“So, basically, Care of Magical Creatures and Divination,” Cedric said.
When Harry, Ron and Hermione entered the Great Hall for breakfast next day, the first thing they saw was Draco Malfoy,
“How come he's the first thing we see,” Harry said, frowning.
who seemed to be entertaining a large group of Slytherins with a very funny story.
“Oh, that's why,” Harry said,
“Yeah, kind of hard not to notice him if he's doing that,” Cedric said.
“I have a feeling I know exactly what type of 'story' he's entertaining people with,” Hermione said.
As they passed, Malfoy did a ridiculous impression of a swooning fit and there was a roar of laughter.
“Ignore him,” said Hermione, who was right behind Harry. “Just ignore him, it’s not worth it ...”
“That's true,” Cedric said.
“He's not worth any reaction from you,” Luna said. “Especially when it's what he wants.”
“Hey, Potter!” shrieked Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin girl with a face like a pug.
“Nice,” Hermione said, shaking her head as she chuckled.
“Isn't she the girl who was mentioned as being a hard-faced Slytherin in the first book?” Harry asked.
“I think so,” Luna said. “I think she was the one who was making fun of Parvati Patil because she was sticking up for Neville.”
Hermione reached for the first book, flipping through it the chapter that held the flying lesson in it.
"Yeah, she was," Hermione said. She read out, " 'Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?' said Pansy Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin girl. 'Never thought you'd like fat little crybabies, Parvati.' "
“Potter! The Dementors are coming, Potter! Woooooooo!”
“Horrible girl,” Cedric said. “No one should be talking about something they don't understand.”
Harry dropped into a seat at the Gryffindor table, next to George Weasley.
“You know, I have to wonder how you know which is which,” Cedric said.
“I don't know,” Harry said. “Maybe I'm just assuming that it's George.”
“New third-year timetables,” said George, passing them over. “What’s up with you, Harry?”
“Malfoy,” Harry said.
“Malfoy,” said Ron,
“He either knows you well, or he's just assuming because he's irritated with Malfoy as well,” Hermione said.
“Probably a bit of both,” Harry said. “It would be kind of sad if he didn't know me well by now, but he also tends to get irritated at Malfoy a lot as well.”
sitting down on George’s other side and glaring over at the Slytherin table.
George looked up in time to see Malfoy pretending to faint with terror again.
“How he can think that's funny, I don't know,” Hermione said. “I just hope that this doesn't happen this time around.”
“That little git,” he said calmly.
“He's got some dirt on him,” Cedric said. “That's probably the only reason why he's so calm.”
“He wasn’t so cocky last night when the Dementors were down our end of the train. Came running into our compartment, didn’t he, Fred?”
“Yeah, I can see Malfoy not wanting that to be known,” Hermione said. “Running away isn't something he's want people to know, I suspect, especially since everyone else was able to be around them without doing that themselves.”
“Nearly wet himself,”
“All that would need to be changed is that he did wet himself, and people would be laughing at him instead of you,” Cedric said.
“And, I'm sure, that Malfoy won't be able to hide this fact because all one has to say is that he either used a drying charm, or that he's just using the rain to hide the fact that he did,” Luna said.
said Fred, with a contemptuous glance at Malfoy.
“I wasn’t too happy myself,” said George.
“I would imagine that everyone was like that,” Cedric said.
“They’re horrible things, those Dementors ...”
“Sort of freeze your insides, don’t they?” said Fred.
“So we know that it wasn't just you who reacted that way,” Hermione said.
“Now, all we need to do is find out who it was that was screaming,” Harry said.
“You didn’t pass out, though, did you?” said Harry in a low voice.
“That's going to be bugging you for quite a while, isn't it?” Cedric said.
“Most likely,” Harry said.
“Forget it, Harry,” said George bracingly, “Dad had to go out to Azkaban one time, remember, Fred?”
“I really don't envy him all that much,” Hermione said.
“I wonder why he had to go,” Harry said.
“And he said it was the worst place he’d ever been. He came back all weak and shaking ... They suck the happiness out of a place, Dementors. Most of the prisoners go mad in there.”
“But not all,” Hermione said, noticing what he was saying between the lines.
“That, or some of them were already mad to begin with,” Cedric said.
"We know that Black seems to be mad when he got there,” Harry said.
“Anyway, we’ll see how happy Malfoy looks after our first Quidditch match,” said Fred.
“He most likely won't be happy,” Cedric said, smiling. “You're obviously a better player than he is, after all, so, chances are, he won't be able to beat you.”
“Gryffindor versus Slytherin, first game of the season, remember?”
“Is it always the first game of the season?” Hermione asked.
“Yes,” Cedric said.
“Why?” Harry asked.
“I think it's because it's better to get it done and over with,” Cedric said. “The match is the biggest one of the year, in a way, because of the rivalry between the two houses. It usually becomes the dirtiest match as well.”
The only time Harry and Malfoy had faced each other in a Quidditch match, Malfoy had definitely come off worse. Feeling slightly more cheerful, Harry helped himself to sausages and fried tomatoes.
Hermione was examining her new timetable.
“Of course you are,” Harry said, smiling to show that he wasn't thinking it was a bad thing for her to do.
“Ooh, good, we’re starting some new subjects today,” she said happily.
“Only you would be happy to start some of your new subjects,” Cedric said, smiling as he shook his head.
“Hermione,” said Ron, frowning as he looked over her shoulder, “they’ve messed up your timetable. Look – they’ve got you down for about ten subjects a day. There isn’t enough time.”
“I doubt that it's ten subjects a day,” Harry said. “You might have more than the rest of us combined, because your taking five more classes in addition to the mandatory six we have to take.”
“I’ll manage. I’ve fixed it all with Professor McGonagall.”
“But look,” said Ron, laughing, “see this morning? Nine o’clock, Divination. And underneath, nine o’clock, Muggle Studies. And –“ Ron leant closer to the timetable, disbelieving, “look – underneath that, Arithmancy, nine o’clock.”
“Okay, I can see why he's concerned now,” Cedric said.
“How on earth are you going to be able to go to three classes that are at the same time?” Harry said.
“I have the feeling that whatever it was that McGonagall had to talk to me about might have something to do with it,” Hermione said. “And, since I was described as being happy, so obviously I'll most likely have a way to go to all of the classes.”
“She probably gave you something, then,” Luna said. “It would make sense, after all.”
“True,” Harry said. “So the question is, what did she give you?”
“Perhaps we'll find out in the book,” Hermione said.
“Unless you've been told not to tell them,” Cedric said. “The book you wouldn't go against what a teacher says, after all.”
“True,” Hermione said, frowning a bit. While she knew that she still should listen to authority, there was a part of her that wondered what she would do if she would do so if Harry, or someone else, really needed her.
“I mean, I know you’re good, Hermione, but no one’s that good. How’re you supposed to be in three classes at once?”
“Don’t be silly,” said Hermione shortly. “Of course I won’t be in three classes at once.”
“Then how will I be able to to attended?” Hermione asked herself.
“Well, then –“
“Pass the marmalade,” said Hermione.
“I obviously don't want to talk about it,” Hermione said.
“But –“
“Since when has Ron absolutely needed to know everything I do,” Hermione said. “If I don't – or am forbidden to – talk about it, he's not going to get an answer. Besides, it's my business, meaning he has no right to know it.”
“Oh, Ron, what’s it to you if my timetable’s a bit full?” Hermione snapped.
'I think it's more than 'a bit' full,” Harry said.
“I told you, I’ve fixed it all with Professor McGonagall.”
“Apparently, that's not good enough for Ron,” Luna said. “Otherwise, he wouldn't keep asking.”
Just then, Hagrid entered the Great Hall.
“Which probably kept you and Ron from continuing your argument,” Harry said.
He was wearing his long moleskin overcoat and was absent-mindedly swinging a dead polecat from one enormous hand.
The four wrinkled their noses at that.
“I wonder what the dead polecat is for,” Harry said.
“Not sure I want to know,” Hermione said.
“All righ’?” he said eagerly, pausing on the way to the staff table. “Yer in my firs’ ever lesson! Right after lunch! Bin up since five gettin’ everythin’ ready ... hope it’s OK ... me, a teacher ... hones’ly ...”
“I think he's excited,” Harry said.
“Really? Couldn't tell,” Hermione said, slightly sarcastic, though the smile on her face took away any sting her tone of voice might have caused.
He grinned broadly at them and headed off to the staff table, still swinging the polecat.
“Why did he bring the polecat to breakfast?” Hermione asked, shaking her head.
“Wonder what he’s been getting ready?” said Ron, a note of anxiety in his voice.
“That's a good question, especially when you consider the fact that it's Hagrid,” Cedric said.
“And it's a good think he's a bit worried as well,” Hermione said.
The Hall was starting to empty as people headed off towards their first lesson. Ron checked his timetable.
“We’d better go, look, Divination’s at the top of North Tower. It’ll take us ten minutes to get there ...”
“If we know the way to go,” Harry said. “I don't think we've ever gone there before, after all.”
They finished their breakfast hastily, said goodbye to Fred and George and walked back through the Hall. As they passed the Slytherin table, Malfoy did yet another impression of a fainting fit.
“I get the feeling that he timed it to do that just as you passed by,” Cedric said.
“So do I,” Luna said.
The shouts of laughter followed Harry into the Entrance Hall.
The journey through the castle to North Tower was a long one. Two years at Hogwarts hadn’t taught them everything about the castle, and they had never been inside North Tower before.
“Thought so,” Harry said.
