Harry had been somewhat preoccupied with the outcome of the Divination class. However, he quickly regained his cheerfulness when Professor McGonagall revealed during Transfiguration that Trelawney predicted a student's death every year, yet none of her predictions had ever come true.
By the time Harry left the castle after lunch, his steps were light and carefree. Yesterday's rain had ceased, leaving the sky a pale gray and the grass beneath their feet soft and damp. Together, they headed for their first Care of Magical Creatures class.
The four of them walked toward Hagrid's hut and soon noticed three familiar figures ahead—Malfoy, Goyle, and Crabbe.
Orli felt a churn in her stomach, as if the carrots and minced meat she'd eaten were swirling around like a whirlwind. The thought of Buckbeak made her chest tighten.
Hagrid stood by the door of his hut, waiting for his students. He was clad in his mole-skin coat, and his hunting dog, Fang, lay at his feet, eager to get moving.
#Hagrid "Come on, hurry up, hurry up!"
He called out as the students approached. Five minutes later, Hagrid led a group of third-year Slytherins and Gryffindors to the edge of a paddock.
#Hagrid "Everyone, gather by the fence here!"
He shouted.
#Hagrid "That's right—stand where you can see clearly. Now, the first thing you need to do is open your books—"
#Malfoy "How are we supposed to open them?"
Draco Malfoy asked in his cold, drawling tone.
#Hagrid "Eh?"
Hagrid replied.
#Malfoy "How do we open the books?"
Malfoy repeated, holding up his book, which was tied shut with a rope. Others took out their books too: some had tied theirs up, while others had placed them in sturdy bags or secured them with large clips.
#Hagrid "No—nobody knows how to open the book?"
Hagrid asked, looking crestfallen.
##Orli "Here, Professor Hagrid."
Orli raised her book, its furry cover already unfurled, now lying quietly and obediently in her hands.
#Hagrid "Oh! Well done, Orli!"
Hagrid exclaimed, as though she'd saved the day.
#Hagrid "Tell everyone how you managed to open it."
##Orli "You just need to stroke along the spine."
Orli demonstrated. Harry bravely followed suit, and his book obediently quieted down as well.
#Hagrid "Excellent! Two points to Gryffindor… I said that right, didn't I?"
Hagrid asked a bit nervously.
##Orli "Absolutely right, Professor Hagrid."
Orli encouraged him with a smile.
#Malfoy "Oh, how clever we are!"
Malfoy sneered sarcastically.
#Malfoy "We should have stroked the books! Why didn't we think of that?"
##Orli "Exactly. You've finally realized you're an idiot. It took you over two years, but hey, progress is progress."
Orli retorted sharply.
Hagrid rubbed his hands together, trying to regain his teaching momentum:
#Hagrid "Now that everyone's got their books sorted, all we need are the magical creatures. Wait here…"
He turned and disappeared into the forest, returning shortly with a dozen peculiar creatures.
These creatures had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but their front legs, wings, and heads resembled those of eagles. They had steel-colored beaks and bright orange eyes, with talons half a foot long that looked lethal. Each beast had a dense feather collar around its neck, tied to a long chain, the ends of which were held in Hagrid's massive hand.
He shook the chains, urging the creatures to move closer to the fence where the students stood, and tied them securely to the fence.
#Hagrid "Hippogriffs!"
Hagrid shouted gleefully.
#Hagrid "Aren't they magnificent?"
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