24 Chapter 6 - Teacher and Apprentice (1/2)
”What happened with those two?” Vincent asked Harry, indicating to Ron and Hermione, noticing the tense atmosphere.
”They're arguing whether I'll die or not,” Vincent raised an eyebrow, ”Divination class, teacher saw a Grim, a black dog of death in my teapot, says I'll die, and now Ron and Hermione are arguing whether it's real or not.”
Vincent glanced back at the two before asking Harry, ”So what do you believe?”
”There's a lot of things that have wanted to kill me during the past few years,” Harry said, ”I've been pretty lucky so far. Maybe it'll run out, or maybe it won't.”
”You'll be fine,” Vincent reassured with Harry giving nod in thanks.
”Divinations always seemed a bit off to me,” Arnya muttered making Hermione turn to her suddenly.
”I know right?!” Hermione agreed as she started speaking to Arnya with enthusiasm about the her views on Divination. Arnya looked to Vincent for help only for him to shrug with helplessness.
”She's just mad because the Professor there told her that she wasn't suited for it,” Ron grumbled, ”probably the first time she was told she wasn't good at something.”
Vincent and Harry wisely chose not to say anything.
Hagrid was waiting outside his hut, looking nervous but also excited at the same time.
”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!”
Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees, and five minutes later, they found themselves outside an empty paddock.
”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?” said the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy. Vincent sighed as he looked at the rest of the class, only now noticing Malfoy and the group of Slytherins.
”Eh?” said Hagrid.
”How do we open our books?” Malfoy repeated. 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, had belted their book shut; others had crammed them inside tight bags or clamped them together with binder clips.
”Hasn'—hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?” said Hagrid, looking crestfallen.
The class all shook their heads before hearing a voice of amazement.
”Vincent, how'd you get yours open?” Hermione asked.
The rest of the class looked towards Vincent who blinked, ”I pet it.”
”...” The rest of the class turned speechless.
”It's like an animal so I pet it,” Vincent said as he took Hermione book bound with tape and petted the sides. He then took the tape off making the book fall open, ”didn't anyone else think of petting?”
”Who in their right minds would think of that?” Everyone thought as they silently repeated what Vincent did.
”Well it was suppos to be stroking the spine of the book, didn't know pettin works,” Hagrid said thoughtfully.
”Oh, how silly we've all been!” Malfoy sneered, ”We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess!”
”I—I thought they were funny,” Hagrid said uncertainly to Hermione.
”Oh, tremendously funny!” said Malfoy, ”Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off!”
”Shut up, Malfoy,” said Harry quietly.
”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...”
Vincent looked worriedly at Hagrid's retreating back. He knew that Hagrid had looked forward to all of this and didn't want anything to go wrong.
”This place is going to the dogs,” said Malfoy loudly, ”That oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him —”
”Can you say or do anything without involving your father?” Vincent said without looking at Malfoy who turned a little red. He opened his mouth, about to retort, only for Lavender Brown interrupt.
”Oooooooh!” squealed Lavender Brown, pointing toward the opposite side of the paddock.
Hagrid came back, trailing behind a dozen odd looking creatures. 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-colored beaks and large, brilliantly, orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly looking. 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.
”Gee up, there!” he roared, shaking the chains and urging the creatures toward the fence where the class stood. Everyone, except Harry and Vincent 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?”
Vincent looked over the creatures with interest, feeling like he understood where Hagrid came from, their gleaming coats and stormy feathers of different colors seemed almost mesmerising.
”Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' Hippogriffs is, they're proud,” said Hagrid, ”easily offended, Hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do.”
”Yeh always wait fer the Hippogriff ter make the firs' move,” Hagrid continued, ”it's polite, see? Yeh walk toward 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.”
”Right — who wants ter go first?”
Most of the class backed farther away in answer. Even Harry, Ron, and Hermione seemed to have misgivings while Arnya herself just watched. Vincent looked the creatures and felt rather curious.
”I'll give it a try,” Vincent said as he climbed over the fence.
”Same here,” Harry shook of his thoughts as he followed Vincent.
Vincent heard a couple of whispers behind, ”Oooh, no, Harry, remember your tea leaves!”
He glanced at Harry who ignored them, ”Be a bit stupid to die to this after all you've been through right?”
”Shut up Vince,” Harry muttered as they approached Hagrid.
”Good boys!” Hagrid smiled as he untied two Hippogriffs, one grey and one with a blueish color, ”Meet Buckbeak and Fleetwing.”