“There’s – got – to – be – a – short – cut,” Ron panted,
“I don't think there is,” Cedric said.
as they climbed their seventh long staircase and emerged on an unfamiliar landing, where there was nothing but a large painting of a bare stretch of grass hanging on the stone wall.
“I wonder where the occupant of the picture is,” Cedric said.
“Why do you think there's an occupant to the picture?” Hermione asked.
“Because there are very few pictures without a person in them,” Cedric said. “In fact, I can only think of a few, and they're all down in the dungeons level.”
“I think it’s this way,” said Hermione, peering down the empty passage to the right.
“Can’t be,” said Ron. “That’s south. Look, you can see a bit of the lake out of the window ...”
“So the lake is closer to the South of Hogwarts?” Harry asked. Cedric nodded his head.
Harry was watching the painting. A fat, dapple-grey pony had just ambled onto the grass and was grazing nonchalantly.
“I think it's occupant is coming soon,” Hermione said.
Harry was used to the subjects of Hogwarts paintings moving around and leaving their frames to visit each other, but he always enjoyed watching them.
“They are kind of cool to watch,” Cedric said. “And interesting to talk to, as well. Though, there are those you should avoid.”
“Like who?” Hermione asked.
“Well, I know there's one of a woman named Elizabeth Burke who I heard tells Slytherin students to be nasty to Muggleborns, only she uses the other word about them. And then, there's one whose completely crazy, known as Sir Codogan. I've heard people complaining about him a lot, though I, personally, haven't met him,” Cedric said. “Of course, I haven't met Elizabeth Burke, either. I just heard that she's a bigot.”
“She's got the same last name as that one store you ended up in in the last book,” Hermione said. “So it's very possible that, especially if she's related to Mr. Borgin's co-owner, that she is.”
A moment later, a short, squat knight in a suit of armour had clanked into the picture after his pony. By the look of the grass stains on his metal knees, he had just fallen off.
“Aha!” he yelled, seeing Harry, Ron and Hermione. “What villains are these that trespass upon my private lands? Come to scorn at my fall, perchance? Draw, you knaves, you dogs!”
“I think we've just found another one whose completely crazy,” Hermione said, frowning.
They watched in astonishment as the little knight tugged his sword out of its scabbard and began brandishing it violently, hopping up and down in rage. But the sword was too long for him; a particularly wild swing made him overbalance, and he landed face down in the grass.
The four sniggered a bit, finding the portrait's antics funny.
“Are you all right?” said Harry, moving closer to the picture.
“I don't think he's going to like that all that much, Harry,” Hermione said.
“Nor do I,” Luna said.
“Get back, you scurvy braggart! Back, you rogue!”
The knight seized his sword again and used it to push himself back up, but the blade sank deeply into the grass and, though he pulled with all his might, he couldn’t get it out again.
“Poor portrait,” Luna said, though she was chuckling as she did so.
Finally he had to flop back down onto the grass and push up his visor to mop his sweating face.
“I think, if you want to know how to get to the North Tower, you should ask him while he's exhausted,” Cedric said.
“Listen,” said Harry, taking advantage of the knight’s exhaustion,
"I think I figured that out myself,” Harry said.
“we’re looking for the North Tower. You don’t know the way, do you?”
“He probably does,” Hermione said.
“Most likely,” Cedric said. “Most of the portraits know their way around the castle. I think it's an effect of living there for who know how many years, plus the fact that they themselves most likely went to school there as well.”
“A quest!” The knight’s rage seemed to vanish instantly.
“Well, as least we know how to keep make him happy,” Hermione said. “Though, I'd rather not talk to him.”
“I agree,” Cedric said.
He clanked to his feet and shouted, “Come follow me, dear friends, and we shall find our goal, or else shall perish bravely in the charge!”
“Nice,” Harry said, shaking his head.
He gave the sword another fruitless tug, tried and failed to mount the fat pony,
“Not a very good knight, is he?” Luna asked, amused.
“Nope,” Hermione said.
and cried, “On foot then, good sirs and gentle lady! On! On!”
“Oh, so now were good sirs and gentle lady,” Harry said, shaking his head. “Quite a step up from what he was calling us before, isn't it?”
“Yes, quite the step up,” Hermione said.
And he ran, clanking loudly, into the left-hand side of the frame and out of sight.
They hurried after him along the corridor, following the sound of his armour. Every now and then they spotted him running through a picture ahead.
“He's fast,” Cedric said.
“Be of stout heart, the worst is yet to come!” yelled the knight, and they saw him reappear in front of an alarmed group of women in crinolines, whose picture hung on the wall of a narrow spiral staircase.
“That almost sounds like he's expecting something bad to happen,” Hermione said.
Puffing loudly, Harry, Ron and Hermione climbed the tightly spiralling steps, getting dizzier and dizzier, until at last they heard the murmur of voices above them, and knew they had reached the classroom.
“I think this right there is a good reason not to take Divination,” Harry said. “I really don't feel like getting dizzy.”
“That's a nice reason not to take a class,” Cedric said, while Hermione shook her head.
“Farewell!” cried the knight, popping his head into a painting of some sinister-looking monks.
“How can monks look sinister?” Harry asked. He received no answer.
“Farewell, my comrades-in-arms! If ever you have need of noble heart and steely sinew, call upon Sir Cadogan!”
"So that's Sir Cadogan," Cedric said. "I don't think that I really care to meet him."
“I don't think we'll ever call on him unless we want someone mental,” Harry said.
“Yeah, we’ll call you,” muttered Ron, as the knight disappeared, “if we ever need someone mental.”
“Appears that Ron agrees with me,” Harry said.
They climbed the last few steps and emerged onto a tiny landing, where most of the class was already assembled. There were no doors off this landing;
“Then were's the classroom?” Hermione asked.
Ron nudged Harry and pointed at the ceiling, where there was a circular trap door with a brass plaque on it.
“Oh,” Hermione said.
“How are we supposed to get up there?” Harry asked.
“You'll probably get an answer if you asked that in the book,” Cedric said.
“Sybill Trelawney, Divination teacher,” Harry read.
“Considering the fact that we went there for Divination, I think it's obvious what she teaches,” Hermione said.
“How’re we supposed to get up there?”
As though in answer to his question, the trap door suddenly opened, and a silvery ladder descended right at Harry’s feet.
“It's almost like she was just waiting for someone to ask that,” Cedric said.
“She probably was,” Hermione said. “I mean, it would make sense, and it would be dramatic as well, which, based on the fact that Divination is supposed to teach you how to see into the future, makes me think that she's be dramatic for some reason. She probably has some kind of charm so that, when someone asks that question, it automatically opens up.”
“That would make sense, especially since someone is always bound to ask that question,” Harry said.
Everyone went quiet.
“After you,” said Ron, grinning, so Harry climbed the ladder first.
“I take it the fact that you were the one to get it open is the reason why he's letting you go first,” Cedric said.
“Most likely,” Harry said.
He emerged into the strangest-looking classroom he had ever seen. In fact, it didn’t look like a classroom at all; more like a cross between someone’s attic and an old-fashioned teashop.
“That's...interesting,” Hermione said.
At least twenty small, circular tables were crammed inside it, all surrounded by chintz armchairs and fat little pouffes. Everything was lit with a dim, crimson light; the curtains at the windows were all closed, and the many lamps were draped with dark red scarves. It was stiflingly warm, and the fire which was burning under the crowded mantelpiece was giving off a heavy, sickly sort of perfume as it heated a large copper kettle.
“I don't think I'm going to like the classroom all that much,” Harry said.
“I don't blame you,” Hermione said.
The shelves running around the circular walls were crammed with dusty-looking feathers, stubs of candles, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless silvery crystal balls and a huge array of teacups.
Ron appeared at Harry’s shoulder as the class assembled around them, all talking in whispers.
“Where is she?” Ron said.
A voice came suddenly out of the shadows, a soft, misty sort of voice.
“She's definitely going for dramatic,” Hermione said.
“Looks like you were right, then,” Cedric said.
“Of course I was,” Hermione said, sounding pompous, only to burst out laughing when she saw the looks that crossed their faces. “I'm joking, you know,” she added while she continued to laugh at them.
“Welcome,” it said. “How nice to see you in the physical world at last.”
“I think I should just turn around now,” Harry said. “She doesn't sound sane at all.”
“I think I should join you in turning around as well,” Hermione said. “I have the feeling that this teacher is not going to have any respect from me what so ever.”
Harry’s immediate impression was of a large, glittering insect.
There were snorts of laughter at that.
“What's she wearing that makes her look like that,” Harry said.
Professor Trelawney moved into the firelight, and they saw that she was very thin; her large glasses magnified her eyes to several times their natural size, and she was draped in a gauzy spangled shawl.
“Oh, yeah, she does seem to resemble an insect,” Harry said.
Innumerable chains and beads hung around her spindly neck, and her arms and hands were encrusted with bangles and rings.
“Makes me think of psychics I've seen portrayed in a bunch of pictures,” Hermione said.
“Sit, my children, sit,” she said,
“Where not her children,” Harry said.
and they all climbed awkwardly into armchairs or sank onto pouffes. Harry, Ron and Hermione sat themselves around the same round table.
“At least the seating will be comfortable,” Hermione said.
“Welcome to Divination,” said Professor Trelawney, who had seated herself in a winged armchair in front of the fire. “My name is Professor Trelawney.”
“Really. Didn't realize that, even though it said what your name was on the plaque that was on the trapdoor,” Harry said.
“You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye.”
