Mia Potter was the other Potter. Looking almost identical to her mother, she was a force to be reckoned with. But there was only one person who could reckon with her, and his name was Draco Malfoy.
In which the youngest Potter twin finds herself fa...
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Trotting toward them was one of the most bizarre creatures Mia had ever seen. It had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and the head of what seemed to be giant, grey eagles, with cruel, steel-coloured beaks and large, brilliantly, orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly looking.
"Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid asked as Mia smiled lightly.
Once you got over the first shock of seeing something that was half horse, half bird, you started to appreciate the Hippogriffs' gleaming coats, changing smoothly from feather to hair.
"Say hello to Buckbeak," Hagrid added as Mia smiled.
"Hagrid, exactly what is that?" Ron asked, his eyes wide.
"That, Ron, is a hippogriff," Hagrid explained, "the first thing you wanna know is they're very proud creatures. Very easily offended. You do not want to insult a hippogriff. It may be the last thing you ever do."
Mia and Harry exchanged looks before they looked back at Hagrid and Buckbeak.
"Now," Hagrid clapped his hands, "who'd like to come and say hello?"
Most of the class backed farther away in answer. Even Mia, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had misgivings. Buckbeak was tossing his fierce heads and flexing his powerful wings as he looked at the students.
"No one?" said Hagrid, with a pleading look.
"I'll do it," Mia said.
There was an intake of breath from behind her, and both Lavender and Parvati whispered, "Oooh, no, Mia, remember your tea leaves!"
Mia ignored them as she took off her robes, rolled up the sleeves of her shirt and walked towards Hagrid.
"Well done, Mia, well done," Hagrid said, looking thankful at the ginger girl as she tied her hair up and set him a smile. "Come on now. Now, you have to let him make the first move. It's only polite.
The class seemed to be holding its breath but nobody noticed Draco watching Mia with a slightly worried look.
"Easy now, Mia," said Hagrid quietly. "Yeh've got eye contact, now try not ter blink. . . . Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much. . . ."
Mia's eyes immediately began to water, but she didn't shut them. Buckbeak had turned his great, sharp head and was staring at Mia with one fierce orange eye.
Mia didn't feel much like exposing the back of her neck to Buckbeak, but she did as she was told, holding the back of her skirt so it didn't go up even though she was wearing shorts underneath. She gave a short bow and then looked up.
The Hippogriff was still staring haughtily at her. It didn't move.
"Ah," said Hagrid, sounding worried. "Right, back away, now, Mia, easy does it. . . ."
But then, to Mia's enormous surprise, the Hippogriff suddenly bent its scaly front knees and sank into what was an unmistakable bow.
"Well done, Mia!" said Hagrid, ecstatic. "Right, yeh can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!"
Mia beamed as she moved slowly toward the Hippogriff and reached out toward it. She patted the beak several times and the Hippogriff closed its eyes lazily, as though enjoying it. Mia let out a laugh as Buckbeak nudged his beak against her freckled face.
"Righ' then, Mia," said Hagrid. "I reckon he migh' let yeh ride him!"
"Really?" Mia asked happily as Harry looked at his sister worried.
"Yeh climb up there, jus' behind the wing joint," said Hagrid, "an' mind yeh don' pull any of his feathers out, he won' like that. . . "
Mia put her foot on the top of Buckbeak's wing and hoisted herself onto its back. Buckbeak stood up. Mia wasn't sure where to hold on, everything in front of her was covered with feathers.
"Go on, then!" roared Hagrid, slapping the Hippogriffs hindquarters.
Without warning, twelve-foot wings flapped open on either side of Mia, she just had time to seize the Hippogriff around the neck before she was soaring upward.
The Hippogriff's wings beat uncomfortably on either side of her, catching her under her legs and making her feel she was about to be thrown off. Buckbeak flew up into the sky, above the Forbidden Forest as Mia let out a laugh as they soared through the castle as towards the Black Lake. Her ginger hair was flying behind her as she shut her eyes, feeling at bliss. She opened them again and looked down, seeing the Black Lake not even a meter away from her.
They heard a loud whistle and Buckbeak flew back towards the forest. This was the bit Mia had been dreading. She leaned back as the smooth neck lowered, feeling she was going to slip off over the beak, then felt a heavy thud as the four ill-assorted feet hit the ground. She just managed to hold on and push herself straight again.
"Well done, Mia," Hagrid said, clapping with the rest of the class, "and well done, Buckbeak."
"Oh, please," Draco scoffed, not liking the attention Mia was getting.
"How am I doing me first day?" Hagrid asked quietly as Mia grinned up at him.
"Brilliant, Professor," Mia said as Hagrid beamed.
" You're not dangerous at all, are you," called Draco, pushing past everyone and strutting forward as Buckbeak began flapping his wings. Mia and Hagrid noticed and looked worried, "you great ugly brute!"
"Malfoy, stop!" Mia yelled. It happened in a flash of steely talons, Malfoy let out a high pitched scream and next moment, Hagrid was wrestling Buckbeak away as the large creature strained to get at Malfoy, who lay curled in the grass, blood blossoming over his robes.
"I'm dying!" Malfoy yelled as the class panicked. "I'm dying, look at me! It's killed me!"
"Yer not dyin'!" said Hagrid, who had gone very white. "Someone help me, gotta get him outta here. . . ."
Mia wiggled her fingers as the gate opened as Hagrid lifted Malfoy easily. As they passed, Harry saw that there was a long, deep gash on Malfoy's arm; blood splattered the grass and Hagrid ran with him, up the slope toward the castle.
"You'r gonna regret this," Malfoy whimpered, "you and your blood chicken!"
Very shaken, the Care of Magical Creatures class followed at a walk. The Slytherins were all shouting about Hagrid.
"They should sack him straight away!" said Pansy Parkinson, who was in tears.
"It was Malfoy's fault!" snapped Dean Thomas. Crabbe and Goyle flexed their muscles threateningly as Mia looked at them. They looked back at her, looking ready to thump her.
"Try me," Mia said, her eyes flashing red, "I fucking dare you."
They did and said nothing as they all climbed the stone steps into the deserted entrance hall.
"I'm going to see if he's okay!" said Pansy, and they all watched her run up the marble staircase. The Slytherins, still muttering about Hagrid, headed away in the direction of their dungeon common room.
Mia, Harry, Ron, and Hermione proceeded upstairs to Gryffindor Tower.