He pulled off their collars and led them to the boys. Vincent looked at the one called Fleetwing and gave it a smile as he approached it. It looked at him curiously with it's piercing orange eyes. Before he could bow down like Hagrid said, the Fleetwing trotted forward startling Hagrid
”Vincent no..!” Hagrid's voice trailed off as he stared in amazement as Fleetwing bowed it's head to Vincent with a quiet squark
Vincent, after returning the bow, then proceeded to pat it's beak before moving onto it's feathers with Fleetwing closing it's eyes in happiness.
”So soft and fluffy too,” Vincent remarked as he kept stroked it's head.
”Amazing...” Hagrid was at loss for words, ”amazing, normally yer mean't to bow firs', but Fleetwing here accepted you almos' immediately. Amazing, simply amazing. Well can't forget abou' you Harry. Now, wha yer meant to do is...”
While Hagrid was instructing Harry, Vincent continued to pat Fleetwing.
”So Fleetwing right?” Vincent said, ”Cool name.”
He received another squark in return before he turned to look back at the rest of the class. He mouthed to Ron, Hermione and Arnya if they want a shot where he received a 'we're fine' look. Arnya just blankly looked at him, not understanding the gesture making him chuckle to himself.
”Alrigh', I think they'll let you ride them,” Hagrid said, causing Harry to freeze up a little before nodding.
Vincent and Harry both hoisted themselves up on their respective Hippogriffs back as they knelt down for them. The Hippogriffs stood up once they were safely on.
”All righ', off ya go!” Hagrid said suddenly as he slapped the Hippogriffs backsides, inciting them to run off.
Vincent, although caught of guard, still managed to grab ahold of its feathers and regain his balance as Fleetwing started flapping its wings and took off to the sky. He managed to catch a glance at Harry who had expertly managed to do the same.
”As expected of someone who's a Seeker,” Vincent had enough time to think before looking forward as they entered the empty blue sky.
”Amazing,” Vincent thought as he stared at the view below him.
Although there was that one particular incident where he rode a beetle like dragon, the Dretle, riding a Hippogriff was far softer and much more smooth. Vincent looked over the Black lake, Hogwarts and the paddock that was getting further and further away as...
”Hang on,” Vincent thought as Fleetwing continued to fly, ”Harry's already back down, so why are we still flying?”
Fleetwing squawked as they continued to fly over the Black Lake. Vincent just sat there blankly.
”Fleetwing, shouldn't we go back down now?” Vincent asked only for Fleetwing to shake its head.
Vincent felt his eyes twitch, ”You've got to be kidding me.”
...
”Uh, sir?” Neville asked as the class started patting the Hippogriffs, ”Vincent still hasn't come down yet.”
”Ah, he'll be fine,” Hagrid said looking at the skies, ”Fleetwing loves to fly around, he'll come down when he's had enough fun.”
Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged worried glances as Arnya looked to the skies, ignoring a chestnut Hippogriff nudging her for attention.
”Well it's Vince, he'll be fine right?” Harry said as he scratched his head.
”This is very easy,” Malfoy drawled, loud enough for Harry to, hear him. ”I knew it must have been, if Potter and the Muggle could do it... I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you?” he said to the Hippogriff. ”Are you, you great ugly brute?”
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.
”I'm dying!” Malfoy yelled as the class panicked. ”I'm dying, look at me! It's killed me!”
”Yer not dyin'!” Hagrid said frantically. ”Someone help me — gotta get him outta here —”
Hermione ran to hold open the gate as Hagrid lifted Malfoy easily. As they passed, Harry saw that there was a long, deep gash on Malfoy's arm; blood splattered the grass and Hagrid ran with him, up the slope toward the castle.
Very shaken, the Care of Magical Creatures class followed at a walk. The Slytherins were all shouting about Hagrid.
”They should sack him straight away!” Pansy Parkinson said tearfully.
”It was Malfoy's fault!” Dean Thomas said angrily.
Crabbe and Goyle flexed their muscles threateningly.
They all climbed the stone steps into the deserted entrance hall.
”I'm going to see if he's okay!” Pansy, as she ran 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.
”You think he'll be all right?” Hermione asked nervously.
”I've seen worse wounds healed by Madam Promfey,” Harry said, remembering last year how a certain boy who had his body covered in wounds kept standing, ”if anything, Malfoy's making a big deal out of nothing.”
They walked silently back to the Gryffindor tower before Hermione looked around and froze.
”Hey, where's Arnya?” Hermione asked before turning pale.
”Uhh, guys,” Ron said turning white, ”we forgot Vincent.”
The three of them looked at each other in horror before running back out the castle.