“I think it's actually because we'd be able to tell that she's crazy if she did,” Hermione said. “And I doubt she'd get that many people to take her class as the same time.”
“Oh, I don't know,” Luna said. “I imagine that there will always be those who want to take it because they think they'll be able to see into the future.”
Nobody said anything in answer to this extraordinary pronouncement.
“I wouldn't call it 'extraordinary'. More like confirmation to her insanity,” Harry said.
Professor Trelawney delicately rearranged her shawl and continued, “So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts.”
“Now that's most likely the biggest lie I've ever heard,” Hermione said.
“Definitely a lie,” Harry said.
“Actually, it's true in a way,” Luna said. “Not just anyone can do Divination. The problem is the fact that only a true Seer is suitable for doing Divination. If your not a true Seer, your going to fail in a way, no matter what you do. Of course, you can use probability to predict what's going to happen in the future, and learn how to read palms and tea leaves. But to truly see the future, you need to be a true Seer.”
“I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you. Books can take you only so far in this field ...”
“I'm not going to like hearing that,” Hermione said. “My book self – and my real self, though I'm working on it – rely on books for pretty much everything, and learning that books won't help me in a field just won't compute right with me. I'm the type who needs fact with books written by reputable people to back it up. I don't do well with things of faith, at all. Of course, there are some books that I don't bother in believing, simply because I know that they're untrue, or, at the very least, not portrayed as accurately as they should because they were written thousands of years after the events they talk about happened, which makes it hard to believe that they're true at all.”
At these words, both Harry and Ron glanced, grinning, at Hermione, who looked startled at the news that books wouldn’t be much help in this subject.
“Yup, your definitely not happy to know that,” Cedric said.
“Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearings,”
“Is she insulting all the other subjects we're taught?” Hermione said. Cedric nodded his head.
“That makes it sound as if she either never went to magic school, in which case she's probably a squib, or she was never actually able to have much skill in anything else, which would make her a poor, probably slightly bitter witch because of her inability for strong magic,” Luna said. “Anyone, after all, can pretend to be able to do see the future.”
“are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future,”
“Actually, if you think about it, it's probably because the future is always changing,” Hermione said. “I mean, just because everything in these books might have happened in some way, because we know what's happening, we can make different choices, which can have even larger changes that we'd think. We're going to have to be careful with what we do, because all the changes we might make can have a bigger affect than we'd want.”
“True, we do need to be careful, and think about everything were doing,” Cedric said.
"I think we should probably plan what to do once we're finished with the books, and have all of our notes, this way we don't miss anything," Hermione said.
"I agree," Harry said.
Professor Trelawney went on, her enormous, gleaming eyes moving from face to nervous face. “It is a Gift granted to few.”
“And I doubt you have it,” Luna said. “Most Seers that I know of have a good reputation, and are actually reasonable people. I've never heard of Professor Trelawney before now, and she doesn't strike me as all that reasonable.”
“You, boy,” she said suddenly to Neville, who almost toppled off his pouffe, “is your grandmother well?”
“I think so,” said Neville tremulously.
“She's trying to scare him,” Hermione said, incredulously. “What good would that do?”
“Nothing,” Luna said. “However, if she makes a bunch of predictions, then, when one of them comes true, it'll seem like she actually has the gift. It's something that frauds have been known to do. And, sadly, on the weak-minded and idiotic, it works.” Her voice held a bitter tone to it.
“I take it you don't like hearing that,” Harry said.
“No, I don't,” Luna said. “It's people like her that causes real Seers to be treated like jokes.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure if I were you, dear,” said Professor Trelawney, the firelight glinting on her long emerald earrings. Neville gulped.
“I don't like her,” Hermione said.
“Your not the only one,” Luna and Harry said.
Professor Trelawney continued placidly, “We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year. The first term will be devoted to reading the tea leaves. Next term we shall progress to palmistry.”
“Both of those would probably be interesting to learn,” Harry said. “Though, why I'd want to read tea leaves, I don't know.”
“Your supposed to see shapes in them,” Luna said. “Whatever you see says what your 'fortune' will be.”
“By the way, my dear,” she shot suddenly at Parvati Patil, “beware a red-haired man.”
Parvati gave a startled look at Ron, who was right behind her, and edged her chair away from him.
“I doubt Ron's going to be doing anything to her,” Hermione said.
“In the summer term,” Professor Trelawney went on, “we shall progress to the crystal ball – if we have finished with fire-omens, that is.”
“And when are we going to do 'fire-omens'?” Hermione asked, noticing that was the first time she ever heard anything about them in the book.
“Unfortunately, classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty bout of flu.”
“That's usually flu time around Hogwarts, that and December,” Cedric said. “Mostly because of Potions class, though.”
“I myself will lose my voice.”
“I don't think that'll be such a bad thing,” Cedric said.
“And around Easter, one of our number will leave us for ever.”
“I have the feeling that Hermione hear will be that one,” Harry said.
“Yeah, and the reason she knows this is because she has people leave her class all the time,” Cedric said. “From what I heard about last year, her entire third year class last year walked out, meaning she doesn't have a sixth year class in this book.”
“Wow,” Hermione said. “The whole class?”
“Yup,” Cedric said. “From what I understand, it was gradual, though everyone had switched to another class by the time Christmas came around.”
“So her saying someone will leave will appear to be truth, especially if she knows that how Hermione is,” Luna said.
“Yup,” Cedric said. “Your book self won't care for the class, but your also stubborn enough not to give up right away. You'll try to last as long as possible.”
A very tense silence followed this pronouncement, but Professor Trelawney seemed unaware of it.
“She's probably is aware of it,” Luna said.
“I wonder, dear,” she said to Lavender Brown, who was nearest and shrank back in her chair,
“She's probably expecting to be told something bad like what the Professor said to Neville and Parvati Patil,” Hermione said.
“if you could pass me the largest silver teapot?”
“Somehow, I think she's just luring her into a false sense of security,” Harry said.
“I'm getting that feeling as well,” Luna said.
Lavender, looking relieved, stood up, took an enormous teapot from the shelf and put it down on the table in front of Professor Trelawney.
“Thank you, my dear. Incidentally, that thing you are dreading – it will happen on Friday the sixteenth of October.”
“Of course,” Hermione said. “I wonder what it is that Lavender is dreading.”
Lavender trembled.
“I think Professor Trelawney is acting just as bad as Professor Snape does,” Cedric said. “Difference is just that Professor Trelawney isn't vindictive like he is – or, doesn't seem that way. She just wants to appear as a master of her subject, while Snape is just vindictive.”
“Now, I want you all to divide into pairs. Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink; drink until only the dregs remain.”
“She wants us to drink tea with loose leaves,” Hermione said, wrinkling her nose. “What's to stop us from actually drinking the leaves as well?”
“Sheer will,” Harry said. Hermione rolled her eyes at that.
“Swill these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside-down on its saucer; wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then give your cup to your partner to read.”
“Doesn't sound too hard,” Hermione said.
“It probably isn't, particularly if you have a good imagination,” Luna said.
“You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of Unfogging the Future. I shall move among you, helping and instructing.”
“Somehow, I don't feel comfortable knowing that,” Hermione said.
“I don't blame you,” Harry said.
“Oh, and dear –“ she caught Neville by the arm as he made to stand up, “after you’ve broken your first cup, would you be so kind as to select one of the blue patterned ones? I’m rather attached to the pink.”
“Great, make him nervous why don't you?” Hermione said, shaking her head. “That's going to be a self-fulfilling prophecy because now that he thinks it's going to happen, he's going to be nervous, which will help make it happen.”
Sure enough, Neville had no sooner reached the shelf of teacups than there was a tinkle of breaking china.
“Which, of course, will probably make some of the students believe that she was right,” Hermione said.
Professor Trelawney swept over to him holding a dustpan and brush and said, “One of the blue ones, then, dear, if you wouldn’t mind ... thank you ...”
“He should grab a pink one, just to spite her,” Harry said.
When Harry and Ron had had their teacups filled,
“I take it you two have partnered together,” Hermione said. “I wonder who my partner is then.”
they went back to their table and tried to drink the scalding tea quickly.
“She didn't let you guys have it cooled down,” Cedric said, frowning. “You shouldn't have to burn your mouth for anything.”
“I wonder why she didn't bother to think of that,” Hermione said.
They swilled the dregs around as Professor Trelawney had instructed, then drained the cups and swapped them.
“Right,” said Ron, as they both opened their books at pages five and six. “What can you see in mine?”
“A load of soggy brown stuff,” said Harry.
“That's probably true,” Luna said. “It's actually not easy to see the shapes in tea leaves.”
The heavily perfumed smoke in the room was making him feel sleepy and stupid.
“I wonder why it's like that in there,” Harry said.
“Who knows,” Hermione said.
“Broaden your minds, my dears, and allow your eyes to see past the mundane!” Professor Trelawney cried through the gloom.
“That's not a bad piece of advice for what you need to do,” Luna said.
Harry tried to pull himself together.
“Right, you’ve got a wonky sort of cross ...” he said, consulting Unfogging the Future. “That means you’re going to have 'trials and suffering' “
“How nice,” Hermione said.
“– sorry about that – but there’s a thing that could be the sun. Hang on ... that means 'great happiness' ...”
“So he's going to suffer, but be very happy?” Hermione said, sounding rather dubious. “That don't really make a lot of sense.”
“No, it doesn't,” Harry said.
“Unless, of course it's that he's going to have trails that have him suffer a lot, but the end result will make him happy,” Luna said.
