Percy Jackson and the Hound of Hogwarts [Book 3]

17) Hippogriffs

"Why are they mad?" I asked Harry as we walked towards our first class of Care of Magical Creatures, glancing at Ron and Hermione.

"They had a fight. Ron's freaked out about the omen, and Hermione isn't. Has Hermione gone to Muggle Studies yet?" Harry looked at me.

I frowned, "We've had two whole class periods, she was there for both of them. There's no way she's gone to Muggle Studies."

Hermione shot me a glare.

"She said she did. Weird," Harry mumbled to me, and I frowned.

We walked towards Hagrid's hut. He was waiting for us. 

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

We followed Hagrid around the edge of the forest, wondering what it was that he was going to show us. Five minutes later, we stopped outside of a paddock. It was empty.

"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?" Draco drawled as I opened mine.

That was the first time I noticed my book was mostly blank. On one of the pages, it said, Think of the animal you want to learn about. That was it.

"Eh?" Hagrid looked at Draco.

"How do we open our books?" Draco repeated. He pulled his book out of his bag, showing it was bound with rope. Most people who took their's out were also wrapped with belts, ropes, and one even had chains on it. There were some who I had been able to tell to speak to it in Greek.

"Hasn' — hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" Hagrid said, looking a little sad.

"I can," I said, holding up my copy.

Hagrid looked at the color a little confused, then addressed the rest of the class, "Yeh've got to stroke 'em," Hagrid said, taking Neville's copy and pulling off the belt. It tried to bite him, but he stroked the spine and it shuddered, falling open in his palm.

"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.

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

"Oh, shut it, Draco," I looked at him. "You're just mad because it ate your favorite book."

He narrowed his eyes at me, "Little Women is a classic."

"A classic written in English! Why not just get the translated version, that would be much easier," I rolled my eyes.

Draco looked at me, "I'm sorry that your tiny brain can't handle English, but the original language is always better than the translation!"

"I can handle English, you just can't handle Greek."

Draco narrowed his eyes at me, "I AM Greek."

"A Greek bitch."

Draco then tackled me.

I knew he would never hurt me. Well, he would never mortally wound me, but that's more for duels.

"Break it up! break it up!" Hagrid pulled Draco off of me.

Draco struggled to get away from Hagrid while I laughed.

Suddenly Seamus shouted, "Settle this with a duel later!"