The Fourth Year Of Usool Jahanara

9. A Small Class With The Gamekeeper

We were nearing Hagrid's Hut after school. Christmas holidays were to start from this weekend (that's tomorrow) and Shihad was having a tiny warm up session for his incharge duties with Jahan.

"Poor Jahan!" Megan pouted and Caren cleared his throat loudly, evident with a pang of jealousy. I laughed silently.

"We must be extra careful though!" I said thoughtfully. "Hm... yeah!" They replied.

"Especially when we're on a super detective mode like this." Megan doubled.

We laughed as I knocked the door of his hut. Hagrid opened the door. He was in his usual moleskin overcoat. His hair and beard wilder than the bushes around, his beady black eyes filled with warmth and evergreen love for magical creatures. Not to mention excitement in taking care of them too.

"Hey Hagrid!" We greeted cheerfully.

"What brings yeh' kids here?"

Caren took the lead. "Uh... we.... uh...."

"Well Hagrid!" I said. "Uh.... well..... we wanted to know about Thestrals!"

Hagrid raised his eyebrows. "Well yeh' guys get teh' know 'em during yeh'r fifth year right?"

None of us answered for a moment. "No..... I mean yes, but only the three of us wanted to know."

"Oh! Advanced lessons, eh?"

"Even if it's brief, no problem. But please tell us." Caren pleaded.

Hagrid locked eyes with each of us and went inside without a word. We too followed.

"Please Hagrid, it's really necessary. Please!!!"

We requested and Hagrid came out with his signature pink umbrella. He walked past us, towering us upon the way and stood near the open door.

"Who are yeh' waitin' for? Le's go!"

Hagrid led the way as we silently high fived and followed him like ants in a line. He led us to the Forbidden Forest, the forest area near Hogwarts. He looked back at us from time to time to see whether we were catching up with him or not.

We walked and walked, the sun had long set, but it was twice as dark because of the dense trees. Hagrid had a lamp but it was getting creepier step by step. Megan slipped her hand into Caren's, who gripped it tight. It was freezing cold. So cold that mist formed when any of us exhaled.

We reached the heart of the forest. Hagrid stopped in his tracks. We too did.

"There!" He said. We stepped aside to see. There was nothing. We stood quietly for a while and all we heard was howling of werewolves in the full moon night. Megan and Caren inched closer to me. I kept a hand on Caren's shoulder. Even after all these years, that boy was hell scared of werewolves.

"Can you see them?" I whispered.

"No!" Caren said.

"Me neither!" Megan replied, shaking her head.

I too shook my head for a reply and went near Hagrid who held his lamp a bit higher.

"Hagrid? Can you see them?"

Hagrid turned and laughed, well that calmed our nerves in the night. "How can yeh' see 'em when they're not present?"

Caren stood beside me. "How can we call them?"

"Like this!" He trusted his lamp to me with a thank and a thud, I held it over my head. In the dim light of the lamp, I saw him search for something inside his overcoat and took out something brown, pretty ruffled and..... dead. It took a while to realize that it was a dead ferret.