Melancholy || Harry Potter's twin brother

3: Chapter nine

"So, we have our first care of magical creatures lesson." Ernie mused as they walked back to their dormitory to grab the cage of monster book of monsters for the class. "I wonder what it'll be like?"

"I don't know, but the gryffindors and Slytherins have it right after us." Sirius noted, he had compared his timetable with his brothers that morning when he had gone over to the Gryffindor table to bother him.

"I'm just wondering at what point in your lives is Harry going to call you his bother rather than his brother." Ernie laughed as he lifted the cage off the floor. "And what is the deal with these books?"

"Well, for your first question, soon and your second our teacher is Hagrid." Sirius replied following his friend into the common room where the other two were waiting.

"I forgot about them." Hannah sighed, nominating herself not to carry the caged books, which were attacking each other rabidly.

"I'm not convinced this will be a fun class." Justin sighed as they headed out into the grounds.

"We just have to wait and see." Sirius replied positively. "He might be a good teacher."

"Or he might not." Ernie replied with a sigh, shaking the cage so the books stopped attacking each other.

"Stop being so negative, it could be a good lesson!" Sirius shook his head at his friends as they reached the rest of the class, stood near Hagrids hut.

"Have yer all got yer books?" Hagrid asked them, they murmured a reply. "Alright then, let's go."

Hagrid led the class to the edge of the forbidden forest, where a paddock of the weirdest things were. They were like feathered horses, with a lions tail and the head of some grotesque bird. "Hippogriffs." He announced to the class as though it was some great discovery. "Can yer get out yer books and turn to page sixteen." Hagrid instructed them, they all stared at him.

"How?" Jane finally piped up, making Sirius jump. He'd forgotten that she was in the class.

"Yer haven't been able ter open them?" Hagrid seemed surprised. He took the caged books from Ernie and fished one out. "Yer just stroke it o' course." He ran a finger down the spine of the book, which was trying to escape from his hand and it fell silent and flat in front of them.

"I mean, wow." Ernie muttered to Sirius, who nodded. "What on earth?"

Hagrid passed the book to Sirius, who placed it on a rock and helped his friends get the remaining three books out of the cage.

"Why is there so much writing?" Justin groaned as he glanced over the page on hippogriffs.

"I was hoping for pictures." Sirius agreed, looking at his own book.

"Right, so who wants ter go first?" Hagrid asked after giving them a chance to read through some of the information.

Sirius found himself agreeing to interact with the hippogriffs. His friends frowned at him. "What? They're kinda cute in their own special way."

"Alright Sirius, so go up to Buckbeak here." Hagrid patted the hippogriff beside him. Sirius faced the creature, not getting too close for fear of being attacked. "An' bow." Sirius did so, not taking his eyes off the creature. Buckbeak seemed appreciative of the gesture and bowed back to him. "An' now yer can stroke him." Hagrid added.

Slowly, Sirius went up to the hippogriff and patted his nose. Buckbeak nudged his shoulder appreciativly.

"He likes yer." Hagrid told him. "Do yer want to feed 'im?"

"Uh, yeah sure." Sirius agreed, why not? There wasn't any danger from the hippogriff anyway. Hagrid passed him a dead ferret and told him to throw it up in the air for Buckbeak to catch. Sitius did so, the hippogriff rearing up onto his back legs to catch the ferret and then munching on it loudly.

"Who wants ter try next?" Hagrid asked.

After the lesson, Sirius, Hannah, Justin and Ernie were walking back up to the castle, when they saw Harry, Ron and Hermione walking the other way.

"Sirius!" Harry called to them, walking over to meet them. "How was it?" He asked excitedly, he and his friends were friends with Hagrid and would be rooting for him to do well.

"Really good actually." Sirius replied. "The books are a bit weird but the lesson was fun." He gave them his assessment.

"Great!" Ron grinned. "Where are you lot off to?"

"Charms." Ernie replied sullenly. None of them really liked charms.

"See you later." Harry waved at them as they continued on their way.

"Bye!" Sirius called back as they wandered back to the castle.

"I still don't get why they're friends with Hagrid." Hannah mused as they entered the castle.

"Me neither to be honest." Sirius shrugged, he and Hagrid had never really hit it off like Harry and Hagrid.

"Well, who's ready for charms?" Justin tried to be positive.

"No one." Ernie replied with a sigh. "Can we not just skip?"

"They'll find us, they always do." Hannah told him. "I've thought about it a lot."

"What? Skipping class?" Sirius asked with a frown. "Or charms?

"Skipping class." Hannah replied. "But where can you go that teachers won't find you?"

"I don't know, and then if it's not the teachers its Filch and his bloody cat!" Ernie added. "Honestly it's a nightmare this place sometimes."

"Come on, let's just get it over with." Justin sighed as they reached the charms classroom.

The charms classroom was unusually dark and Flitwick was stood on his desk, looking at them expectantly.

"Come in, come in quickly." He told them, they found their seats and wondered what on earth they were doing that lesson.

"Today I want to draw your attention to fire starting charms." He announced, the group looked at each other. Would this finally prove to be a fun charms lesson? They certainly hoped so.