Lumos (Book One)

Chapter Four ~ Hippogriff Flying

After lunch was the class I had been anticipating the most - the Care of Magical Creatures class. Hagrid had been announced as the new professor for the class and I was excited to see what was in store.

I saw the Gryffindors waiting outside Hagrid's hut.

"Harry!" I called, waving. He looked up at me and waved back, smiling. The other Slytherins rolled their eyes. Aria was with McGonagall asking about something so I was stuck with Draco.

Hagrid was waiting for his us at the door of his hut. He stood with the dog I'd been told was named Fang at his heels, looking impatient to start. "C'mon, now, get a move on!" he called as the class approached. "Got a real treat fer yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"

We all trailed behind Hagrid, the Slytherins mumbling insults about him and Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle just being downright insufferable.

How'd I fit in here again?

Five minutes later, we found ourselves outside a kind of empty paddock.

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

"How?" said the cold, drawling voice of Draco.

"Eh?" said Hagrid.

"How do we open our books?" Draco repeated. He took out his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which he had bound shut with a length of rope. Other people took theirs out too; some had belted their book shut; others had crammed them inside tight bags or clamped them together with binder clips. Mine was tied tightly closed with a few of my favorite scarves.

"Hasn'--hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" said Hagrid, looking crestfallen. The class all shook their heads. "Yeh've got ter stroke 'em. Look -" He took Hermione's copy and ripped off the Spellotape that bound it. The book tried to bite, but Hagrid ran a giant forefinger down its spine, and the book shivered, and then fell open and lay quiet 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 uncertainly to Hermione.

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

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry and I griped. Hagrid was looking downcast and I wanted Hagrid's first lesson to be a success.

"Righ' then," said Hagrid, who seemed to have lost his train of thought, "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 into the forest and out of sight.

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

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry and I repeated. I was more stern than Harry was, but Draco's attention was on my brother.

"Careful, Potter, there's a dementor behind you," Draco sneered. I almost punched him again, but I held back.

Hagrid strolled back into the paddock with a half-dozen or so creatures. They had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and heads of what seemed to be giant eagles, with cruel, steel-colored beaks and large, brilliantly, orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly looking. Each of the beasts had a thick leather collar around its neck, which was attached to a long chain, and the ends of all of these were held in the hands of Hagrid, who came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures. "Gee up, there!" he roared, shaking the chains and urging the creatures toward the fence where the class stood. Everyone except me drew back slightly as Hagrid reached them and tethered the creatures to the fence.