The Ambitions Of Rebekah Potter

Chapter Ten

It was nearing nightfall, even if it wasn't even past five o clock. The sky had begun to turn a honey and amber hue, painting with red silk and violet velvet as the sun disappeared. The grass fields were meadows of vibrant flowers and pale paths of beige and dove grey stones leading down to Hagrid's hut, then branching off towards the Forbidden Forest.

Rebekah followed the path lined with snapping flowers roaring tiny, tiny amounts of fire as she passed. Clutching her robe and coat close, she walked up to Hagrid's door, knocked twice and waited.

"Back! Get back, Fang! Fang!" Hagrid's voice came from within. He opened the door, holding his large canine by the collar. "Uh, 'ello Miss Potter. What can I do for yeh?"

"Hello. Professor Kettleburn suggested I get a special salve from you," Rebekah said, look at the dog and grimaced inwardly. "I thought it would be best that, um, I get it now before curfew is called."

"Er. Alrigh', come on in," He opened the door more and allowed her in. "I'll, er, get it for yeh. Would yeh like a cuppa, Miss Potter?"

"If it isn't too much trouble, sir," Rebekah replied.

The hut consisted of one large room. Plenty of hams and pheasants hung from the ceiling with thick metal hooks. A fire rumbled under a whistling brass kettle. A small window hung over a massive bed tucked with a multicoloured patchwork quilt. A moleskin coat and an obviously used crossbow sat in one corner near the door.

"I don't' get called sir a lot," Hagrid muttered, fixing a large teacup of steaming liquid. "Here yeh go, would yeh like some sugar?"

"Yes, please," Rebekah said, sitting on one of the table chairs. Hagrid placed a very large cup of tea in front of her, plopping one very large spoon of sugar in. "Thank you. It's getting warmer, but it is still very cold."

"Yeah, innit? See, some of the herds keeps tryna steal my pheasants. I've had to keep 'em high up," Hagrid said, pointing to the hooked pheasants. Amber and bronze feathers had been ripped from certain spots and lined the floor. "Damned Hippogriffs, even the Thestrals joined in now."

Rebekah didn't know that the school employed Thestrals, let alone that they allowed them on the grounds. Since only those who saw a death could see them, most people believed Thestrals were a bad omen.

"Thestrals? There are Thestrals at Hogwarts?" Rebekah asked, sipping her tea.

"Yea, what else would've pulled the carriages to school?" Hagrid said. "But yeh didn't see 'em, did yeh? Yeh were on the boats."

Rebekah nodded. "We didn't have time to waste, we all left for the boats straight away. I've wondered what pulled the carriages the older years spoke of. What do they look like?"

"The Thestrals yeh mean?" Rebekah nodded with a smile. "Well, yeh take a horse and take away the skin, make it look like it's decaying and add bat wings."

"Is that why they're considered an Omen? Because of their appearance?"

Hagrid scratched the back of his head, then shrugged. "I believe so. I, eh, can see 'em so they can't be that bad, can't they? Almost time to feed 'em, would yeh like to join me?"

"In feeding them? Sure," Rebekah said and got up, tucking the chair under the table.

Hagrid stood to his full height, reaching for a large satchel. Rebekah followed him out, only after charming her robes warm again. She slightly struggled to keep up, having to jog a little because of their stride difference. Hagrid led her to the edge of the forbidden forest, then he whistled loudly.