Sirius's son

Secrets revealed

"Ron, cheer up," said Hermione, during lunch. "You heard what ProfessorMcGonagall said."

Ron spooned stew onto his plate and picked up his fork but didn't start.

"Harry, Eliza," he said, in a low, serious voice, "You two haven't seen a great black dog anywhere, have you?"

"Yeah, we have," said Harry. "I saw one the night I left the Dursleys'."

Ron let his fork fall with a clatter.

"Probably a stray," said Hermione calmly.

Ron looked at Hermione as though she had gone mad.

"Hermione, if Harry's seen a Grim, that's — that's bad," he said. "My — my uncle Bilius saw one and — and he died twenty-four hours later!"

"So have I, Ron," Rigel said hotly. "And so did Eliza, and we're not dead."

Yesterday's rain had cleared; the sky was a clear, pale gray, and the grass was springy and damp underfoot as they set off for their first ever Care of Magical Creatures class. Hermione was scolding Rigel for using an enchanted calculator during arithmancy.

"Professor Vector expected us to solve those questions by hand!" said Hermione.

"I didn't hear her say "Don't use a calculator!" I didn't go against the teacher's order. Did I Hermione?" Rigel retorted.

"Well... Yes but..." said Hermione loss for words. "Ron, don't you think this is cheating?"

Ron was more fascinated by the calculator and was too busy fiddling with it.

"So you can do really long equations without any mistake with this? Like I can multiply a huge number in less than a minute?" asked Ron.

"Yep," Rigel grinned.

"Ron!" said Hermione.

"Come off Hermione, If Rigel has equipment that can help him make his work precise, he should use it. Even the smallest error can cause huge damage," Eliza said coming to his best friend's support.

"Well, if you say it that way..." Hermione signed. "Ok, fine. But I can borrow it when I'm doing homework, right?"

"Sure. Oh, come on. We're taking this class with the three stooges and Dumb and Dumber?"

A group of students has gathered around Hagrid's hut and Rigel could see Draco Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle.

"Gather around! Gather around!" said Hagrid loudly. "Got a real treat for you today! Now, follow me!" And Hagrid led the class to an empty paddock that was connected to the forest.

"Now firs' open up your books-" said Hagrid but he was interrupted.

"How?" said Malfoy's drawling voice.

"What?" said Hagrid.

"How do we open the book?" said Malfoy who's a copy of the Monster Book of Monsters was tied up. Everyone else had the book tied up as well.

"Has nobody bin able to open their books?" asked Hagrid, crestfallen.

"Sorry Hagrid but it didn't really come with an instruction on how to open this book safely," Rigel said.

"Just stroke its spine." sighed Hagrid. "Right, now stay 'ere 'til I bring the creatures."

"God this place is going to the dogs!" said Malfoy loudly as Slytherins laughed. "With that fat oaf teaching this class, my father will have a fit-"

"Speaking of, how is your father?" Rigel asked.

"What?" Draco blinked.

"How is Lucius anyway? Haven't seen him since last year when he got kicked out of the Hogwarts board by Harry and Eliza." Rigel grinned. "Is it true that your father got his arse beaten y a house-elf?"