Magic? || Years 5-7

Thestrals in the Forest: Year 5

Amisty headed back up to the castle before lunch, joining the boys up in the common room moments before Hermione did. Thankfully, that kept them distracted from asking where she had been.

"So? Got all his lessons planned for him?" Ron asked as Hermione sunk into a chair and dried off her robes.

"Well, I tried," Hermione sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "He wasn't even there when I arrived, I was knocking for at least half an hour. And then he came stomping out of the forest -- "

Harry groaned, covering his face with his hands, "What's he keeping in there? Did he say?"

"No. He says he wants them to be a surprise," Hermione replied miserably. "I tried to explain about Umbridge, but he just doesn't get it. He kept saying nobody in their right mind would rather study knarls than chimaeras -- oh I don't think he's got a chimaera -- but that's not for lack of trying from what he said about how hard it is to get eggs... I don't know how many times I told him he'd be better off following Grubbly-Plank's plan, I honestly don't think he listened to half of what I said. He's in a bit of a funny mood, you know. He still won't say how he got all those injuries..."

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Amisty took a deep breath as they started down to Care of Magical Creatures, uncertain of what they were going to be facing. One being the actual lesson and the other being how the Slytherin's would act with Umbridge watching them.

It was not reassuring that his bruises had gotten even worse from the last time she saw him. The purple and blue bruises had now shifted to yellow and green, and his cuts had started to bleed. He also had a dead cow slung over his shoulder. But, the one good thing, Umbridge hadn't arrived.

"We're workin' in here today!" Hagrid beamed, jerking his head toward the forest. "Bit more sheltered! Anyway, they prefer the dark..."

"Oh dear Circe," Amisty whispered under her breath.

"What prefers the dark?" Draco hissed sharply. "What did he say prefers the dark -- did you hear?"

"Ready?" Hagrid grinned, either not realizing the horror settling throughout his entire class or ignoring it. "Right, well, I've bin savin' a trip inter the forest fer yer fifth year. Thought we'd go an' see these creatures in their natural habitat. Now, what we're studyin' today is pretty rare, I reckon I'm probably the on'y person in Britain who's managed ter train 'em -- "

"And you're sure they're trained are you?" Draco piped up, his voice louder now. "Only it wouldn't be the first time you'd brought wild stuff to class, would it?"

A murmur of agreement rustled through the Slytherins, and even a few Gryffindors were nodding.

"'Course they're trained," Hagrid scowled, looking faintly offended.

"So what happened to your face, then?" Draco asked.

"Mind yer own business!" Hagrid retorted, avoiding the question just as he had when Hermione asked. "Now if yeh've finished askin' stupid questions, follow me!"

Hagrid turned and headed into the forest without a moment's hesitation, hoisting the cow over his shoulder and not seeming to notice that no one was following after him right away. Amisty traded glances with Harry, closed her eyes for a moment, and set after him. It took ten minutes before Hagrid stopped. Amisty was a bit hesitant, simply because of how dark it was with her eyes' tendency to... well... glow in the dark. The trees were so close together and their boughs so heavy with leaves no snow touched the ground, shrouding the clearing in darkness in the process. Hagrid let the cow fall to the ground with a muffled thump, turning to face his class.