“Okay, that makes a lot more sense,” Hermione said.
“Yeah, it does,” Harry said. “I doubt I'll actually think about that, though.”
“I don't think I can blame you,” Luna said. “With the way the classroom is, and what you thought earlier, I think we'd have problems thinking reasonable as well.”
“so you’re going to suffer but be very happy ...”
“It kind of sounds funny to hear, doesn't it,” Harry said.
“Yeah, it does,” Cedric agreed.
“You need your Inner Eye testing, if you ask me,” said Ron,
“No, I just need to be in a room where I can think clearly,” Harry said.
and they both had to stifle their laughs as Professor Trelawney gazed in their direction.
“Somehow, I don't think that's going to be a good thing,” Cedric said.
“My turn ...” Ron peered into Harry’s teacup, his forehead wrinkled with effort. “There’s a blob a bit like a bowler hat,” he said. “Maybe you’re going to work for the Ministry of Magic ...”
“He should be looking what each shape is in his book, not making guesses like he is,” Luna said.
He turned the teacup the other way up.
“But this way it looks more like an acorn ... what’s that?” He scanned his copy of Unfogging the Future. “ 'A windfall, unexpected gold.' ”
“That sounds interesting,” Harry said,
“It does,” Hermione said.
“Excellent, you can lend me some. And there’s a thing here,” he turned the cup again, “that looks like an animal. Yeah, if that was its head ... it looks like a hippo ... no, a sheep ...”
“How can he confuse a sheep as a hippo?” Harry said, laughing a bit.
“I don't know,” Hermione said, also laughing.
Professor Trelawney whirled around as Harry let out a snort of laughter.
“Apparently, your book self is wonder the same thing,” Luna said, amused.
“Let me see that, my dear,” she said reprovingly to Ron,
“Great, just great,” Harry said. “Why do I get the feeling that, whatever she says is going to be seen in the cup isn't going to be pleasant.”
“Probably because of her previous things which suggest bad things happening to others or those who the others care about,” Cedric said. “That would make it hard to think she's going to say anything good.”
“And I think she's choosing you to target because you make kind of are a target, being who you are and all,” Hermione said.
“Well, that's another strike against taking Divination, for me at least,” Harry said.
“I'm kind of afraid to know what she's going to target you for,” Luna said.
“Let's find out, then,” Hermione said.
sweeping over and snatching Harry’s cup from him. Everyone went quiet to watch.
Professor Trelawney was staring into the teacup, rotating it anti-clockwise.
“The falcon ... my dear, you have a deadly enemy.”
“But everyone knows that already, so it's kind of worthless to mention it,” Hermione said.
“Yeah, I thought this was supposed to show things that we don't know about ourselves,” Harry said.
“It's very possible that it's pointing to another enemy you might have,” Luna said. “Like Black.”
“And not everyone knows that he's after you, either,” Cedric said.
“True,” Harry said. “However, it does seem to point to Riddle as being my deadly enemy, not Black.”
“Though, one might take this as a confirmation that Black is after you, unlike what we thought before,” Hermione said.
“Unless he has another enemy that isn't known yet,” Luna said.
“But everyone knows that,” said Hermione in a loud whisper. Professor Trelawney stared at her.
“Well, they do,” said Hermione. “Everybody knows about Harry and You-Know-Who.”
“I really hope I don't spend the entire series saying You-Know-Who,” Hermione said.
“So do I,” Harry said. “I'd like at least one of my friends in the books to be able to say it at some point.”
Harry and Ron stared at her with a mixture of amazement and admiration. They had never heard Hermione speak to a teacher like that before.
“Well, honestly, I have the feeling, because of the way she acted, that I don't think she's really much of a teacher, and therefore, doesn't deserve my respect like other teachers do,” Hermione said.
“Are you sure it's that, and not the fact that she's picking on Harry and Ron?” Luna asked. Hermione grimly nodded her head.
“I'm sure, because I obviously don't disrespect Snape like I'm doing with Trelawney,” Hermione said. She looked over to Harry. “Sorry,” she added.
“It's okay. I'd rather you not have any more ire on you than being friends with me gets you,” Harry said.
“And being a non-Slytherin and Gryffindor gets me as well,” Hermione said.
Professor Trelawney chose not to reply.
“She knows that your right,” Luna said.
She lowered her huge eyes to Harry’s cup again and continued to turn it.
“The club ... an attack. Dear, dear, this is not a happy cup ...”
“I thought that was a bowler hat,” said Ron sheepishly.
“So it's possible that that one can happen,” Luna said.
“The question is when,” Hermione said. “We've already been told, by our future selves, that you don't have to face Riddle this year, so, unless Sirius Black attacks you – and how he'd do that, I don't know – then this attack could happen at some other time.”
“If it goes with Riddle being your enemy, then yes, it could happen at another time,” Luna said. “If it goes to Black, then the attack could happen this year. However, if it goes to someone you don't know about, then who knows when it'll happen.”
“The skull ... danger in your path, my dear ...”
“So long as Riddle is alive, that's not going to change,” Harry said. “Especially since he has it out for me.”
Everyone was staring, transfixed, at Professor Trelawney, who gave the cup a final turn, gasped, and then screamed.
“Drama queen,” Hermione sang. “I think I know why she was saying that those other shapes were in you cup for.”
“Yeah, so that whatever it is that's made her scream won't be too out of place,” Harry said, rolling his eyes.
There was another tinkle of breaking china; Neville had smashed his second cup. Professor Trelawney sank into a vacant armchair, her glittering hand at her heart and her eyes closed.
“Super drama queen, even more so that your relatives,” Hermione said.
“Very true,” Harry said.
“My dear boy – my poor dear boy – no – it is kinder not to say – no – don’t ask me ...”
“You know, that right there is not only her saying that she wants to be asked, but that what she's saw is most likely false,” Luna said.
“What is it, Professor?” said Dean Thomas at once. Everyone had got to their feet, and slowly, they crowded around Harry and Ron’s table, pressing close to Professor Trelawney’s chair to get a good look at Harry’s cup.
“Which probably won't do them any good, since I doubt any of them will be able to see whatever it was that she's going to say she saw,” Hermione said.
“My dear,” Professor Trelawney’s huge eyes opened dramatically, “you have the Grim.”
“That's that think on the book cover, right?” Harry said.
“Yeah,” Luna said. “That the thing you saw on the book cover, that made you think of the dog you saw before you summoned the Knight Bus.”
Both her and Cedric has looked slightly terrified for a moment, but then the remembered comments Professor Trelawney had made before, as well as her attempts at being dramatic had them unsure if she was actually seeing the Grim in the cup, or if she was basically picking on Harry for some reason or another, which helped them from actually being terrified.
“The what?” said Harry.
He could tell that he wasn’t the only one who didn’t understand;
“Most of those who didn't grow up in the wizarding world wouldn't,” Luna said.
Dean Thomas shrugged at him and Lavender Brown looked puzzled, but nearly everybody else clapped their hands to their mouths in horror.
“Which probably means that any Muggleborns or Muggle-raised students other than those you know, and probably Hermione, since I doubt she'll actually believe it,” Cedric said.
“The Grim, my dear, the Grim!” cried Professor Trelawney, who looked shocked that Harry hadn’t understood.
“Of course she would,” Hermione said. “It lessens the dramatic impact if the person your saying is going to die doesn't understand it.”
“The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! My dear boy, it is an omen – the worst omen – of death!”
Harry’s stomach lurched. That dog on the cover of Death Omens in Flourish and Blotts – the dog in the shadows of Magnolia Crescent ...
“Oh, great, your going to worry about it,” Hermione said.
“Sorry, can't help it,” Harry said. “I can't control what my book self does, after all.”
“I know,” Hermione said. “I know.”
Lavender Brown clapped her hands to her mouth, too. Everyone was looking at Harry; everyone except Hermione, who had got up and moved around to the back of Professor Trelawney’s chair.
“See, your probably not going to believe it,” Cedric said.
“I have the feeling that, even if I did believe it, I wouldn't act like I did, because I do not like this teacher at all,” Hermione said.
“I don’t think it looks like a Grim,” she said flatly.
Professor Trelawney surveyed Hermione with mounting dislike.
“Well, we know of at least another teacher who won't like Hermione,” Cedric said.
“You’ll forgive me for saying so, my dear, but I perceive very little aura around you. Very little receptivity to the resonances of the future.”
“Oh, the fact that I'm not pretending that Harry's going to die means that there's no way I'll possibly be able to see the future, is that the way she's going to play it,” Hermione said, sounding angry.
“She's also saying that so that people will be more likely to believe her than they will be you,” Cedric said.
“I wonder if there's a way of making it so that she can only tell the truth, and nothing but the truth,” Hermione mused. “It would save a lot of trouble...”
Seamus Finnigan was tilting his head from side to side.
“It looks like a Grim if you do this,” he said, with his eyes almost shut, “but it looks more like a donkey from here,” he said, leaning to the left.
“So, basically, it's not a Grim unless your an idiot, and it's most likely a donkey that's being seen,” Luna said.
“When you’ve all finished deciding whether I’m going to die or not!” said Harry,
“It would be annoying to have to deal with that,” Harry said.
taking even himself by surprise. Now nobody seemed to want to look at him.
“I think we will leave the lesson here for today,” said Professor Trelawney, in her mistiest voice.
The four rolled their eyes at that.
“Yes ... please pack away your things ...”
“Do you guys think that she's dismissing us early because I didn't act the way she wanted me to,” Harry said.
