It seemed to rain heavily last night around midnight, but pleasantly, the weather this morning was quite nice. The sky was clear, a gentle breeze was blowing, carrying a hint of hazy light gray. Today, the Slytherin and Gryffindor students would be taking a class together—the Care of Magical Creatures class, which had a new teacher.
"Just to be safe, I'll stay far away today." Malfoy stood on the damp grass, lost in thought. He remembered that in the original timeline, he had made a big mistake in the first class. Call him cowardly if you will, but he wasn't confident he could nimbly dodge a swipe from those sharp claws. He didn't particularly like these magical creatures and preferred to stay away from them. In his previous life, he hated cats and dogs the most, and he couldn't understand people who called their dogs 'son'.
It's hard for a normal person to understand the thinking of some dog lovers.
"Draco, what are you thinking about?" Pansy tilted her head, staring at him with a normal expression, as if she had forgotten her initiative from yesterday.
"Nothing." He shrugged. "I was just wondering what kind of lesson the big guy will prepare for us." He decided to speak to Pansy in his usual tone.
He wasn't oblivious to Pansy's affection for him, but he had no interest in making a move on a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl. That would be too sinful, and even in open-minded England, he couldn't accept it.
"Childhood sweetheart grooming?" He recalled this somewhat evil thought, and then remembered their first meeting. She was only this tall back then, Malfoy gestured in his mind.
"Compared to the bear kids I've seen before, who can pretend to cry to coax their parents, and dismantle figures with their bare hands, she's not qualified enough." He thought to himself, recalling her 'Squib' nickname back then, with an arrogant look. After being nurtured for so many years under her parents' less than 'healthy' values, that appearance should be considered acceptable.
Moreover, it seemed that she had been educated quite well by him now. The stories he had told, even if she deliberately misinterpreted them sometimes, making him laugh and cry, she had indeed listened to them.
At least he hadn't heard her say anything like 'Mudblood' lately.
Perhaps he still regarded her as a tsundere little sister.
But who knows what the future holds?
"Hmm, I think it will definitely be a bunch of disgusting, flat-feathered beasts." Pansy wrinkled her nose.
"If it is, then let's just stand on the side and watch later." Malfoy didn't want her to take risks either; he had suffered more than once from the butterfly effect.
"Okay." Pansy nodded obediently.
If they can't afford to provoke them, they can always avoid them.
Hagrid was waiting for his students in front of the hut, wearing a moleskin coat, looking a little nervous. After all, this was his first class. His boarhound was circling around his feet, seemingly more eager to start than he was. "Come on, hurry up!" he called out as the students approached. "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"
The two of them had arrived early together. The rest were other Slytherin and Gryffindor students. Malfoy keenly noticed that the trio was separated again. Harry and Ron were walking together, while Hermione was standing alone under a tree, her eyes looking a little red. He didn't know what had happened to the trio again, and he was too lazy to care.
He hadn't been present at yesterday's dinner.
Hermione seemed to notice his gaze and looked over here as well, which made Malfoy feel a little awkward.
"C'mon, now, c'mon." Hagrid's loud voice diverted their attention.
"Everyone gather 'round this here fence!" he called. "That's it — make sure yeh can see. Now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books —"
A Slytherin student sarcastically asked, "How are we supposed to open these books? Won't the things inside eat us if they get out?" His tone was as cutting as ever.
"Complaining won't do you any good." Malfoy said, then untied the rope binding his book and gently ran his finger along the spine. The book shuddered and then obediently opened.
"Perfect!" The student who had just mocked Hagrid immediately applauded in admiration, and the other students followed suit.
"Er…" Hagrid paused for a moment, then said in a rough voice, "Ten points… to Slytherin." He was also a little puzzled. Had he told this kid the method before?
Harry and Ron both looked surprised. They hadn't expected Hagrid to give points to Slytherin first, but that was right. They didn't think it would be good if Hagrid favored his own house like Snape did. If he did that, he wouldn't be Hagrid.
"Now, you've all got yer books, an' now yeh need the Magical Creatures. So I'll go an' get 'em." Hagrid muttered to himself, then strode off towards the forest with his wide steps.
"He's not going to bring out a dragon, is he?" Pansy tugged at Malfoy's sleeve and asked.
"If that dragon hadn't been sent away, you might have seen it." Malfoy thought to himself, but on the surface, he said, "I don't think so."
"Oooooh — !" Lavender Brown shrieked, a Gryffindor girl. She looked as if she had seen something terrifying, her mouth hanging wide open, and she was pointing towards the opposite side of the paddock. It seemed that the "danger" came from that direction.
