SuperPotterLock - The Order of the Phoenix

OWLs

The next day was warm and sunny, so they took the opportunity to spend some time out in the grounds. Ron was only concerned with going over the match as much as possible, and described all of his saves in great detail.

Cas listened to him patiently, but after the fourth time Ron laughed about his sudden loss of skill, Cas tactfully pulled a pack of flashcards out of his bag to practice with Dean.

John lay with his head in Sherlock's lap, Sherlock playing absent-mindedly with his hair. He was enjoying watching coloured threads swirl through the sky. He couldn't see who they were connected to or where they were going, but they didn't disturb him, the threads quite content to pass him by.

'They're pretty sometimes, you know,' he muttered.

'What is?' said Hermione, and John jumped. He hadn't realised he'd spoken out loud.

'Nothing,' he said hastily. 'Why don't you tell us where you went off to yesterday?' he added at Hermione's sceptical look.

'What do you mean?' said Ron, crestfallen. 'You didn't see any of my saves?'

'Well - no,' said Hermione. 'But, Ron, we didn't want to leave - we had to!'

'Yeah, how come?' said Ron.

'It was Hagrid,' said Harry. 'He decided to tell us why he's been covered in injuries ever since he got back from the giants. He wanted us to go into the Forest with him, we had no choice, you know how he gets. Anyway...'

Harry launched into his explanation. It only took about five minutes, but by the end of it, Ron was staring at him, open-mouthed, and Cas had dropped all of his flashcards on the floor, after hearing the word 'giant' and being drawn back into the conversation.

'He brought one back and hid it in the Forest?' Ron said.

'Yep.'

'No,' said Ron, as though saying this he could make it untrue. 'No, he can't have.'

'Well, he has,' said Hermione firmly. 'Grawp is sixteen feet tall, enjoys ripping up trees, and knows me as Hermy.'

Ron gave a nervous laugh.

'And Hagrid wants us to...?'

'Teach him English, yeah,' said Harry.

'He's lost his mind,' said Ron in an almost awed voice.

'Yes,' said Hermione irritably, turning the page of her book. 'Yes, I'm starting to think he has. But, unfortunately, he made us promise.'

'Well, you're going to have to break your promise,' Ron said firmly. 'I mean, come on, we've got exams and we're about that far -' he held up his hand to show thumb and forefinger almost touching '- from being chucked out as it is-'

'Not to mention we'd have to get past the centaurs again,' John pointed out with a shiver.

'Exactly. And anyway, remember Norbert? Remember Aragog? Have we ever come off better for mixing with any of Hagrid's monster mates?'

'I know, it's just that - we promised,' said Hermione in a small voice.

'Wait, wait, hold on, you didn't get us sucked into this, did you?' Dean asked.

'Well...'

'Hermione!'

'Wait, I want to meet him,' Cas said, gathering up his flashcards.

'What?'

Cas shrugged. 'The giants are the reason my ancestors died out. It could be interesting to meet him. He might even be descended directly from the same clan.'