Ron and Hermione seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement not to discuss their argument because everything was back to normal the next day. I spent the rest of the break doing homework because little of it had been completed during my first week off.
It had snowed again so that the bottom of my robes became wet on my way to our first Herbology lesson of the term. I was glad of the warmth inside the greenhouses, but this only made me dread Care of Magical Creatures, which would take place outside in the cold.
When we arrived at Hagrid's cabin, however, the weather became the least of my concerns. Instead of Hagrid's giant figure before us was an elderly witch with cropped gray hair.
"Hurry up, now, the bell rang five minutes ago," she barked as though she could not see that we were all soaked because of the deep snow.
"Who're you?" Ron asked. "Where's Hagrid?"
"My name is Professor Grubbly-Plank," she said, ignoring him. "I am your temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher."
"Where's Hagrid?" Harry repeated loudly.
"He is indisposed," Professor Grubbly-Plank replied.
Harry, Ron, Hermione and I exchanged a look. Behind us, Draco and the rest of the Slytherins were laughing silently. As I glared at Draco, I couldn't help but notice that he did not seem surprised to see that Hagrid was not here.
"This way, please," Professor Grubbly-Plank said as she motioned for us to follow her.
"What's wrong with Hagrid?" Harry said as he stole a glance at Hagrid's cabin. All the curtains were closed.
"Never you mind," Professor Grubbly-Plank said.
"I do mind, though," Harry said hotly. "What's up with him?"
Professor Grubbly-Plank acted as though she could not hear him. She stopped walking as she reached a tree at the edge of the forest, where a large and beautiful white unicorn was tethered.
"Oh it's so beautiful!" Lavender said. "Ho did she get it? They're supposed to be really hard to catch!"
"Boys keep back!" Professor Grubbly-Plank barked, throwing out an arm so that it hit Harry's chest. "They prefer the woman's touch, unicorns. Girls to the front, and approach with care, come on, easy does it. . . ."
Hermione and I, along with the rest of the girls, advanced slowly toward the unicorn. The unicorn was truly a sight to behold, but I was distracted by Draco and Harry talking behind. Hermione and I exchanged a look, wondering what they could possibly be talking about.
Professor Grubbly-Plank began to explain to us how to properly approach a unicorn and so on, but soon Harry's voice rose above hers.
"What d'you mean, 'we all hate Hagrid'?" he spat.
Hermione and I turned around to look at him.
"What's this rubbish about him," Harry pointed at Crabbe, "getting a bad bite off a flobberworm? They haven't even got teeth!"
"Well, I think this should put an end to the oaf's teaching career," Draco said. "Half-giant . . . and there was me thinking he'd just swallowed a bottle of Skele-Gro when he was young. . . . None of the mummies and daddies are going to like this at all. . . . They'll be worried he'll eat their kids."
He laughed.
"You — "
"Are you paying attention over there?" Professor Grubbly-Plank shouted, causing everyone to turn their attention back to the unicorn.
YOU ARE READING
Dark Pasts { A Harry Potter Story }
FanfictionWhat if in the fall of 1991 another student had been sorted into Gryffindor? What if that student had immediately become best friends with Harry, Ron, and Hermione? What would happen to her and her friends by the time He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named rose b...