“Possibly,” Hermione said.
“That would most likely mean that this is something she does in all classes, though,” Cedric pointed out.
“Well, if she acts like this in all classes, then it's very possible that there are others, like me, that couldn't stand it. It might be why people leave her class, because they not only don't view her as a real teacher, but get sick of her and her classroom,” Hermione said.
“That's true,” Harry said. “I hope that I leave at some point.”
“Somehow, because you chose the classes that Ron did, I don't think your book self will do that,” Hermione said.
Silently the class took their teacups back to Professor Trelawney, packed away their books and closed their bags. Even Ron was avoiding Harry’s eyes.
“He believes it,” Harry said.
“Most of the pure-bloods will,” Cedric said. “The only reason why I don't is because chances are that you just saw a dog, plus, based on what I've heard about the Grim, you'd be dead by now, since you die within the first twenty-four hours of seeing it, and your not dead, though, that almost hit with the Knight Bus doesn't make me all that comfortable in thinking that you didn't see it. I mean, like Luna said before, it might have thought you were dead already.”
“Until we meet again,” said Professor Trelawney faintly, “fair fortune be yours. Oh, and dear –“ she pointed at Neville, “you’ll be late next time, so mind you work extra hard to catch up.”
“I wonder if he is late the next time,” Hermione said.
“Unless they mention it, we have no way of knowing,” Harry said.
Harry, Ron and Hermione descended Professor Trelawney’s ladder and the winding staircase in silence, then set off for Professor McGonagall’s Transfiguration lesson. It took them so long to find her classroom that, early as they had left Divination, they were only just in time.
“Maybe that's really why she let us go, because we don't know the way to get to classes quite yet,” Hermione said.
Harry chose a seat right at the back of the room, feeling as though he was sitting in a very bright spotlight; the rest of the class kept shooting furtive glances at him, as though he was about to drop dead at any moment.
“That would be very annoying,” Harry said.
“I'll be surprised if Professor McGonagall doesn't say something about it,” Hermione said.
He hardly heard what Professor McGonagall was telling them about Animagi (wizards who could transform at will into animals),
“That would be kind of cool to be able to do,” Harry said. “I kind of wish I was actually listening.”
“Well, we know to do that this time around,” Hermione said.
and wasn’t even watching when she transformed herself in front of their eyes into a tabby cat with spectacle markings around her eyes.
“Really, what has got into you all today?” said Professor McGonagall, turning back into herself with a faint pop, and staring around at them all. “Not that it matters, but that’s the first time my transformation’s not got applause from a class.”
“Someone is a little bit sore about it,” Hermione said.
“I have to wonder how she's going to take it being because people are thinking your going to drop dead at any moment,” Cedric said.
“Well, this says that either Divination usually doesn't happen before Transfiguration, or that Professor Trelawney doesn't normally go around and pretending to see Grims, meaning that she most likely said that she did because you're the class, and you being who you are...” Luna said, trailing off at the end.
“Makes me to tempting of a target,” Harry finished.
“Exactly,” Luna said.
Everybody’s heads turned towards Harry again, but nobody spoke.
“How nice of them,” Cedric said dryly.
Then Hermione raised her hand.
“Of course it's going to be you who explains it,” Harry said, smiling lightly.
“Please, Professor, we’ve just had our first Divination class, and we were reading the tea leaves, and –“
“Ah, of course,” said Professor McGonagall, suddenly frowning.
“I wonder why she's frowning,” Hermione said.
“There is no need to say any more, Miss Granger. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?”
“So, it's not just something that Professor Trelawney came up with just them,” Harry said.
“It's a wonder anyone is willing to take her class when she says people are going to die,” Cedric said.
“I wonder how many students mention to the younger years how she's like,” Luna said.
“Probably none, which is probably why she still gets a large group of people for the class. I mean, from the sounds of it, every Gryffindor of our year took the class, and who knows which other house we shared it with, though, if we shared it with another house, chances are we are sharing Transfiguration with that other house as well right now,” Hermione said.
“That's probably true,” Luna said.
“So you either share with Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff,” Cedric said.
Everyone stared at her.
“Well, of course they are. She just said it so casually that it's surprising,” Hermione said.
“The fact that she's asking which if you will be dying this year should tell everyone else that there's something wrong with Professor Trelawney,” Cedric said.
“Me,” said Harry, finally.
“I see,” said Professor McGonagall, fixing Harry with her beady eyes.
“I wonder if she's thinking that, perhaps, it's just too strange of a coincidence that your the one Professor Trelawney says is going to die,” Luna said.
“Then you should know, Potter, that Sybill Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them has died yet.”
“If they were going to die when she said they would, they'd be dead already,” Hermione said.
“Seeing death omens is her favourite way of greeting a new class. If it were not for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues –“
“I get the feeling that, if she did speak ill of them, she's have a lot to say about Professor Trelawney, and none of it would be good,” Harry said.
“We don't need her to say it, though, because we can already tell that she's no good,” Hermione said.
Professor McGonagall broke off, and they saw that her nostrils had gone white.
“I think she's mad that she can't give her honest opinion because of this restriction,” Luna said.
She went on, more calmly, “Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. True Seers are very rare, and Professor Trelawney ...”
“Is not a true Seer,” Luna said.
“She's going to stop there, because she's getting dangerously close to insulting her,” Hermione said.
She stopped again, and then said, in a very matter-of-fact tone, “You look in excellent health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don’t let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in.”
The four snorted a bit at that.
“Well, that's a relief,” Harry said. “Though, I really wish she would excuse me from having to do homework.”
Hermione laughed. Harry felt a bit better. It was harder to feel scared of a lump of tea leaves away from the dim red light and befuddling perfume of Professor Trelawney’s classroom.
“You know, it's very possibly that that's why her classroom is that way, in order to manipulate your emotions a bit,” Hermione mused.
Not everyone was convinced, however. Ron still looked worried, and Lavender whispered, “But what about Neville’s cup?”
“You know, it seems that Lavender is going to be one of her believers,” Hermione said.
“Particularly if whatever she's dreading does happen,” Cedric said.
When the Transfiguration class had finished, they joined the crowd thundering towards the Great Hall for lunch.
“Ron, cheer up,” said Hermione, pushing a dish of stew towards him.
“He's not eating?” Luna asked, sounding surprised. “Wow, he must be more worried than it said he was.”
“You heard what Professor McGonagall said.”
Ron spooned stew onto his plate and picked up his fork but didn’t start.
“Harry,” he said, in a low, serious voice, “you haven’t seen a great black dog anywhere, have you?”
“Don't answer that,” Hermione said at once. “Since he believes that your being haunted by the Grim, common sense will flee him. It's just better to lie about seeing a black dog.”
“Yeah, I have,” said Harry. “I saw one the night I left the Dursleys.”
Ron let his fork fall with a clatter.
“Oh, lovely,” Hermione said.
“Probably a stray,” said Hermione calmly.
“I have to say I agree,” Harry said. “I mean, I was in an area were strays are seen all of the time.”
Ron looked at Hermione as though she had gone mad.
“Of course,” Hermione said, rolling her eyes. “I have to be mad for being logical.”
“Yeah, there's no proof I saw anything but a stray,” Harry said.
“Hermione, if Harry’s seen a Grim, that’s – that’s bad,” he said. “My – my Uncle Bilius saw one and – and he died twenty-four hours later!”
“Okay, I can see why he's being worried,” Hermione said. “Though, I still think it's a coincidence, and that, maybe, he was lying or joking about seeing one.”
“Most pure-bloods won't do that,” Cedric said. “They've all grown up knowing things like this, and they know better than to joke about it.”
“Kind of like how the pure-blood fanatics have the ideas they have because of the way they grew up?” Hermione asked.
“Yes,” Luna said.
“Coincidence,” said Hermione airily, pouring herself some pumpkin juice.
“I doubt I'll admit that it might be more than that,” Hermione said. “It would be giving credit to Professor Trelawney, after all.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” said Ron, starting to get angry. “Grims scare the living daylights out of most wizards!”
“Well there you go, then,” Hermione said. “They're not an omen, they're a cause of death.”
Harry and Cedric snorted in laughter at that, while Luna thought about it.
“Actually, that's not a bad theory,” Luna said. “I mean, as Cedric said, we've grown up knowing that they're bad. It could have just gotten so far that people can't help but get scared to death because of it. And, when someone they don't expect to die does, others probably assume that it's a Grim that caused it, which then gets spread around.”
“Which would keep the idea that Grims are omens of death strong,” Harry added.
“That is a good theory,” Cedric said.
“There you are, then,” said Hermione in a superior tone.
Hermione winced a bit. There was no reason for her to talk as if she was above Ron.
“They see the Grim and die of fright. The Grim’s not an omen, it’s the cause of death!”
“Didn't we already go through this,” Harry said.
“Apparently by book self definitely agrees with my real self,” Hermione said. “Only difference is that I didn't say it all superior to you guys, while my book self is.”
“And Harry’s still with us because he’s not stupid enough to see one and think, right, well, I’d better pop my clogs then!”
The four snorted with laughter.
Ron mouthed wordlessly at Hermione, who opened her bag, took out her new Arithmancy book and propped it open against the juice jug.
“I think Divination seems very woolly,” she said, searching for her page. “A lot of guesswork, if you ask me.”
“That's true, it mostly is,” Luna said.
“There was nothing woolly about the Grim in that cup!” said Ron hotly.
“You didn’t seem quite so confident when you were telling Harry it was a sheep,” said Hermione coolly.
