"Next, let's observe the magical structure within a hippogriff's wings together. Studying magical spectra might feel a little dull at first, but trust me—this is essential groundwork for the more exciting parts later on… How about this: if everyone manages to grasp it today, I'll try teaching you how to get along with hippogriffs. Who knows—maybe Buckbeak can even give you a short flight?"
"Really?"
Thanks to Hagrid's earlier explanations, the students had gradually grown interested in these creatures with their storied histories, and were no longer so frightened by their imposing appearances.
"Of course. In fact, before broomsticks became widespread, hippogriffs were once quite popular mounts. Even now, there are still enthusiasts who ride them… but first, class."
"Come on, Buckbeak—if you'd be so kind, open your wing a little. Yes, just like that…"
Hagrid gently pinched the tip of Buckbeak's wing and slowly lifted it, fully spreading one side for the students to see. "Now, I'll demonstrate the wing spectrum of a hippogriff. Everyone, compare carefully with your textbooks…"
As he spoke, he fumbled around his waist for a moment before carefully picking out a wand with two fingers. Ever since his wand rights had been restored, he no longer needed to hide it in that pink umbrella. And though it looked like a chopstick in his enormous hands, it was actually more than twice the length of an ordinary wand…
Hagrid gave the wand a little shake and cautiously cast a spell. Instantly, a layer of dazzling, multicolored light bloomed across Buckbeak's wing. "First, we need to understand the basic meanings of the different colors and their positions…"
He explained in his deep, rough voice, carefully and thoroughly. Even though he'd never graduated from Hogwarts and his own research leaned toward hands-on practice, this sort of foundational theory posed no difficulty for him—certainly not when teaching a group of ten- or eleven-year-olds. As he spoke, students occasionally raised their hands with questions they didn't understand, and Hagrid, puzzling inwardly that 'isn't this obvious,' still did his best to explain things in greater detail…
Though there were a few stumbles along the way, in the end, through sheer effort, he managed to make sure every student understood the lesson.
"Very good!"
After a brief round of spot-check questions confirmed that the knowledge had truly stuck, Hagrid could no longer hold back his expression. He broke into a wide, slightly goofy grin, looking happier than ever. "So—who'd like to try approaching a hippogriff for real?"
Nearly everyone in Gryffindor shot their hands up, and more than half of Hufflepuff followed suit.
"Oh dear, looks like one Buckbeak won't be enough…" Hagrid said. "I'll fetch a few more in a bit. But first, I need someone to demonstrate… Mr. Ken, you'll do."
Avada lowered his raised hand and stepped out of the crowd, moving straight toward Buckbeak—only for Hagrid to stop him with one hand.
"Careful now. Hippogriffs are very proud. Miss even one step, or do it improperly, and they'll take it as an insult or a challenge. Mr. Ken, stand in front of Buckbeak and follow my instructions. Everyone else, watch closely…"
Standing to the side, Hagrid gripped Buckbeak's chain tightly with one hand while issuing soft instructions. "Look into its eyes. Hold its gaze—don't blink. If you blink too often, the hippogriff won't trust you…"
Avada's eye twitched. He was a little sensitive about 'making eye contact' these days, but he forced his eyes open and stared into those large orange eyes… Right. Even the color matched. That only made him feel more uncomfortable.
"All right. Now bow—gently—and after you bow, take a step back…"
When Avada followed the instructions to the letter, Buckbeak suddenly bent its scaled forelegs and returned a clear, unmistakable bow.
"Excellent!"
Hagrid beamed again. "All right, it's given you permission to touch it. You can gently pat its beak. Go on!"
With a sense of novelty, Avada slowly approached Buckbeak and reached out his hand. It was his first time getting this close to a magical creature rated XXXX in danger. He patted Buckbeak's hard beak a few times; the hippogriff lazily closed its eyes, seeming to enjoy it.
"Wonderful! Want to try riding it for a lap, Ken? Strictly speaking, riding a hippogriff requires quite a bit of equipment, but it won't mind if you just hold onto its neck—as long as you don't pull its feathers…"
"I'll pass," Avada said.
He knew his own flying talent all too well. "I'm afraid I'd panic and grab the wrong thing."
"All right, then," Hagrid nodded, turning to the other students. "Remember the process you just saw—eye contact, bow, step back. Movements must be gentle. Got it?"
"Good. Wait here for a moment. I'll fetch a few more hippogriffs. Then you can try interacting with them in groups of two or three, taking turns and watching out for each other…"
Before long, Hagrid returned leading over a dozen hippogriffs of various colors. He brought them to the already divided groups and patrolled back and forth, constantly correcting movements and soothing the more irritable hippogriffs… And just like that, the already short class period came to an end.
"…All right, all right. Next lesson I'll definitely prepare saddles and let you have a proper ride. That's it for today. Goodbye, everyone."
Hagrid cheerfully led the group of hippogriffs away, bidding the students farewell. His very first lesson as a professor had gone far better than expected—well worth celebrating. He also planned to write to Professor Kettleburn and that Mr. Belby…
"Hey, Hagrid!"
It was after class, so there was no need for formal titles. After Hagrid settled the hippogriffs and returned to his hut, Avada—who had been itching with curiosity—caught up to him. "How does it feel to be a professor?"
"Amazing!"
Around someone familiar, Hagrid was even more relaxed, his smile growing wider. "Everyone seemed to respond really well!"
"They did. Your lesson was excellent," Avada praised sincerely. "Designing such a great class all by yourself—that's impressive. Even Professor McGonagall has student assistants helping out, and this was your very first day…"
"Heh, well, it wasn't all my doing…"
Hagrid scratched his head with a bashful grin, giving the answer Avada had expected. "Do you remember Professor Kettleburn's basilisk breeding project?"
"Of course—but what does that have to do with this?"
"I took part in it over the summer. To make taming basilisks easier, we designed a project on deciphering Parseltongue. We drew on a lot of methods about how to effectively pass on knowledge—and the person who helped me the most was another gentleman. His name is Damocles Belby…"
"Belby?" Avada asked in surprise. "The inventor of the Wolfsbane Potion?"
"You know him? I thought his field was pretty niche!" Hagrid said, pleasantly surprised, nodding. "When he heard I was going to be a professor, he spent a long time talking with me about teaching. He called it an exchange, but really it was him teaching me one-sidedly… I learned an incredible amount."
"And he strongly approved of my idea to use The Monster Book of Monsters. He said that taming the book would help students learn the basics of dealing with dangerous creatures. Heh—at first I just thought the book was funny. Didn't realize it had that kind of educational value."
"…Remarkable," Avada said from the heart.
The admiration was genuine. Compared to the original timeline, Hagrid's teaching ability was now outstanding beyond measure. And Mr. Belby—the one who'd truly set Hagrid on the right path—what kind of master educator must he be?
Could Damocles Belby be a professor at some magical school as well, simply never mentioned in the original records?
(End of Chapter)