Eagle's Flight // Frarry

Year 4.15

I've noticed in the past (and now) that I tend to start chapters with waking up and/or ending them with going to bed. I really need to break that habit *looks at first sentence of chapter* never mind

Harry woke up on Boxing Day feeling very content with himself. If he could go back in time and redo the Yule Ball, he would. He went down to breakfast with Luna as usual and asked her how was the ball.

"It was very magical. We got ourselves underneath a mistletoe," she said.

"Do you think there were any Nargles in it?" Harry asked.

"Possibly. I couldn't find my shoes this morning. And how was your night?"

A dreamy smile crossed Harry's lips. "Amazing."

"I thought so," Luna said. "Do look now, your boyfriend is staring."

Harry turned around and caught Fred's eye. Fred smiled at him, and Harry turned back around, biting his lip.

Instead of Hagrid waiting for them for Care of Magical Creatures, there was an elderly gray-haired witch named Professor Grubbly-Plank. She led them past the paddock and to the edge of the forest where a unicorn was tethered.

Many of the girls "oooooh!" in awe.

Harry had to agree; the unicorn was a beautiful animal, with its bright white coat and golden hooves.

"Boys, keep back!" Professor Grubbly-Plank said. "They prefer the woman's touch, unicorns. Girls to the front, and approach with care, come on, easy does it..."

She and the girls made their way forward, leaving the boys by the paddock fence.

"I wonder where Hagrid is," Harry muttered.

"You haven't heard?" Draco said.

"What d'you mean?"

Draco pulled out a folded page of newsprint. "It's not good."

Harry took it and looked it over. Hagrid was on the front and in big letters was the headline: DUMBLEDORE'S GIANT MISTAKE.

It talked about how unsafe Hagrid's classes were, albeit in a twisted, overly exaggerated way- what was this about Crabbe being bitten by a flobberworm; they didn't even have any teeth!- and his blood status as a half-giant. Giants were notoriously aggressive creatures, but Hagrid wasn't aggressive. Harry would concede that the creatures he showed were not entirely safe, but then again, a lot of the things they did were not safe- just look at Potions! One wrong move and there could be an explosion.

"Rubbish, the lot of it," Harry said flatly, crumpling it up and tossing it back to Draco, who only just managed to catch it.

When they returned to the castle for lunch, George and Fred came over and plopped down next to him, ignoring the stares he was getting. "Hey, Har," he greeted him.

"Hey." Harry smiled at them. "Are you allowed to sit at other tables?" He never heard of such a thing.

"No rule against it," Fred replied nonchalantly.

"You only sit at your table during the feasts at the beginning and end of the year," Luna said, sliding in on Harry's other side.

"I wish I had known sooner," George said. "Imagine how fun it would have been."

Harry groaned at the thought of the twins wreaking havoc at individual houses.

"Have you figured out the egg, Harry?" Luna asked.

"Not yet."

"Well, you should take up Cedric's offer tonight," Luna suggested.

"I can join you," Fred said, eyebrows wiggling.