Twelve of the strangest creatures the students had ever seen were walking quickly towards them. They had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but their front legs, wings, and heads seemed to be those of eagles. They had steel-colored beaks and bright orange eyes. The claws on their front legs were half a foot long and looked deadly. Each beast had a thick collar of feathers around its neck, tied with a long chain, the ends of which were held in Hagrid's large hands. He followed behind the animals, running slowly towards the paddock. "Get on with it!" he roared, shaking the chains and urging the creatures to the fence where the class was standing. Everyone backed away as Hagrid approached and tied the creatures to the fence. "Hippogriffs!" Hagrid roared happily, waving one hand at them. "Beauties, aren't they?"
Frankly, these creatures with fantastic features were quite majestic. The shiny fur transitioned seamlessly into feathers, with various dazzling colors: dark gray, bronze, sandy (red and white interspersed), shiny chestnut, and finally, jet black. Their proud heads were raised, and their nostrils snorted slightly, clearly looking down on this group of little guys.
"So," said Hagrid, rubbing his hands together and beaming at the students, "if yeh want ter get a bit closer…" It seemed nobody wanted to do that. However, Harry and Ron cautiously walked towards the fence. They probably weren't particularly willing either, but they didn't want to create an awkward situation, and they had to help Hagrid.
"Now, the first thing yeh gotta know about Hippogriffs is, they're proud," said Hagrid. "Easy ter offend Hippogriffs are. Never insult a Hippogriff, because it might be the last thing you do."
Malfoy nodded in deep agreement.
Hermione stayed far away on the periphery, even further from the Hippogriffs than Malfoy and Pansy were. She was all alone. She realized now that besides Ron and Harry, she didn't really have any friends she could talk to, and she subconsciously regretted what she had said yesterday.
Because it looked like these creatures could really bring "bloodshed."
"Anyway, I don't have any plot armor, so I definitely won't be the one." Hermione comforted herself, although she was far away, her eyes couldn't help but drift towards Ron and Harry, while she also caught sight of Malfoy and Pansy talking not far away.
"Why doesn't he dare to go forward?" She was a little puzzled. Friend or foe aside, Hermione had to admit that Malfoy was much better than her in terms of learning, but he didn't seem to want to be in the limelight in today's class.
And seeing how close the two of them were, her mood became even more irritable for no reason.
"Oh, Harry, thank you. Whether you succeed or not, Gryffindor will get ten points for your courage today." Hagrid's thick voice drew her attention back, his tone mixed with worry and joy.
Harry was preparing to be the first to face these "monsters." He took a few steps forward, but immediately heard the students behind him screaming. Several female students said, "Oh, no, Harry, think of your tea leaves!"
Hermione also recalled Professor Trelawney's ominous prophecy for Harry in Divination class, and she looked over with even more concern.
Harry obediently bowed, following Hagrid's instructions, widening his eyes, because it was said that blinking in the face of such creatures was disrespectful and would prevent them from gaining trust. However, the monster in front of him didn't seem to see his goodwill and continued to size him up with hostile eyes.
"Ah," Hagrid said, sounding somewhat worried. "Alright—back away now. Harry, back away slowly—"
But just then, to Harry's great surprise, the monster suddenly bent its scaly front knees, its body sinking down, clearly bowing.
"Well done, Harry!" Hagrid said ecstatically. "Yes—you can touch him now! Pat his beak, go on!"
Subsequently, under Hagrid's guidance, Harry successfully flew a circle above the paddock on the Hippogriff named Buckbeak, which also drew rounds of applause.
"Ten more points for Gryffindor!" Hagrid said, cheerfully tugging at his beard.
Harry glanced towards Hermione and saw her clapping a few times, then he saw Malfoy, who was actually applauding him as well.
"Could it be that I'm too petty?" he thought, completely unexpected that Malfoy would applaud his performance after their unpleasant meeting during the holidays.
Many students were encouraged by Harry, and they mustered up the courage in their hearts, walking towards a Hippogriff that they found pleasing to the eye. Neville fled from the monster in front of him several times, causing the surrounding students to burst into laughter. Hermione felt that her argument with Ron had nothing to do with Hagrid, and she should support him, so she prepared to pass through the crowd of students and find one that she could tolerate to complete the task.
"Isn't he going over there?" Hermione parted a few students in front of her, her eyes widening as she noticed Malfoy and Pansy chatting as if no one else was around, with no intention of going up at all.
"Oh, the brave warrior who dared to manipulate the Basilisk is actually afraid of these little things?" Ron also happened to see Malfoy, noticing him whispering with his 'little girlfriend,' not knowing what they were saying. Perhaps out of a 'single dog's' jealousy, or perhaps because of pent-up anger, he couldn't help but sarcastically speak towards the direction of Malfoy. He had a belly full of fire that needed to be vented, and today was a good opportunity. In his opinion, Slytherin's Malfoy only dared to engage in conspiracies and tricks, but now he was afraid of these magical creatures, backing down and chickening out. Having always been at a disadvantage in past confrontations, he was about to vent his anger fiercely at this moment. He also remembered the uncontrollable hiccups from that time at Hagrid's hut, and he wanted to retaliate even more.
