NOVEL NEXT Chapter 93: Buckbeak
The next morning, at breakfast, I sat with my friends; I was eating a great deal of bacon and eggs to fuel myself up after my morning exercises. A Slytherin Prefect handed me my timetable. Transfiguration, then ancient runes and care after lunch today.
'Buck beak' I thought I looked over at malfoy 'it has to be done' I thought. I was broken out of my thoughts as Tina sat down in front of me. "Here", I passed her a permission slip. She read it over and had a thought.
"Is this because of the dementors?" she asked.
"Yes I assume Dumbledore is worried about the mental health of the students" I said.
"So when is the first gig?" she asked.
"Weekend or next depending on practice tonight" I said with a smile.
"Cool, I'll start telling people." She said, and I nodded. Finished my meal and headed to transfiguration. Professor McGonagall welcomed us back and then went on explaining about magic and the rules and regulations. It was a good lesson. After class, I waited by her desk to ask her some questions.
"Professor, I was wondering when, if possible, a student may undertake the animagus ritual?" I asked.
"Over the years, I've had many students try the ritual, but all have failed the first task of the ritual." McGonagall said, "If you wish to try, I need to get permission from the headmaster. He sets when you can. However, he usually makes students wait till their fourth year.".
"Well, this is my formal request to try the animagus ritual", I said
"Very well, I'll inform the headmaster. Now hurry along to your class." She said.
So I did. Ancient runes class by a witch called Bethesda babbling. She was Irish and loved runes; seeing this was our intro class, she spoke all about what we were learning and why. Mostly to decipher ancient texts and grimoires. Most ancient texts were written in runes or hieroglyphs. It was all informative, but we got homework. Two sentences that we had to translate. To be translated before the next class.
Lunch was a quick affair: sandwiches and some refreshing juice. Then I was with a lot of other 3rd years heading down to Hagrid hut. I was walking with Tim, Grant chose to do arthrimancy instead of care. One thing was odd: Draco wasn't making fun of Harry for fainting on the train. Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked together, Ron flashing me angry glances. What the hell was going on? Neville approached me. "Hey Eddie I'm looking forward to this" he said.
"Me too, buddy. Do you know why Ron looks angry at me?" I asked.
"Not sure, though I heard he called you a dirty snake during charms." He said."he's angry with Hermione too for buying a cat that hates his rat."
"Gather round and follow me I've got a real treat for you" said hagrid as we arrived he led us to one of the paddocks set up for care.
"Wait right here and open the book to page 12," he said.
"How do we do that?" Asked Draco, who was holding his monster book of monsters that was tied with an expensive belt.
Most of the class looked at him and said, "Stroke the spine."
I opened up to Hippogriffs and waited. Hagrid returned with a flock of them.
"Aren't they beautiful?" he said. "The first thing you need to know about Hippogriffs is that very proud creatures don't insult a Hypogryph. It may be the last thing you do." I watched Draco, who wasn't paying attention, talking to Crabbe.
"Now, who would like to try and touch it?" he asked the class.
Harry, the brave friend, said he would after a pause and proceeded to hop the fence into the paddock. I leaned on the cobbled wall and watched as Hagrid talked Harry through the correct way to approach and pat the. Ride a Hypogryph. Harry looked terrified after landing.
"Okay, now how about it you all have ago?" Hagrid said.
"Professor Hagrid, I think you should go over the dos and don'ts again. Some people might have missed it or forgotten because of the tension of Harry's performance." I spoke up before people climbed into the paddock.
"Good point eddie Err 5 points to Slytherin" hagrid said with an odd look on his face. "Right now, pay attention. That means you, Malfoy," he called out Malfoy, who again wasn't paying attention. "Don't insult a Hippogriffs. They are dangerous when provoked. They are 3x creatures. When approaching, maintain eye contact, don't blink too much, and bow nicely and low. If the Hypogryph bows back, you can approach with Ah's hand raised. But let the Hypogryph make the next move." He said with a stern voice. "Alright, now you can hop in."
We climbed inside, and I walked up to backbreak. Maintaining eye contact, I bowed with a Flourish. Backbreaking bowed back, and I approached. In no time, I was patting the beautiful creature. But I wasn't alone; Draco and Greg had joined me. They were talking to themselves when I heard the words. "You not dangerous at all are you?. You big brute" Before I knew what I was doing, I had pushed Draco down. Hot flashes of pain raked down my back. I collapsed to my knees over Draco. He looked up at me with terror. I could hear Hagrid wrestling buck beak away. I coughed, and a spray of blood hit Draco's face. 'That's not good', I thought. I reached into my satchel, shuffling around where I kept my potions. I heard Hermione telling Hagrid to get me to the hospital wing. I pulled out the green Wiggenweld potion and chugged it down. The heat from the wound cooled, and an itchy feeling flooded over my back. I felt a hagrid, rough, huge hand stick me up into a fireman's carry. And I saw Draco's face of terror and confusion fade to blackness as I passed out.
I awoke on my stomach in the hospital wing. "Awake now mister carter" madame Pomfrey said.
"Yup, can I roll over," I asked.
"Yup you all better, quick thinking with the Wiggenweld potion it seemed the bleeding" she said with an impressed voice. I rolled over to see Hagrid and Dumbledore also in the room.
"Professors, can I speak first," I asked. Dumbledore nodded, and Hagrid sobbed.
"I don't blame Professor Hagrid or Buck Beak. I noticed Draco didn't pay attention at the first warning. I asked Professor Hagrid to go over again where even though he was called out for not paying attention, he still insulted Buckbeak," I said. " I want the medical records for the attack to be used to show the attack wasn't a risk to my life in any case against Professor Hagrid or Buckbeak. As a defence," I said to madame Pomfrey, who nodded and handed a file to Dumbledore.
"Why would there be a case against Buckbeak?" Dumbledore asked.
"He attacked Draco Malfoy. I might have been injured, but the attack was against Draco. His father will surely do something." I explained.
Hagrid sobbed and gave me a hug. "I'm sorry that happened on my watch", he apologised.
"It's okay, Professor", I wheezed out in response to his crushing hug.
"Why do you keep calling me Professor?" he asked, letting me go.
"Respect, of course. Professor, you must understand that I doubt even Newt Scamander would show you respect for all the creatures you've raised and looked after in your fifty years working in Hogwarts." I said "plus you are our Professor, it's the least I can do" hagrid was blushing with pride.
"Very wise words, Mister Carter," Dumbledore said. "Hagrid, my dear friend, while I admire the enthusiasm, maybe something less dangerous next lesson." He said in an amusing tone. "Here is a letter from Silvanus. It covers what he taught and when" he handed the latter to hagrid " you will see a progression from less dangerous to more. Also, what's he taught last year for each grade."
"Ah, thank you, headmaster", Hagrid said, looking embarrassed.