“That's true,” Luna said. “The only reason why he seems to be thinking that Professor Trelawney is even right is because he's positive that his uncle died because of a Grim.”
“Professor Trelawney said you didn’t have the right aura! You just don’t like being rubbish at something for a change!”
“I'm not exactly rubbish at it, I just had no plan of pretending to see something that most likely wasn't there,” Hermione said. “It's not my fault Trelawney can't stand someone not agree with her when she's trying to make things up so that she can say someone's going to die.”
He had touched a nerve. Hermione slammed her Arithmancy book down on the table so hard that bits of meat and carrot flew everywhere.
“You should have hit him with it,” Cedric said.
“Yeah, he really should have thought of something else to say,” Luna said.
“If being good at Divination means I have to pretend to see death omens in a lump of tea leaves,”
“Which is what it seems that Trelawny was trying to do,” Luna said.
“I’m not sure I’ll be studying it much longer!That lesson was absolute rubbish compared to my Arithmancy class!”
“What are you talking about?” Harry said, confused. “You've been with us the entire morning. You haven't been to an Arithmancy class yet.”
“I don't know what I'm talking about, but it's possible that whatever it was that Professor McGonagall gave me has helped,” Hermione said.
She snatched up her bag and stalked away.
“He really made you mad, didn't he?” Cedric asked.
“Apparently,” Hermione said.
Ron frowned after her.
“What’s she talking about?” he said to Harry. “She hasn’t been to an Arithmancy class yet.”
“I'm not sure if it's a good thing that he asked that,” Hermione said. “It probably means that he's going to keep bugging me about it.”
“Most likely,” Harry said. “I'll probably try asking you as well at some point.”
“That's probably going to get annoying,” Hermione said.
Harry was pleased to get out of the castle after lunch.
“I hope it's a nice day today,” Luna said.
Yesterday’s rain had cleared; the sky was a clear, pale grey and the grass was springy and damp underfoot as they set off for their first ever Care of Magical Creatures class.
“I can't wait to see how Hagrid is as a teacher,” Hermione said.
Ron and Hermione weren’t speaking to each other.
“I think that's a bit better than being in the middle of you two arguing,” Harry said.
“Just shows that we definitely wouldn't be friends, much less best friends, without you,” Hermione said.
Harry walked beside them in silence as they went down the sloping lawns to Hagrid’s hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It was only when he spotted three only-too-familiar backs ahead of them that he realised they must be having these lessons with the Slytherins.
“I guess we didn't bother to see if we were to share with them or not,” Hermione said, sighing a bit.
“Why do we have to share with them,” Harry said, groaning. “Now, I just know that something is going to go wrong. After all, they won't like it that Hagrid is the teacher, and will most likely want to ruin the class for everyone else because of how inconsiderate they are.”
Malfoy was talking animatedly to Crabbe and Goyle, who were chortling. Harry was quite sure he knew what they were talking about.
“It's probably all they'll talk about for awhile, unless something else happens,” Hermione said.
Hagrid was waiting for his class at the door of his hut. He stood in his moleskin overcoat, with Fang the boarhound at his heels, looking impatient to start.
“He must really want to know what kind of impression he'll make,” Harry said.
“C’mon, now, get a move on!” he called, as the class approached. “Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin’ up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!”
For one nasty moment, Harry thought that Hagrid was going to lead them into the Forest; Harry had had enough unpleasant experiences in there to last him a lifetime.
“He won't lead you straight in,” Cedric said. “He'll just probably come near it.”
However, Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees, and five minutes later, they found themselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing in there.
“He plans on surprising you with whatever it is he's showing,” Luna said,
“Everyone gather round the fence here!” he called. “That’s it – make sure yeh can see. Now, firs’ thing yeh’ll want ter do is open yer books –“
“How are we to do that, exactly?” Hermione said.
“How?” said the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy.
“Eh?” said Hagrid.
“How do we open our books?” Malfoy repeated.
“Your thinking like Malfoy,” Harry said. Hermione looked disgusted, but said, “Couldn't be helped. It's a valid question to ask, after all.”
He took out his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which he had bound shut with a length of rope. Other people took theirs out, too; some, like Harry, had belted their book shut; others had crammed them inside tight bags or clamped them together with bullclips.
“Hasn’ – hasn’ anyone bin able ter open their books?” said Hagrid, looking crestfallen.
“Nope,” Harry said.
The class all shook their heads.
“Yeh’ve got ter stroke ’em,” said Hagrid, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. “Look ...”
He took Hermione’s copy and ripped off the Spellotape that bound it. The book tried to bite, but Hagrid ran a giant forefinger down its spine, and the book shivered, and then fell open and lay quiet in his hand.
“Stroking them, huh?” Hermione asked, laughing a bit. “You know, we probably should have guessed that. I mean, really, when you think about it, it's a valid idea to do.”
“Very valid,” Harry said. “After all, most creatures probably like to be petted, after all.”
“Oh, how silly we’ve all been!” Malfoy sneered. “We should have stroked them! Why didn’t we guess!”
“Somehow, I don't think anybody did anything to find out how to read them,” Hermione said. “Otherwise, it probably would have gotten around to others, even if it was in just their own house.”
“I ... I thought they were funny,” Hagrid said uncertainly to Hermione.
“He would,” Luna said, shaking her head lightly.
“Oh, tremendously funny!” said Malfoy. “Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off!”
“As much as I hate to admit he's right, Hagrid should have actually thought about that before assigning the books,” Cedric said. The other three nodded. While they had a feeling that they'd like Hagrid if they met him, they all agreed that he should be a bit more careful about things, and realize that, just cause he could do it, didn't mean that everyone else could.
“Shut up, Malfoy,” said Harry quietly. Hagrid was looking downcast and Harry wanted Hagrid’s first lesson to be a success.
“With the Slytherins there – particularly Malfoy and his group – I don't think that'll be possible,” Cedric said.
“Righ’ then,” said Hagrid, who seemed to have lost his thread, “so ... so yeh’ve got yer books an’ ... an’ ... now yeh need the Magical Creatures. Yeah. So I’ll go an’ get ’em. Hang on ...”
He strode away from them into the Forest and out of sight.
“I'm kind of scared to know what it is that he's going to bring back with him,” Hermione said.
“I really hope he doesn't bring back an acromantula,” Luna said.
“God, if he does, Ron is going to run straight back to the castle,” Harry said.
“God, this place is going to the dogs,” said Malfoy loudly. “That oaf teaching classes, my father’ll have a fit when I tell him –“
“Shut up, Malfoy,” Harry repeated.
“Careful, Potter, there’s a Dementor behind you –“
“I think I would feel if there was one behind me,” Harry said.
“Yeah, and I don't think he would be so calm if there really was,” Hermione said.
“How do you know he's calm?” Luna asked.
“I think it would say if he wasn't otherwise,” Hermione said.
“Oooooooh!” squealed Lavender Brown, pointing towards the opposite side of the paddock.
“Hagrid's back,” Luna said.
Trotting towards them were a dozen of the most bizarre creatures Harry had ever seen. They had the bodies, hind legs and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings and heads of what seemed to be giant eagles, with cruel, steel-coloured beaks and large, brilliantly orange eyes.
“Hippogriffs,” Luna said. “Not a bad creature to have, but it would be more suitable for after the first term than a first class.”
The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly-looking.
“Which is why I say that they should be later in the year,” Luna said.
Each of the beasts had a thick leather collar around its neck, which was attached to a long chain, and the ends of all of these were held in the vast hands of Hagrid, who came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures.
“Gee up, there!” he roared, shaking the chains and urging the creatures towards the fence where the class stood.
“I have the feeling we're not going to be standing still as he does that,” Hermione said.
“So do I,” Harry said.
Everyone drew back slightly as Hagrid reached them and tethered the creatures to the fence.
“Hippogriffs!’ Hagrid roared happily, waving a hand at them. Beau’iful, aren’ they?”
“They are,” Luna and Cedric said, having seen pictures of them before.
“And they're not all that dangerous, so long as you follow the instructions given to you, something that I have a feeling Hagrid will make sure you know,” Luna said.
Harry could sort of see what Hagrid meant. Once you had got over the first shock of seeing something that was half-horse, half-bird, you started to appreciate the Hippogriffs’ gleaming coats, changing smoothly from feather to hair, each of them a different colour: stormy grey, bronze, a pinkish roan, gleaming chestnut and inky black.
“They do sound beautiful,” Hermione said.
“So,” said Hagrid, rubbing his hands together and beaming around, “if yeh wan’ ter come a bit nearer ...”
No one seemed to want to. Harry, Ron and Hermione, however, approached the fence cautiously.
“Of course it would be you three,” Luna said.
“Now, firs’ thing yeh gotta know abou’ Hippogriffs is they’re proud,” said Hagrid.
Kind of like the pure-blood fanatics are,” Cedric said.
“Easily offended, Hippogriffs are.”
“Also like the pure-blood fanatics, though more often than not you'd probably confuse them,” Luna said.
“Don’t never insult one, ’cause it might be the last thing yeh do.”
“That sounds ominous,” Harry said.
Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle weren’t listening; they were talking in an undertone and Harry had a nasty feeling they were plotting how best to disrupt the lesson.
“You should point it out to Hagrid, then,” Hermione said. “If he knows prior that they're not listening, he can discipline them, and take house points, which would probably embarrass them a lot.”
“True, though I don't think my book self will notice that,” Harry said.