"True courage is not blindly showing off," Malfoy said calmly, then took Pansy to Hagrid and said, "I'm not feeling very well today, just attending class is already a struggle, I hope you don't mind, Professor.", then he pulled Pansy beside him, and said the same thing.
"Oh, oh, is that so?" Hagrid was somewhat flattered. Apart from Harry and a few other students, this was the first time he had been called 'Professor.' Being kind-hearted, or rather, easily fooled, he nodded along. He still remembered how 'tough' this child had been in his hut in the first year.
"Professor Dumbledore, thank you for your help," he mentally thanked his most respected headmaster once again, for giving him the opportunity to become a teacher.
However, he quickly broke free from his complex mental activity, because he heard the students exclaiming.
"Oh my god!" A female student named Lavender began to scream, as if she had seen something terrible.
"A complacent fool," Malfoy watched coldly, already guessing the outcome.
This time, the one seeking death was Ron.
He seemed to have forgotten that these magical creatures had intelligence. Even if they couldn't fully understand what people were saying, they could distinguish between goodwill and malice.
What did he say just now?
"These little things?"
Retribution had come. The trust and goodwill that Ron had obtained from this magical creature through bowing just now should have instantly turned into a negative number. The more intelligent the creature, the more importance it placed on dignity. Now, the Hippogriff was starting to jump up and down restlessly, trying desperately to break free from the person riding on its back. The monster raised its head, its expression becoming ferocious, and its nostrils began to puff out thick air.
"Oh my god, Merlin above, what should I do?" Hagrid looked helplessly at the rampaging creature, powerless, because even he couldn't find a way to appease the creature beneath Ron.
"Let's go, I think the brave warrior certainly doesn't want us to watch his wonderful performance," Malfoy said sarcastically. He wasn't so kind as to be a nanny. If it were Pansy or Neville up there, he might have saved them. The former goes without saying, and he at least had goodwill towards the latter.
As for the person who had mocked him one moment and received retribution the next, he had no time to care.
Harry glared at him when he heard these words, but he didn't have the extra energy to argue, he had to find a way to save Ron.
At this moment, Ron was being shaken violently, feeling dizzy and lightheaded, but instinct told him that if he let go, he would be finished. So he desperately clung to the creature's neck, but he didn't expect that this would deepen the Hippogriff's sense of humiliation. It struggled even harder, determined to throw the annoying human off.
Just when Hagrid was about to cry from anxiety, a light symbolizing a spell streaked across the sky like a meteor, hitting the rampaging monster beneath Ron. The monster's body suddenly stiffened, and it was about to fall from mid-air. Fortunately, the spell only hit its lower body and did not affect its wings. The monster flapped a few times and managed to stabilize its body again, but the stiffness of half of its body still prevented it from staying in the sky for much longer.
Therefore, the monster's only choice was a 'forced landing.'
Intelligent creatures have dignity, that's true, but risking their lives for dignity isn't what intelligent creatures do.
"Thank you, Hermione, I'll apologize to you for Ron in advance," Harry immediately ran to Hermione and said this, seeing that Ron should be temporarily safe.
The caster of this spell, needless to ask, was her.
Yesterday, Harry actually didn't agree with Ron's actions, but out of consideration for his friend's feelings, he didn't say much. When his two friends argued, even if the right and wrong were obvious, as a male, it was difficult for him not to lean towards Ron, but that didn't mean he didn't know what was right and wrong.
Moreover, now that Hermione had helped Ron despite their previous disagreement, Harry felt that the two of them were even more wrong.
Hermione pursed her lips and remained silent, seemingly unwilling to accept the apology on Ron's behalf.
Hermione only felt that Ron was too childish, almost risking his life for a petty dispute, while the other party only saw it as a joke, but...
He was still her friend, wasn't he?
"Watch out behind you!" Hermione came back to her senses, but suddenly realized that the danger had not been resolved, and immediately warned loudly, not caring whether the two of them had reconciled or not, whether her speaking first would be considered a sign of weakness.
Ron and the surrounding students seemed to only care about the monster's flying altitude being too high, afraid that he would fall from the sky. If there was no other way, the students could collectively use the Levitation Charm on him, which would at least have some effect and prevent him from being too badly hurt.
So, seeing that the big guy seemed to have given up struggling, they were all completely relieved, and even Ron breathed a sigh of relief, but they forgot one thing.
Ron had offended the monster itself.
The moment Hermione reminded him was also the moment he landed. He only heard a whooshing sound coming from the back of his head, then he was struck hard on the head and fell straight down.
"This guy's claws are really strong," was his last thought before losing consciousness.
All the students present only saw Ron being slapped hard by the silver, sharp claws of the 'vengeful' Hippogriff and falling to the ground unconscious.
"Oh my god!" A girl named Lavender was so frightened that she almost fainted, because she saw a patch of blood red oozing out from under Ron's lying body.
"Is this a bloody disaster?" Hermione stared blankly at the fallen Ron, not knowing what expression she should make.
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