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𝐏 𝐇 𝐈 𝐋 𝐎 𝐒 𝐎 𝐏 𝐇 𝐄 𝐑 𝐒 𝐎 𝐑 𝐅 𝐎 𝐎 𝐋 𝐒
𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄 of Magical Creatures was the next time Harry saw Hagrid. His shock at the Committee's verdict was as stagnant as the thick clouds above:
"S'all my fault. Got all tongue-tied. They was all sittin' there in black robes an' I kep' droppin' me notes and forgettin' all them dates yeh looked up fer me, Hermione. An' then Lucius Malfoy stood up an' said his bit, and the Committee jus' did exac'ly what he told 'em. . . ."
"Don't give up yet, Hagrid!" Hermione exclaimed, her face deceptively confident.
They were walking back up to the castle with the rest of the class, a bright variety of damp lime grasses squishing beneath their feet. Ahead, Harry could see that Malfoy, who was walking with Crabbe and Goyle, kept looking back, laughing derisively.
"S'no good, Hermione," said Hagrid sadly once they reached the castle steps. "That Committee's in Lucius Malfoy's pocket. I'm jus' gonna make sure the rest o' Beaky's time is the happiest he's ever had. I owe him that. . . ."
Hagrid's face was buried in his handkerchief in mere moments, and he hurried back toward his cabin without saying another word.
"Look at him blubber!" came a voice from just inside the castle doors. Harry spun, his eyes narrowing before they met a quite familiar pair — Malfoy's. "Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic? And he's supposed to be our teacher!"
Anger swept over the group, a cyclone of sorts, and Harry, Melody, and Ron all made furious moves toward Malfoy.
But glorious Hermione, suddenly their queen of hand-to-face combat, got there first.
SMACK!
She had slapped Malfoy across the face with all the strength she could muster.
Malfoy staggered, and everyone within a ten foot radius of the assault stood flabbergasted as Hermione raised her hand again.
"Don't you dare call Hagrid pathetic, you foul, loathsome, evil little cockroach!"
Ron took a weak step forwards and tried to grab her hand as she swung it back. "Hermione!"
"Get off, Ron!"
Hermione pulled out her wand. Malfoy stepped backward. Crabbe and Goyle looked at him for instructions, thoroughly bewildered.
"C'mon," Malfoy muttered, and in a moment, all three of them had disappeared into the passageway to the dungeons.
"Hermione!" Ron said again, sounding both stunned and impressed.