“Yeh always wait fer the Hippogriff ter make the firs’ move,” Hagrid continued. “It’s polite, see? Yeh walk towards him, and yeh bow, an’ yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh’re allowed ter touch him. If he doesn’ bow, then get away from him sharpish, ’cause those talons hurt.”
“So, basically, hope he bows back or you might be in trouble,” Hermione said. “Nice.”
“Right – who wants ter go first?”
“I don't think anyone will,” Luna said. “Particularly with those last words he gave. He should have put it into a different context.”
Most of the class backed further away in answer. Even Harry, Ron and Hermione had misgivings. The Hippogriffs were tossing their fierce heads and flexing their powerful wings; they didn’t seem to like being tethered like this.
“No, I don't think they would. I mean, who wants to tied up?” Luna said.
“No one?” said Hagrid, with a pleading look.
“That's probably going to get me to offer,” Harry said.
“I’ll do it,” said Harry.
“See?” Harry said.
“No one was arguing with you, Harry,” Hermione said, sounding a bit amused.
There was an intake of breath from behind him and both Lavender and Parvati whispered, “Oooh, no, Harry, remember your tea leaves!”
“I think we know of at least two of the believers of that fraud,” Hermione said.
“Seems that way,” Harry said.
Harry ignored them. He climbed over the paddock fence.
“Good man, Harry!” roared Hagrid. “Right then – let’s see how yeh get on with Buckbeak.”
He untied one of the chains, pulled the grey Hippogriff away from his fellows and slipped off his leather collar. The class on the other side of the paddock seemed to be holding its breath. Malfoy’s eyes were narrowed maliciously.
“He's probably hoping you get hurt,” Cedric said.
“Most likely,” Harry said.
“Easy, now, Harry,” said Hagrid quietly. “Yeh’ve got eye contact, now try not ter blink – Hippogriffs don’ trust yeh if yeh blink too much ...”
“Great, now your going to want to blink,” Hermione said.
Harry’s eyes immediately began to water, but he didn’t shut them. Buckbeak had turned his great, sharp head, and was staring at Harry with one fierce orange eye.
“That sounds a bit spooky,” Harry said. “Being stared at like that,”
“Tha’s it,” said Hagrid. “Tha’s it, Harry ... now, bow ...”
Harry didn’t feel much like exposing the back of his neck to Buckbeak, but he did as he was told. He gave a short bow and then looked up.
The Hippogriff was still staring haughtily at him. It didn’t move.
“That doesn't sound good,” Cedric said.
“Ah,” said Hagrid, sounding worried.
“Now we know it's not good,” Hermione said.
“Right – back away, now, Harry, easy does it –“
But then, to Harry’s enormous surprise, the Hippogriff suddenly bent his scaly front knees, and sank into what was an unmistakeable bow.
“Now you'll be able to pet it,” Luna said.
“Yippy,” Harry deadpanned.
“I take it that your not sure you actually want to pet it,” Cedric said.
“No, not really,” Harry said.
“Well done, Harry!” said Hagrid, ecstatic. “Right – yeh can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!”
Feeling that a better reward would have been to back away, Harry moved slowly towards the Hippogriff and reached out towards him. He patted the beak several times and the Hippogriff closed his eyes lazily, as though enjoying it.
“That doesn't sound to bad,” Harry said.
“Sounds like petting a dog or cat, actually,” Hermione said. “I don't think I'll be afraid of petting him all that much.”
The class broke into applause, all except for Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, who were looking deeply disappointed.
“Righ’ then, Harry,” said Hagrid, “I reckon he migh’ let yeh ride him!”
“Uh, no thanks,” Harry said.
“Somehow, I don't think he's going to let you get away with not riding him,” Luna said.
This was more than Harry had bargained for. He was used to a broomstick; but he wasn’t sure a Hippogriff would be quite the same.
“It's very doubtful,” Hermione said.
“Yeh climb up there, jus’ behind the wing joint,” said Hagrid, “an’ mind yeh don’ pull any of his feathers out, he won’ like that ...”
“Then what am I supposed to hold on to,” Harry said. “It described his entire front as being made of feathers.”
Harry put his foot on the top of Buckbeak’s wing and hoisted himself onto his back. Buckbeak stood up. Harry wasn’t sure where to hold on; everything in front of him was covered in feathers.
“Wrap your arms around his neck,” Luna said.
“Go on, then!” roared Hagrid, slapping the Hippogriff’s hindquarters.
Without warning, twelve-foot wings flapped open on either side of Harry; he just had time to seize the Hippogriff around the neck before he was soaring upwards.
“He should have waited until you were holding onto something,” Cedric said.
It was nothing like a broomstick, and Harry knew which one he preferred;
“Which one?” Luna said.
“Don't know,” Harry said.
the Hippogriff’s wings were beating uncomfortably on either side of him, catching him under his legs and making him feel he was about to be thrown off; the glossy feathers slipped under his fingers and he didn’t dare get a stronger grip; instead of the smooth action of his Nimbus Two Thousand, he now felt himself rocking backwards and forwards as the hindquarters of the Hippogriff rose and fell with his wings.
“It sounds like something you'd have to get used to,” Hermione said.
Buckbeak flew him once around the paddock and then headed back to the ground; this was the bit Harry had been dreading; he leant back as the smooth neck lowered, feeling he was going to slip off over the beak; then he felt a heavy thud as the four ill-assorted feet hit the ground, and just managed to hold on and push himself straight again.
“That didn't sound to bad,” Cedric said.
“Good work, Harry!” roared Hagrid, as everyone except Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle cheered.
“Of course they're not going to cheer,” Hermione said. “It's you.”
“OK, who else wants a go?”
Emboldened by Harry’s success, the rest of the class climbed cautiously into the paddock.
“The only think I can think of that he should have done was make sure that the students were listening, like ask them individually what they have to do and what not to do,” Hermione said. “This way, either Malfoy can't get into the paddock because he wasn't listening, or, if he proves that he was listening, he can't act like he didn't know better because the whole class would be against him about it.”
“Awe, but Hermione, remember, there are Slytherins there, and they most likely would say something else,” Harry said.
“And since most of the Slytherins have the money, they're the ones who will most likely be listened to,” Cedric said.
“Maybe there's a way for Harry to use his fame to keep that from happening,” Luna said.
Hagrid untied the Hippogriffs one by one, and soon people were bowing nervously, all over the paddock. Neville ran repeatedly backwards from his, which didn’t seem to want to bend its knees.
“Somehow, I don't think it's going to happen,” Harry said.
Ron and Hermione practised on the chestnut, while Harry watched.
Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle had taken over Buckbeak. He had bowed to Malfoy, who was now patting his beak, looking disdainful.
“Of course he chooses the Hippogriff I ended up practising on,” Harry said, rolling his eyes.
“This is very easy,” Malfoy drawled, loud enough for Harry to hear him. “I knew it must have been, if Potter could do it ... I bet you’re not dangerous at all, are you?” he said to the Hippogriff.
“Oh, no,” Luna said. “He's going to do the one thing he shouldn't.”
“How do you figure that?” Harry asked.
“It's him,” Luna said simply.
“Are you, you ugly great brute?”
“And this is why he should have been tested before being allowed in the paddock,” Hermione said.
It happened in a flash of steely talons; Malfoy let out a high-pitched scream and next moment, Hagrid was wrestling Buckbeak back into his collar as he strained to get at Malfoy, who lay curled in the grass, blood blossoming over his robes.
“Those talons are sharp,” Harry said.
“I’m dying!” Malfoy yelled, as the class panicked. “I’m dying, look at me! It’s killed me!”
“What a drama queen,” Hermione said, shaking her head. “He's either doing that on purpose, or he's really the type to overreact.”
“Probably a bit of both,” Cedric said.
“Yer not dyin’!” said Hagrid, who had gone very white. “Someone help me – gotta get him outta here –“
Hermione ran to open the gate while Hagrid lifted Malfoy easily.
“Of course he's going to be able to life him up easily,” Hermione said. “It would be kind of sad if he couldn't.”
As they passed, Harry saw that there was a long, deep gash in Malfoy’s arm; blood splattered the grass and Hagrid ran with him, up the slope towards the castle.
“That's definitely a bad cut, though Madam Pomfrey will be able to heal it up with no problem,” Cedric said.
Very shaken, the Care of Magical Creatures class followed at a walk. The Slytherins were all shouting about Hagrid.
“Of course,” Harry said.
“They should sack him straight away!” said Pansy Parkinson, who was in tears.
“Wasn't Hagrid's fault that Malfoy's an idiot,” Hermione said.
“It was Malfoy’s fault!” snapped Dean Thomas. Crabbe and Goyle flexed their muscles threateningly.
They all climbed the stone steps into the deserted Entrance Hall.
“And now, most likely, Malfoy's going to overdo his own reaction,” Cedric said.
and they all watched her run up the marble staircase. The Slytherins, still muttering about Hagrid, headed away in the direction of their dungeon common room; Harry, Ron and Hermione proceeded upstairs to Gryffindor Tower.
“Did the other Gryffindors go another way?” Cedric said.
“Possibly,” Hermione said. “That, or they just didn't think to mention what the others did.”
“D’you think he’ll be all right?” said Hermione nervously.
“If he's seriously hurt, he can get Hagrid fired,” Hermione said. “I really don't have any concern towards him whatsoever.”
“ ’Course he will, Madam Pomfrey can mend cuts in about a second,” said Harry, who had had far worse injuries mended magically by the matron.
