unforeseen [h.p.]

HIPPOGRIFFS AND BLOODY IDIOTS

After lunch they had Care of Magical Creatures, which made Alex giddy with excitement. The class took place outside of the castle, which was even better. There were no confusing corridors and staircases, and Alex could get some fresh air. Her brain was still foggy after inhaling all those fumes in Divination.

Yesterday's rain had cleared, leaving the sky a clear grey, and the grass dewy. Alex took pleasure in the damp blades brushing her ankles as they set off towards the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

"Why exactly is it Forbidden?" Alex asked Gemma and Blake. Ron and Hermione weren't speaking to each other, so Alex decided to avoid them and Harry for the time being so she didn't have to endure the awkwardness.

"Well, it's dark and scary for one thing," said Blake. "There's a lot of really dangerous creatures that live in there too. . . Centaurs, werewolves, acromantulas--"

"Acromantulas?"

"Spiders," informed Gemma.

"Giant, bloodthirsty spiders!" added Blake.

Alex felt her stomach twist. She hated spiders. She could feel her skin crawling already. "Good to know."

"Yeah. Harry and Hermione had to go in there once for a detention. Gemma cried the whole -- Ow!"

Gemma had thumped Blake's ear, sending him a withering glare. Blake rubbed his ear, muttering under his breath.

"The forest is forbidden for a reason. Sending students in there for a detention is completely barbaric! So, I really hope Hagrid knows what he's doing!" said Gemma.

"Relax, Gem. Hagrid wouldn't actually take us into the forest. That's mad."

Alex hoped not. She really didn't feel like coming face to face with ugly, gigantic spiders anytime soon.

Still, she wouldn't let her irrational fear ruin her excitement for this class. Alex loved animals (that weren't spiders), and the fact that these creatures were magical made everything ten times cooler. She thought this lesson would be her favorite one today.

That is, until she saw who they were having the lesson with.

Blake groaned. "Those aren't Ravenclaws."

Indeed, not Ravenclaws, but Slytherins. Alex spotted the white blond hair of Malfoy, who was talking animatedly to his two accomplices from the train. They were chortling, and Alex was sure she knew what about.

The professor for this lesson, Hagrid, was waiting for his class at the door of his hut, with a cute boarhound at his feet, looking impatient to start.

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

For a moment, Alex thought Hagrid was actually going to lead them in the forest. In that case, Alex thought she might've bolted. However, Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees, and five minutes later, they found themselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing in there.

"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" he 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 Malfoy.

"Eh?" said Hagrid.

"How do we open our books?" Malfoy repeated. His copy of The Monster Book of Monsters was bound together tightly with rope, similar to Alex's. Other students had belted theirs shut, or clamped them together with binder clips.