Emma Potter; Going to War

27: Let's Fun things up

Hagrid's reappearance at the staff table at breakfast next day wasnot greeted by enthusiasm from all students. Some, like Fred, George,and Lee, roared with delight and sprinted up the aisle between theGryffindor and Hufflepuff tables to wring Hagrid's enormous hand;others, like Parvati and Lavender, exchanged gloomy looks and shooktheir heads. I knew that many of them preferred ProfessorGrubbly-Plank's lessons, and the worst of it was that a very small, unbiased part of me knew that they had good reason: Grubbly-Plank'sidea of an interesting class was not one where there was a risk thatsomebody might have their head ripped off.

 It was with a certain amount of apprehension that Me, Zoe, Harry, Ron, andHermione headed down to Hagrid's on Tuesday, heavily muffledagainst the cold.

 I was worried, not only about what Hagrid might have decided to teach them, but also about how the rest of theclass would behave if Umbridgewas watching them. 

However, the High Inquisitor was nowhere to be seen as we struggled through the snow toward Hagrid, who stood waiting for them onthe edge of the forest. He did not present a reassuring sight; thebruises that had been purple on Saturday night were now tinged withgreen and yellow and some of his cuts still seemed to be bleeding. 

I could not understand this: Had Hagrid perhaps been attackedby some creature whose venom prevented the wounds it inflicted fromhealing? As though to complete the ominous picture, Hagrid wascarrying what looked like half a dead cow over his shoulder.

 "We're workin' in here today!" Hagrid called happily to the approaching students, jerking his head back at the dark trees behindhim. "Bit more sheltered! Anyway, they prefer the dark. . . ." 

"What prefers the dark?" I heard Draco say sharply to me, a trace of panic in his voice. "What did he sayprefers the dark — did you hear?" 

"Ready?" said Hagrid happily, looking around at the class. "Right,well, I've bin savin' a trip inter the forest fer yer fifth year. Thoughtwe'd go an' see these creatures in their natural habitat. Now, whatwe're studyin' today is pretty rare, I reckon I'm probably the on'y person in Britain who's managed ter train 'em —" 

"And you're sure they're trained, are you?" said Draco, the panic inhis voice even more pronounced now. "Only it wouldn't be the firsttime you'd brought wild stuff to class, would it?" 

The Slytherins murmured agreement and a few Gryffindors lookedas though they thought Draco had a fair point too. Which, to be frank, he did. 

" 'Course they're trained," said Hagrid, scowling and hoisting thedead cow a little higher on his shoulder. 

"So what happened to your face, then?" demanded Zabini. 

"Mind yer own business!" said Hagrid, angrily. "Now if yeh've finished askin' stupid questions, follow me!"

 He turned and strode straight into the forest. Nobody seemedmuch disposed to follow. I glanced at Zoe, Harry, Ron and Hermione, whosighed but nodded, and the five of us set off after Hagrid, leadingthe rest of the class. 

We walked for about ten minutes until they reached a placewhere the trees stood so closely together that it was as dark as twilightand there was no snow on the ground at all. Hagrid deposited his halfa cow with a grunt on the ground, stepped back, and turned to facehis class again, most of whom were creeping toward him from tree totree, peering around nervously as though expecting to be set upon atany moment. 

"Gather roun', gather roun'," said Hagrid encouragingly. "Now,they'll be attracted by the smell o' the meat but I'm goin' ter give 'ema call anyway, 'cause they'll like ter know it's me. . . ." 

He turned, shook his shaggy head to get the hair out of his face,and gave an odd, shrieking cry that echoed through the dark trees likethe call of some monstrous bird. Nobody laughed; most of themlooked too scared to make a sound.Hagrid gave the shrieking cry again.