“That was a really bad thing to happen in Hagrid’s first class, though, wasn’t it?” said Ron, looking worried. “Trust Malfoy to mess things up for him ...”
“It definitely was something to be expected, if you think about it,” Harry said.
They were among the first to reach the Great Hall at dinnertime, hoping to see Hagrid, but he wasn’t there.
“That didn't sack him, did they?” Hermione asked.
“I don't think so, not at the moment. I mean, it was clearly Malfoy's own fault for being stupid enough not to listen to the Professor of the class,” Harry said.
“They wouldn’t sack him, would they?” said Hermione anxiously,
“I think I already answered this,” Harry said. Hermione rolled her eyes.
“I do believe that it has been mentioned before that we might end up saying things that are the same as we do in the book, or nearly the same,” Hermione said.
“I know,” Harry said. “Still, it's fun to mention it.”
Hermione rolled her eyes at that, though she knew that she'd done it herself, and would probably do it again at some other point in the books.
not touching her steak-and-kidney pudding.
“They’d better not,” said Ron, who wasn’t eating either.
“That's twice in one book he doesn't dive right in,” Luna said, sounding shocked. “And in the same chapter, too.
Harry was watching the Slytherin table. A large group including Crabbe and Goyle were huddled together, deep in conversation. Harry was sure they were cooking up their own version of how Malfoy had got injured.
“And, considering who Malfoy's father is, their version will, of course, be more believable than anything anyone else comes up with,” Cedric said, shaking his head. “After all, why would a pure-blood lie.”
“Do you think your father could help him?” Luna asked.
Probably not,” Cedric said. “Malfoy Senior is to well connected.”
“What does your father do?” Hermione asked.
“He's a part of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures,” Cedric said. “Which is why he doesn't work with Dementors all that often. They're no need for Dementors all that much when it comes to Magical Creatures, after all.”
“Well, you can’t say it wasn’t an interesting first day back,” said Ron gloomily.
“True,” Hermione said. “I mean, Harry apparently has a death omen after him, we learned that Professor McGonagall doesn't care for Professor Trelawney or Divination all that much, and there's a chance that Hagrid might be in a lot of trouble.”
They went up to the crowded Gryffindor common room after dinner and tried to do the homework Professor McGonagall had set them, but all three of them kept breaking off and glancing out of the tower window.
“We must really be worried about him,” Harry said.
“There’s a light on in Hagrid’s window,” Harry said suddenly.
Ron looked at his watch.
“If we hurried, we could go down and see him, it’s still quite early ...”
“So it should be okay,” Harry finished.
“I don’t know,” Hermione said slowly, and Harry saw her glance at him.
“You think I might not be allowed out on the grounds at this time,” Harry said.
“Yes,” Hermione said.
“I’m allowed to walk across the grounds,” he said pointedly.
“For all we know, that's not true,” Luna said.
“Sirius Black hasn’t got past the Dementors here, has he?”
“As far as you know,” Cedric pointed out.
So they put their things away and headed out of the portrait hole, glad not to meet anybody on their way to the front doors, as they weren’t entirely sure they were supposed to be out.
“Didn't you just have an argument saying that you could go out on the grounds?” Luna said, looking amused.
“Yes,” Harry said, looking a bit amused as well.
The grass was still wet and looked almost black in the twilight. When they reached Hagrid’s hut, they knocked, and a voice growled, “C’min.”
Hagrid was sitting in his shirt-sleeves at his scrubbed wooden table; his boarhound, Fang, had his head in Hagrid’s lap.
“He's depressed, that doesn't sound good,” Harry said.
One look told them that Hagrid had been drinking a lot; there was a pewter tankard almost as big as a bucket in front of him, and he seemed to be having difficulty in getting them into focus.
“And that sounds even worse,” Hermione said.
“ ’Spect it’s a record,” he said thickly, when he recognised them. “Don’ reckon they’ve ever had a teacher who on’y lasted a day before.”
“He hasn't been sacked already, has he?!” Hermione said, sounding rather dismayed.
“You haven’t been sacked, Hagrid!” gasped Hermione.
“Not yet,” said Hagrid miserably,
“I think he suspects that it's only a matter of time, thanks to what happened to Malfoy,” Cedric siad.
taking a huge gulp of whatever was in the tankard. “But ’s only a matter o’ time, i’n’t it, after Malfoy ...”
“How is he?” said Ron, as they all sat down. “It wasn’t serious, was it?”
“No. Once Madam Pomfrey gets her hands on him, he'll be fine,” Cedric said.
“Madam Pomfrey fixed him best she could,” said Hagrid dully, “but he’s sayin’ it’s still agony ... covered in bandages ... moanin’...”
“He's faking it,” Harry said.
“He’s faking it,” said Harry at once.
“Apparently, you don't change,” Luna said.
“Madam Pomfrey can mend anything. She regrew half my bones last year. Trust Malfoy to milk it for all it’s worth.”
“Which is probably something that he's going to use in trying to get Hagrid into trouble,” Cedric said.
“That, or get the Hippogriff into trouble,” Luna said, eyes narrowing at the thought.
“School gov’nors have bin told, o’ course,” said Hagrid miserably.
'Of course,” Hermione muttered.
“They reckon I started too big. Shoulda left Hippogriffs fer later ... done Flobberworms or summat ... jus’ thought it’d make a good firs’ lesson ... ’s all my fault ...”
“It was interesting, and it's not his fault that Malfoy couldn't be bothered to listen to directions. I just wished that the Hippogriff had done actual long lasting damage to him,” Harry said. “Then he'd have a reason to be be in agony.”
“Which wouldn't help Hagrid's case,” Hermione pointed out. “Not that I don't wish it as well, but Hagrid would probably get into even worse trouble if that happened.”
“It’s all Malfoy’s fault, Hagrid!” said Hermione earnestly.
“We’re witnesses,” said Harry. “You said Hippogriffs attack if you insult them. It’s Malfoy’s problem he wasn’t listening. We’ll tell Dumbledore what really happened.”
“Yeah, don’t worry, Hagrid, we’ll back you up,” said Ron.
“You know, you seem to do a lot for him,” Cedric said.
“That's because he is a good friend of ours,” Harry said.
Tears leaked out of the crinkled corners of Hagrid’s beetle-black eyes. He grabbed both Harry and Ron and pulled them into a bone-breaking hug.
“Ow,” Harry said, wincing a bit. “That's going to hurt.”
“I take it you most likely managed to avoid the hug,” Luna said to Hermione.
“Seems so,” Hermione said.
“I think you’ve had enough to drink, Hagrid,” said Hermione firmly.
“Why do you say that?” Cedric asked.
“Probably because he happily crushed Harry,” Hermione said. “I think he does try to be more conscious about it.”
She took the tankard from the table and went outside to empty it.
“Ar, maybe she’s right,” said Hagrid,
“Of course she's right,” Cedric said.
letting go of Harry and Ron, who both staggered away, rubbing their ribs.
“I really hope that never actually happens,” Harry said.
Hagrid heaved himself out of his chair and followed Hermione unsteadily outside. They heard a loud splash.
“Did he just jump into the lake?” Harry asked.
“Don't know,” Hermione said.
“What’s he done?” said Harry nervously,
“I'm probably afraid to know the answer to that,” Harry said.
as Hermione came back in with the empty tankard.
“Stuck his head in the water barrel,” said Hermione, putting the tankard away.
“That'll work,” Hermione said.
Hagrid came back, his long hair and beard sopping wet, wiping the water out of his eyes.
“Tha’s better,” he said, shaking his head like a dog and drenching them all.
“Note to self: stand as far back as possibly to keep from being soaked,” Harry said.
“Listen, it was good of yeh ter come an’ see me, I really –“
“He really appreciates it,” Luna said.
Hagrid stopped dead, staring at Harry as though he’d only just realised he was there.
“Ah, no,” Harry said, deflating a bit as he figured what was most likely going to happen.
“He's not going to be happy to see you our of the castle, is he?” Hermione said.
“Most likely not,” Harry said , frowning.
“WHAT D’YEH THINK YOU’RE DOIN’, EH?” he roared, so suddenly that they jumped a foot in the air. “YEH’RE NOT TO GO WANDERIN’ AROUND AFTER DARK, HARRY! AN’ YOU TWO! LETTIN’ HIM!”
“Well, considering that, as far as he knows, I don't know that Black is probably after me, yelling at me isn't going to do much good,” Harry said. “Particularly because no one was really for me knowing other than Mr. Weasley. His attitude now would probably confuse the hell out of me.”
Hermione gave him a slight disapproving look, but didn't comment on his small curse, mostly because it was a small one, and the fact that she really didn't need to force everyone to watch their language – she wasn't their mother, and it was their right to curse if they wanted to.
“What I would like to see is you questioning him on why your not allowed out when everyone else your age is,” Luna said.
“Yeah, because I have the feeling that no one is supposed to tell me about it,” Harry said. “After all, it would be too informative if they were to tell me.”
Hagrid strode over to Harry, grabbed his arm and pulled him to the door.
“Ow, again,” Harry said.
“He doesn't seem to be minding his strength in this chapter, is he,” Luna said.
“No, he isn't,” Hermione said.
“C’mon!” Hagrid said angrily. “I’m takin’ yer all back up ter school, an’ don’ let me catch yeh walkin’ down ter see me after dark again. I’m not worth that!”
“Yes he is,” Harry said.
“He's worth more than that,” Hermione said.
“Yeah, he's a good man,” Cedric said.
“That's the end of the chapter,” Hermione said, handing the book to Cedric.