Potter's Girl / Butterfly Effect.

54. Hagrid's Return

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR;

HAGRID'S RETURN

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Within the next two days, Malfoy had landed in the hospital wing, Harry, Fred, and George had earned themselves a lifelong ban on Quidditch, and their brooms sat chained up in Umbridge's office. It was pitiful, really, how Malfoy had gotten off when it was he that had provoked the fight, but that was how things went nowadays.

   Cassie spent her afternoons in the common room with Neville, both having neglected their studying for O.W.L.s and trying their hardest to catch up to, say, Hermione, who had already revised for all of her classes and still spent her free time in the library (O.W.L.s were not for another few months, so the concept of studying their arses off already was completely absurd to Cassie).

   "Oi!" Ron bellowed, finally rising from his seat and storming over to the window that was currently being pelted by snowballs. He wrenched it open and stuck his head out. "I am a prefect, and if one more snowball hits this window – ARGH-"

   He withdrew his head sharply, his face covered in snow.

   Cassie bit her lip in an attempt not to laugh, though let a small giggle slip as Ron was hit again in the back of the head. He sent her a sarcastic sneer, then returned to his seat, shaking his head to rid it of snow.

   "Come on now," said Hermione a few minutes later, sighing as she stood to toss her schoolbag over her shoulder. "We've got to get to Care of Magical Creatures; Hagrid's back and Umbridge is inspecting him," she said grimly, swallowing as she looked out the window and onto the gamekeeper's property (she barely ducked as snowball whizzed by her head and hit Ron square on the back). The Gryffindors left for Hagrid's and arrived a few minutes later, though the sight before them was.. interesting.

   "He's got a dead cow on his shoulder," Cassie mumbled to Neville as they approached the small hut. "Why am I not surprised?"

   "I wonder what could possibly need a dead cow," said Neville in a wavering voice, shifting his weight between his feet and positioning himself slightly behind Cassie. She glanced over shoulder and reached back with her hand to slide it into his grasp – she squeezed his hand as a form of reassurance.

   "We're workin' in here today!" Hagrid called happily to the approaching students, jerking his thumb towards the Forbidden Forest behind him. "Bit more sheltered! Anyway, they prefer the dark.."

"What prefers the dark?" Malfoy asked sharply to Crabbe and Goyle, a trace of panic in his voice. "What did he say prefers the dark – did you hear?"

Cassie and Hermione snickered and followed Hagrid into the forest. Neville, Cassie noticed, stuck very tightly to her side and tried his hardest to not look in Malfoy's direction.

   They followed Hagrid for a few minutes, each step leading them further into the darkness and shade from the canopy of trees overhead, until he slowed to a stop in a clearing where there was only a sliver of sunlight cascading down through the leaves. Hagrid turned to face the trees and let out the gnarliest shriek Cassie would think could ever come from such a man. A few birds flew from the high branches, but nothing appeared. Nobody laughed, like they would have on a regular basis – they were much too scared. Hagrid, apparently disappointed his screeching did not attract whatever creature he needed, screamed again.

   There was a cracking and a snap, like leaves and twigs breaking beneath one's foot, and suddenly, the same bony horse-like creature that had been drawing the carriages on their first night emerged from behind a large tree. Cassie's eyes widened and she looked to Harry – his mouth had popped open and he stared at the beasts in silence.