Chapter 69. Care For Magical Creatures

“Merlin’s magpie, can she drone on…” I groaned while peeling off my desk, Hermione stifling her chuckles. “Does she only have one tone? Can someone live their life with that dreary and uncaring tone? What must she be like when she’s happy? Does she let out each laugh individually?” “Hahaha!” I continued to complain until I was cut off from Hermione’s bursting laughter. I stared at her, astonished at seeing her genuine smile full of happiness I had never seen in her before. After her laughter died down, she noticed my gaze, and looked back in confusion. “What?” She asked, but I just shook my head, attempting to get rid of the warm image from my mind. “Nothing, I have class to get to.”

Hermione watched as Lucas hurriedly left the classroom. The whispering of hissing emanated from him as he moved past her, and she couldn’t help but chuckle at his loyal pet always at his side. Lucas may say mean words, but those words were never derogatory statements over her bloodline. Even if he was lying and hiding his warmer side away from everyone, he still couldn’t say such words, his character was too nice for that. Hermione lifted up her new necklace with a small hourglass, an orange potion dangled right beside it.

Suddenly the nice feeling of him drained as she stared at the splashing liquid Lucas tried secretly giving her, trying to remove her memories, and being rid of her. Pain returned to her heart as she stared at it. ‘This is what he wanted.’ She thought, biting her lip, a stinging pain in her chest. She placed the vial back under her robes, all before turning the small hourglass on her necklace.

Soon enough, she showed up in front of another classroom. Entering inside, she immediately walked through the empty classroom, and towards the cracked door to the teachers office. She knocked lightly, and after a ‘come in’, she entered. There, sat at her desk, filling out papers with quill, was Professor McGonagall. She silently took her seat just as McGonagall finished up with her work. She looked up, and studied Hermione for a moment. “Mrs. Granger. Are you sure you are willing to go through with this? The time it will take for you will almost double.” Hermione grasped her chest as she took a deep breath, reassuring herself of her choice. “Yes.” McGonagall raised a brow at her, before sighing, bringing out something from her desk. “Then let us begin.”

After reaching the closest exit to Hagrid’s hut, I met up with Draco, giving me my book for class that he brought over. As we walked down the steps we talked about what we might be learning about. “Whatever he brings out, I’m sure we can handle it with ease. You have a very well behaved snake. Where is he by the way? I never saw him in your room.” “Here I am!” Val cheered, leaping from my sleeve, causing Draco to stumble back on the steps. “Found him.” I snickered, while holding his waving arm to keep him steady. “Don’t do that!” He yelled, his face turning red as he let out a sigh.

“You just carry him around everywhere?” Draco asked, patting Val’s head as he happily chirped. I shrugged as we reached the bottom of the steps, nearing our location. “Just about, Val gets antsy if he’s alone.” I said, nudging him back into my robes to hide him from other students present. There I could see Pansy waiting for us, Draco gave her the book for the class as well, it squirmed as she took it. “Thanks.” “How was Divination?” I asked, Pansy almost jumping as soon as the words left my lips.

I looked at Pansy with confusion as her eyes looked off into the distance. “Potter had a reading about The Grim.” Draco and I glanced at one another, both of us unfamiliar with the term. “The Grim?” Draco asked for clarification. Pansy tucked her hair behind her ear as she quickly explained. “It’s a specter that brings the omen of death.” Draco and I scoffed and chuckled at ‘The Omen’. “Please, one's death isn’t predestined.” “I’m sure he just reoriented the image or something to have more fame.” Draco continued, and Pansy nodded silently giving weak chuckles as well.

“Everyone! Gather round now!” Hagrid announced, ending our conversation. “I got a real treat for you all, now follow me!” He began leading the way into a nearby grove. Still part of the forbidden forest, but not nearly as deep in as I had been previously. As we walked in, the streaks of sunbeams flooded through the leaves, bathing the grove in a warm glow. We made our way past a low and degraded brick wall, to a more open area, clear of undergrowth. “Right you lot! Less chattering! Form a group over there, and open your books to page 49!”

Draco rolled his eyes, his book already starting to squirm, trying to bite even through the leather mussel it had on. “And how exactly are we supposed to do that?” Hagrid paused his walking away, and turned around for a moment to explain. “Well just stroke the spine of course. Goodness me…” Pansy, Draco, and I did as he told, and to our surprise the book calmed down in our hands, seemingly going to sleep. “I would have thought you’d have figured that out.” Draco commented at me with a smirk. “I don’t usually deal with enchanted books.” I said, knowing that these books were more like my Avis crows, rather than real living beings.

While waiting for Hagrid to come back, we all had a good laugh at Longbottom’s expense, watching him and his clothes getting bitten apart from the book he was supposed to stroke. “Alright class!” We all then turned and my jaw dropped seeing what now stood before us all. “Isn’t he beautiful?” Hagrid asked, and I quickly turned my book over to page 49 to see a closer look of what it was. I was brought back from my reading by Hagrid answering a question. “That Ron, is a Hippogriff. First thing you wanna know ‘bout Hippogriffs, is that they are very proud creatures. Very easily offended, you do not want to insult a Hippogriff.”

I watched in a mix of wonder, but also mourning at the magnificent creature. Although much different, with the beak, wings, and lack of horn, its white feathers recalled the innocent beauty I had seen once before. “Now! Who’d like to come and say hello?” Hagrid asked, and I quickly tried pushing through the crowd to be up front. However, the rest of the crowd shuffled back, prohibiting me from going in front of everyone else. Draco, Pansy and I, only managed to make it to the front of the group, but Potter stood much further out front. “Well done ‘arry! Well done!” Hagrid cheered, as he beckoned him closer.

I clicked my tongue at Potter’s luck, but stood silently as I watched Potter slowly and clumsily make his way over to Buckbeak as Hagrid named him. I could tell Buckbeak was unhappy and grouchy, most likely from being woken up for this. He leered and growled at Potter as he approached, telling him to stay back. Harry, unknowing of this, stepped closer, and Buckbeak started beating his wings to make his point more clear. Harry quickly stepped back under Hagrid’s instructions, and bowed deeper. During this tense moment, I felt a hand grip onto my robes, before quickly being removed.

I glanced over, wondering what Pansy wanted, but to my shock, Hermione stood beside me. I quickly glanced over to my other side to see Pansy, studying Buckbeak with interest. I looked back at Hermione, and saw her right hand that she had grabbed me with, clenched on her chest, she quickly stared daggers at me, silently yelling at me to not take that personal. Clearly an accidental muscle memory for Harry usually by her side, I pretended it didn’t happen, and focused back onto Buckbeak as it slowly acknowledged Harry.

“Well done Harry! Well done!” Hagrid yelled as everyone clapped. That is, until Hagrid picked Harry up, and placed him on Buckbeak. “Ah! Hey, wait-!?” Harry stammered, trying to stop Hagrid, but it fell of deaf ears as Hagrid slapped Buckbeak to get him going. Buckbeak ran off, before flapping his wings, and taking off, with Potter along for the ride.