| HIDDEN IN SECRETS |

chapter twenty-nine

RED TALONS

•

Never did Verena think someone like Hagrid could teach. She knew he loved the strangest of creatures. She also knew they'd make them do dangerous tasks – like going into the Forbidden Forest to find an injured unicorn. Hopefully, the Dark Lord wouldn't be roaming the woods.

After lunch, Verena walked down to the hut for her Care of Magical Creatures class. There, she found a couple of other Ravenclaws and Slytherins, though the majority were Gryffindors.

"I bet ten Galleons this class will go horribly wrong," said Draco.

"I heard Pucey was rather sad Professor Kettleburn left," Daphne said. "He was more upset when he learned Hagrid was going to replace him."

"Least it's not someone like Lockhart," Verena said. "At least Hagrid knows things."

"C'mon, now, get a move on!" Hagrid called. "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"

"We're not really going in there again, are we?" said Verena as they neared the forest.

"I hope we aren't doing more servant work," Draco added.

Hagrid took them into the forest. Verena was glad that it was light out. It was much less scary. A few minutes later, they stopped near the small cobblestone wall which warned people not to go further.

"Everyone gather 'round here!" he called. "That's it – make sure yeh can see – now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books— "

Longbottom, who had already opened his, was suddenly on the ground, fighting the book that tried biting his face.

"Don't be such a wimp, Longbottom," Goyle laughed.

"Get it together, mate," said Dean Thomas as he tried helping him.

"How exactly are we supposed to do that?" Pansy had asked. "Open our books."

"Hasn' – hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" asked Hagrid in shock.

The class all shook their heads. They could never open their books without it trying to rip their fingers off.

"Yeh've got ter stroke 'em," said Hagrid, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. "Look— "

Hagrid took a copy from a student and ripped off the Spellotape that bound it. The book tried to bite, but Hagrid ran a forefinger down its spine, and the book soon fell open and lay quietly in his hand.

"Oh, how silly we've all been!" Draco sneered. "We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess!"

"I – I thought they were funny," Hagrid said.

"Oh, tremendously funny!" said Draco mockingly. "Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off!"

"Come on, Draco," said Verena. "It's like Professor McGonagall said about Professor Trelawney. He just finds something like vicious books amusing for the first day."

"Righ' then," said Hagrid, "so – so yeh've got yer books an'... an'... now yeh need the Magical Creatures. Yeah. So I'll go an' get 'em. Hang on... "

He strode away from them, stepped over the wall, and disappeared out of sight.

"God, this place is going to the dogs," said Draco. "That oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him— "

"Shut up, Malfoy," Potter snarled.