Bella and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Chapter Twelve

To say I was happy to get out of the castle after lunch was an understatement. Yesterday's rain had cleared, the sky was a clear, pale grey and the grass was springy and damp underfoot as we set off for our first ever Care of Magical Creatures lesson. Hagrid was teaching it which makes it even better. 

On the downside, Ron and Hermione weren't speaking to each other which made things very awkward between the four of us. None of us knew what to say or when to say it and I can only hope that they make up soon so things can go back to how they were. Me and Harry walked beside them in silence as we went down the sloping lawns to Hagrid's hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It was only when I spotted three only-too-familiar backs ahead of us that I realised that we must be having these lessons with the Slytherins. Mood ruined. Malfoy was talking animatedly to Crabbe and Goyle, who were chortling. I was quite sure that I know what they were talking about. 

Gits.

Hagrid was waiting for his class at the door of his hut. He stood in his moleskin overcoat, with Fang the boarhound at his heels, looking impatient to start. I grinned, this is gonna be a good lesson. I can feel it.

"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 one horrible moment, I thought that Hagrid was going to lead us into the Forest; I had enough unpleasant experiences in there to last me a lifetime. It was a truly horrible place to go. However, Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees, and five minutes later, we found ourselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing in there. 

What is going on?

"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?" asked the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy.

"Eh?" Hagrid said.

"How do we open our books?" Malfoy 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 like me, had belted their book shut; others had crammed them inside tight bags or clamped them together with bull clips.

"Hasn'- hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" Hagrid asked, looking crestfallen.

We all shook our heads.

"Yeh've got ter stroke 'em" Hagrid told us, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. "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!" Malfoy sneered. "We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess!"

"I...I thought they were funny," Hagrid said uncertainly to me and Hermione. 

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

"Yeah but did it?" I sneered.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry said at the same time. Hagrid was looking downcast and I wanted Hagrid's first lesson to be a success.

"Righ' then," Hagrid said, he seemed to have his thread, "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 us into the Forest and out of sight. I sighed. Poor Hagrid. Why does Malfoy always feel the need to be so mean?

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