animal with knife sharp talons. Talons that could potentially rip him apart if the animal decided he didn't like green eyes.
When the hippogriff bowed back to Potter, Draco couldn't hold back the relieved breathe he'd been holding, earning him a sharp, confused look from Blaise. But he ignored it, focusing on Potter, who was stroking the beak of the hippogriff with a small smile on his face. And then he got on the hippogriff's back.
Draco jerked in his place when the hippogriff took off from the ground with Potter on his back. Only Potter.
And he didn't start breathing again until green eyes was safely on the ground, pale, windswept, but unhurt. And smiling. Maybe that wasn't so bad.
Harry watched from his sit by the fence as the rest of the class climbed cautiously into the paddock and bowed nervously to the hippogriffs. He was enjoying watching Ron bow to a almost trip over his own feet walking toward the hippogriff, making sure he wouldn't be clawed, when he caught sight of Malfoy. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had taken over Buckbeak. He had bowed to Malfoy, who was now patting his beak, looking disdainful.
"This is very easy," Malfoy drawled, loud enough for Harry to hear him. "I knew it must have been, if Potter could do it...I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you?" he said to the hippogriff. "Are you, you great ugly brute?"
And as soon as Malfoy opened his mouth, Harry was out of his seat and running toward the Slytherin. In a flash of black robes and steely talons, Harry barely had time to register pushing Malfoy out of the way and lying in his side, staring at the cloudless blue sky above him. Confusion set in for a split second before the white hot pain traveled from his arm to his head and back down again. Breathe coming out in short pants, Harry looked down to see a long, deep gash on his arm.
"Harry!" someone shouted. Footsteps pounded on the ground, coming closer until big brown bushy hair and red hair obscured his vision. He realized it was Hermione and Ron hovering above him. "Harry! Harry, can you hear me?"
"I'm not deaf, Hermione" Harry replied, a little more sharply then he intended. He opened his mouth to apologize, but she beat him to it, "It's alright Harry. Don't try to move." Pain shot through his right side and he looked down to see Hermione putting pressure on the stream of blood.
"Bloody hell Harry, you're bleeding like a stuck pig," Ron exclaimed, with a tremor in his voice. Harry heard him yelp and assumed Hermione had elbowed, hissing something he couldn't make out.
More voices were shouting above him, and he was suddenly being lifted from the ground into giant arms cradling him like a small child. Only, the arms were minutely shaking making him slightly dizzy. Harry belatedly realized it was Hagrid, carrying him toward the castle, muttering apologizes and assuages under his breathe to the bleeding boy in his arms, with Hermione and Ron following at his heels. 'First day of classes, and already I'm going to the hospital wing.' Harry though to himself in grim amusement.
It wasn't until they were at the entrance that Harry realized he didn't check on Malfoy. Craning his neck to look behind Hagrid, he strained to see the pale blonde. As he was becoming fainter, Harry could make out a face so pale it looked grey, and silver eyes drowning in shock and fear. And worry. 'I hope he's alright.'
Draco watched as the giant carried Potter toward the hospital wing. When they were out of sight his eyes were drawn to the red pooling on the grass, darkening the green to black.
The class was shouting, Gryffindors blaming Slytherins, Slytherins telling Gryffindors to shut up. But Draco wasn't paying attention to any of it, not even when Pansy shook his shoulder, asking if he was alright. All he could think about was Potter's body slamming into his to knock him out of the way. The groaning boy on the ground, red staining his front and the ground beneath him. The confusion, then shock, then pain clouding bright emerald eyes to green murk.
And the Slytherin sitting on the ground thinking to himself, 'What did I just do?"