The Potter Clan's Vengeance

Chapter 31 : 3rd year II

Chapter 31

Harry opened his eyes slowly, coming to the hospital wing where he lay. He lay on a bed, the entire left sleeve of his shirt had been torn, and his robes were draped on the end of his hospital bed.

"What happened?" he managed to groan out.

"How are you feeling?" asked Daphne concerned, ignoring his question. She was sitting by his side and the rest of his friends were crowded around the bed.

"Like my arm got put through a shredder," Harry said. "How bad was it?"

"Not good," said Daphne. "After the incident, Hagrid carried you into the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey said that the claw hit your brachial artery and you lost a lot of blood. If Hagrid had been even a little late, you would have bled out."

"I guess it's lucky he was around," Harry coughed out.

"What I don't understand," began Rigel, "is why the hippogriff attacked you. You did exactly what Hagrid said- you bowed, stroked it yet it still attacked you. Why?"

Harry shifted nervously as much as he could physically manage in his bed, but unluckily for him Daphne saw that. "What did you do?" she asked, giving him a deathly scare.

Harry opened his right fist which had remained clenched all this time revealing a singular gray feather. "What is that?" asked Draco, taking the feather from him and examining it in the light.

"A hippogriff feather," said Harry nervously. "I plucked it off of Buckbeak when I was petting him."

"Are you insane?" shouted Daphne. "Do you have any idea what could have happened, and what I just went through? What were you thinking?" she cried lightly, punching him in anger.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," placated Harry calmingly. "I just wanted Hagrid gone. He's a nice guy, but he sucks as a teacher. For Merlin's sake, he didn't even do his OWLS, never mind his NEWTS."

"That's brilliant!" exclaimed Draco. "Now it looks like a wayward hippogriff attack under Hagrid's supervision and you can have him fired! You could even send him to Azkaban, if you want."

"I'm not cruel Draco," said Harry. "It was partly my fault, so I'll just have him fired but he can stay on as gamekeeper, and he can have the hippogriff as a pet. Besides, all I wanted was an actually competent teacher."

"Fine," agreed Daphne. "But if you put yourself in unnecessary danger like that again I swear I will-"

"Yes, yes I'll be more careful," interjected Harry. "I can't imagine how you'd survive without me."

Harry and his friends walked into their Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Harry's arm having healed fully since the Creatures lesson. Hagrid had been fired the same day though he'd been kept as gamekeeper and had kept the hippogriff as a pet, and the new teacher, Professor Grubbly-Plank, was much more competent.

They all sat down, took out their books, quills, and parchment, and talked quietly amongst themselves. Remus shuffled the papers he had been marking around, rearranging them exactly how he wanted and then stood up to address the class.

"Good afternoon," he said. "Would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands." A few curious looks were exchanged as the class put away their books. They had never had a practical Defense Against the Dark Arts class before, unless you count the memorable class last year when their old teacher had brought a cageful of pixies to class and set them loose.

"Right then," said Remus, when everyone was ready. "If you'd follow me." Puzzled but interested, the class got to its feet and followed Remus out of the classroom. He led them along the deserted corridor and around a corner, where the first thing they saw was Peeves the Poltergeist, who was floating upside down in midair and stuffing the nearest keyhole with chewing gum.