Deathly Consequences to Lively Friends

01:08

"An animal's eyes have the power to speak a great language." 

- Martin Buber 

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Alastair's POV

I scrambled out of the Hospital Wing, heading to the secret hallway I had found a couple of weeks ago. I ran into the hallway and almost ran into a redhead boy. I stopped in my tracks, about 1 foot away from the boy. 

I took two steps back as the redhead did the same thing. He said, "Wow, there. Yeh alright, mate?" I shook my head and he asked, "What's wrong?" I vaguely answered, "Me best friend's in the Hospital Wing and it's me fault." 

He asked, "Do yeh want to talk about it or do yeh want to get yer mind off it?" I answered, "I want to get me mind off of it." The boy nodded and held out his hand to me. He said, "I'm Caspar Acker, but everybody calls me Cas. I'm a seventh year Gryffindor. Yeh are?"

I said, "Alastair Aphelion, but me friends call me Alek. First year Gryffindor," as I shook his hand. We let go of each other's hands, dropping them to our sides. Caspar said, "Are yeh supposed to be anywhere?" I answered, "Only the Hospital Wing." 

Caspar nodded and said, "Follow me then." I nodded and Caspar turned around, sneakily walking away. I followed him, and we got outside. I asked, "Where are we going?" 

Caspar answered, "Hagrid's. He's Hogwarts' Groundskeeper and Keeper of Keys. He's really nice and has lots of magical creatures. We might even see a unicorn or hippogriff." I nodded and we got to Hargid's hut. 

Caspar knocked on the door and it was opened within a couple of seconds, revealing a tall man with shaggy black hair and a shaggy black beard. Caspar said, "Hullo Hagrid. Mind if Alek and I come in?" The man—Hagrid—questioned, "Alek?" 

I said, "That's me." Hagrid looked at me and said, "Oh, well hullo Alek." I stated, "Hi." Hagrid looked back at Caspar and nodded, pulling the door open even more as he walked away from the door. He said, "Come on in, guys."

Caspar looked at me and nodded. I smiled as Caspar looked away from me as he walked into Hagrid's hut. I walked into the hut, closing the door behind me. Hagrid asked, "Why 're yeh 'ere, Caspar?" 

Caspar answered, "Well, I ran into Alek in the halls and he seemed like he likes magical creatures, so I brought him here." Hagrid looked at me and asked, "Do yeh really like magical creatures?" 

I nod and say, "Yes, I do. I can't wait to learn about hippogriffs and unicorns! As well as Thestrals! Thestrals seem really interesting!" Caspar asked, "Yeh do know that in order to see Thestrals, yeh have to have seen death, right?" 

I nodded and Caspar tilted his head to the side in confusion as he asked, "Have yeh seen death?" I answered, "I had to watch my grandmother die when I was 7." Hagrid asked, "And yeh understood, accepted, and internalised the concept of her death?" 

I shrugged and said, "I was 7. Plus, she never really liked me, so there was no point in not accepting her death." Caspar nodded and said, "Anyway. Hagrid," Hagrid looked at Caspar and Caspar continued, asking Hagrid a question.

"Do yeh think we could see Buckbeak?"

Hagrid nodded and said, "Of course," his voice filled with excitement. I asked, "Who's Buckbeak?" Caspar turned to me and explained, "Buckbeak is a hippogriff that Hagrid's been raising," as Hagrid walked out of the hut. 

Caspar beckoned me to follow him as he walked out of the hut. I went after him, following him and Hagrid into the forest. Hagrid and Caspar stopped after we had walked for about 10 minutes. We all stood in a clearing and I stood next to Caspar, looking for Buckbeak.