The Girl Who Hid | ✓

|73| Thestrals

Hagrid's return was not everything we hoped it would be. Going to Hagrid's Cabin, we found out he had been with giants for Dumbeldore's actual army, but it didn't work out because Death Eaters won them over. Then, during our little adventure to his cabin, Professor Umbridge appeared and started asking all sorts of questions about Hagrid's late arrival and the footsteps we left; she told him he's going to be evaluated like the other teachers. And finally, during Hagrid's evaluation later in the week, the Slytherin's ruined it by making fun of Hagrid.

It was with a certain amount of apprehension that Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I headed down to Hagrid's on Tuesday, heavily muffled against the cold. I was worried, not only about what Hagrid might have decided to teach us, but also about how the rest of the class, particularly Malfoy and his cronies, would behave if Umbridge was watching us.

However, the High Inquisitor was nowhere to be seen as we struggled through the snow toward Hagrid, who stood waiting for us on the edge of the forest. He did not present a reassuring sight; the bruises that had been purple on Saturday night were now tinged with green and yellow and some of his cuts still seemed to be bleeding. I could not understand this: Had Hagrid perhaps been attacked by some creature whose venom prevented the wounds it inflicted from healing? As though to complete the ominous picture, Hagrid was carrying what looked like half a dead cow over his shoulder.

"We're workin' in here today!" Hagrid called happily to the approaching students, jerking his head back at the dark trees behind him. "Bit more sheltered! Anyway, they prefer the dark..."

"What prefers the dark?" I heard Malfoy say sharply to Crabbe and Goyle, a trace of panic in his voice. "What did he say prefers the dark— did you hear?"

"Ready?" said Hagrid happily, looking around at the class. "Right, well, I've bin savin' a trip inter the forest fer yer fifth year. Thought we'd go an' see these creatures in their natural habitat. Now, what we're studyin' today is pretty rare, I reckon I'm probably the on'y person in Britain who's managed ter train 'em—"

"And you're sure they're trained, are you?" said Malfoy, the panic in his voice even more pronounced now. "Only it wouldn't be the first time you'd brought wild stuff to class, would it?"

The Slytherins murmured agreement and a few Gryffindors looked as though they thought Malfoy had a fair point too.

" 'Course they're trained," said Hagrid, scowling and hoisting the dead cow a little higher on his shoulder.

"So what happened to your face, then?" demanded Malfoy.

"Mind yer own business!" said Hagrid, angrily. "Now if yeh've finished askin' stupid questions, follow me!"

He turned and strode straight into the forest. Nobody seemed much disposed to follow. I glanced at Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who sighed but nodded, and the four of us set off after Hagrid, leading the rest of the class.

We walked for about ten minutes until we reached a place where the trees stood so closely together that it was as dark as twilight and there was no snow on the ground at all. Hagrid deposited his half a cow with a grunt on the ground, stepped back, and turned to face his class again, most of whom were creeping toward him from tree to tree, peering around nervously as though expecting to be set upon at any moment.

"Gather roun', gather roun'," said Hagrid encouragingly. "Now, they'll be attracted by the smell o' the meat but I'm goin' ter give 'em a call anyway, 'cause they'll like ter know it's me..."

Hagrid gave the shrieking cry. A minute passed in which the class continued to peer nervously over our shoulders and around trees for a first glimpse of whatever it was that was coming. And then, as Hagrid shook his hair back for a third time and expanded his enormous chest, I nudged Hermione and pointed into the black space between two gnarled yew trees.