Marauder's Daughter (Eventual Tom Riddle X OC)

Chapter 32: Buckbeak

My OWLs year schedule switched up this year, jumbling around just enough to throw me off my rhythm I had built up the previous two years. My only guess for the timing change of some classes was because Uncle Remy didn't want any Double Defense classes in the mornings to teach. He's really not a morning person already, but adding on any time around the full moon, and he's a real grouch to be around. It would make sense not to give himself long lectures to teach to sleeping bratty children first thing in the mornings.

Our first Care of Magical Creatures lesson with Hagrid thankfully happened before the 3rd years on the first Monday of the term, so I got the chance to see Buckbeak first before Draco got to him, though I was going to give him a heads up not to be a prat once he got to class. All of us 5th years trudged down to Hagrid's hut for our first class with him after we got out of our first period of the day. The Chimaera from last year's class was Kettleburn's final straw to force him into retirement, which was a shame, he was an excellent teacher, but I'm sure Hagrid will do just fine with us now.

"Mornin', Abigail!" Hagrid waves at me as I lead the class group down. "Got a great lesson fer ya all today, real treat." He beams proudly.

"I'm looking forward to it!" I reply cheerily, walking up to him side by side with Cedric while the twins are behind us. 

Cedric spent the walk down to class telling me about how all his female housemates were all treating him differently since we arrived back at school yesterday and he didn't know why, and I was teasing him that it was because he got so handsome over the summer. He grew probably two or three inches in the summer alone, his jaw got wider and more chiseled, and his hair grew to that perfect effortless windswept look that James would have loved.

"Alright class, I've got a real treat fer yer first lesson with me now, gather round and follow me." Hagrid calls to the whole class once everyone was gathered, and we all follow him into the forest.

"Are we really going into the forest?" Cedric asks skeptically, and the twins and I all snicker.

"Oh dear, the forest." Fred taunts.

"The scary, forbidden forest, we really mustn't." George adds on, feigning freight.

"The unimaginable horrors!" I add in, but laugh and lean into Cedric's side. "Sorry, couldn't resist. We've uh... maybe been here a time or two." I wink at him happily.

"Or dozen." George adds on.

"A few dozen." Fred laughs out.

"Allegedly." I counter, still laughing.

"All right, I get it, you brave Gryffindor's and your constant dangerous rule breaking." Cedric shoves me off him gently as we make it to the paddock full of Hippogriffs.

The Hippogriffs were stunning in real life, and huge. The whole class gathered at the paddock gate, and Hagrid explained what the creatures were, and asked for a volunteer. My hand was up long before he finished his request, and I clambered over the gate quickly when he beamed at me proudly and waved me over. 

I walked forward with an excited and confident strut, locking eyes confidently with Buckbeak and bowing lowly. I naturally assumed he would bow in response, just like he did for Harry in the stories, but he didn't. Instead, Buckbeak rose up on his hind legs and beat his wings out, making himself bigger, and squawked at me loudly and aggressively.

"Back away, Abby, back away." Hagrid yells out over the squawking sound, running up to grab Buckbeak's collar and yelling at the hippogriff to calm down. 

I backed away, keeping eye contact just in case. I can hear Cedric and the twins all calling out my name in fear, and I'm grabbing my wand quickly when I see that Buckbeak breaks out of Hagrid's hold.