𝐊𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐍 | 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘞𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘺

Chapter 75 - Of Falcons, Giants and Potions

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Liar.

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Everybody got up late on Boxing Day. The Gryffindor Common room was much quieter than it had been, many yawns punctuating the lazy conversations.

"Oi, Freddie!" Lee spoke, momentarily pausing his game of Wizard's Chess with Angelina. "Did you make peace with the aviary category?"

Fred grumbled from his seat on the red sofa in front of the fireplace, burying his face in Betelgeuse's long locks.

Words had flown fast inside the Castle, and everyone had become aware of Fred's misfortune with a certain fiery Peregrin falcon. Said bird had chased the hapless Weasley boy on the Hogwarts ground until Fred had taken refuge inside the Castle.

Betelgeuse had witnessed the scene with impotent round eyes and a certain degree of amused astonishment.

"Sod off, Lee," George quipped, lowering his copy of The Daily Prophet. "Falcons are vicious!"

From the black mass of Betelgeuse's hair, Fred let out a groan of frustration.

"There, there," the Black soothed him, threading her tapered fingers through his hair. "You fell in battle, but the war is not lost, my russet champion."

"Bel," Fred moaned, making the girl giggle softly.

"Don't sulk, Fred," Lee spoke without looking up from the chess table. "You got to spend the night with Bel. Seems to me you lost to a bird, but you won a chick."

Betelgeuse opened her mouth to speak, but she could not utter a word. She was quite astonished by Lee's comment.

"Lee, I swear —," Fred began, but he was interrupted by his twin.

"Bloody hell!" George shouted, springing to his feet and nearing the couple with the news clutched in his hands. "Read this!"

It was an article topped with a picture of Hagrid looking extremely shifty.

DUMBLEDORE'S GIANT MISTAKE

Albus Dumbledore, the eccentric headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has never been hesitant to make controversial staff appointments, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. In September of this year, he hired Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, the notoriously jinx-happy ex-Auror, to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, a choice that caused many raised eyebrows at the Ministry of Magic, given Moody's well-known habit of attacking anybody who makes an unexpected movement in his presence. Mad-Eye Moody, however, looks reliable and kindly when set beside the part-human Dumbledore employs to teach Care of Magical Creatures. Rubeus Hagrid, who admits to being expelled from Hogwarts in his third year, has held the position of gamekeeper at the school ever since, a job secured for him by Dumbledore. Last year, however, Hagrid used his mysterious influence over the headmaster to secure the additional post of Care of Magical Creatures teacher, over the heads of many better-qualified candidates. An alarmingly large and ferocious-looking man, Hagrid has been using his newfound authority to terrorise the students in his care with a series of horrific creatures. While Dumbledore turns a blind eye, Hagrid has maimed numerous pupils during a series of lessons that many admit to being "very frightening."