Chasing Love

Chapter Thirty-One - Hagrid

Eliza sat in between the twins as the three slowly ate their breakfast, "Have you seen the timetable?" George asked, "It looks like hell."

"It is our fifth year, we have our OWLS coming up!" Eliza told him, "Of course everything is going to become harder!"

"I don't plan on passing the exams." Fred said with a grin.

After a couple of minutes Harry, Hermione and Ron joined them at the table, "New third year course schedules." George said as he passed them over, "What's up with you, Harry?"

"Malfoy." Ron said as he looked over to the Slytherin table.

Eliza followed his gaze and saw Malfoy pretend to faint out of terror, "That little git. He wasn't so cocky last night when the dementors were down at our end of the train. Came runing into our compartment, didn't he, Fred?" George told them.

"Nearly wet himself." Fred added.

"I wasn't too happy myself," George said, "They're horrible things, those dementors."

"Sort of freeze your insides, don't they?"

Harry then said a low voice, "You didn't pass out, though, did you?"

"Forget it, Harry. Dad had to go out to Azkaban one time, remember, Fred? And he said it was the worst place he'd ever been, he came back all weak and shaking. They suck the happiness out of a place, dementors. Most of the prisoners go mad in there."

"Anyway, we'll see how happy Malfoy looks after our first Quidditch match," Fred informed him. "Gryffindor versus Slytherin, first game of the season, remember?"

Once they had finished eating the three made their way to their first lesson, Care of Magical Creatures. "It'll be strange not having Kettleburn."

"I know, he was mad but knew what he was talking about." Fred agreed with her.

"Hagrid should be good though!"

The class stood outside the forbidden forest and waited for Hagrid to arrive, "I do hope everything goes well for him." Eliza muttered to the boys.

Hagrid walked out of his hut and over to the fifth years, "C'mon fifth years, this way. Yeh going to like today's lesson!" He lead them to a paddock and turned back to the students. "Everyone gather round. Make sure yeh can all see and open your books." Everyone did as he said, "I'm just goin to get the magical creature, yeh all wait one moment." They all began to whisper to each other as they waited for Hagrid to reappear.

And then walking towards them was a creature, it had the body, back legs and tail of a horse but the front legs, wings and head belonged to a giant eagle. Hagrid walked happily beside the beast while all the students slowly inched further and further back. "Hippogriffs! Beau'iful creatures." Eliza stared at the creatures, mesmerised by it. "So, who wants to come closer to it?" Everyone went silent. "Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' hippogriffs is, they're proud," Hagrid told the class. "Easily offended, hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do. Yeh always wait fer the hippogriff ter make the firs' move. It's polite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn' bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt. Right who wants to go first?"

Everyone avoided eye contact with the teacher and Eliza felt sorry for the man, "I'll do it."

Hagrid's face lit up as he helped Eliza get into the paddock, "Easy now Eliza, make eye contact with Buckbeak and try not too blink. If you blink lots then they don't trust you."

Eliza stared forward at the animal before bowing slightly, the animal then bent down into a bow. "Well done Eliza, that was great. Yeh can touch it now." Once she had done that, Hagrid told her "Yeh climb up there, jus' behind the wing joint, and be careful to not pull any of his feathers." Carefully she climbed onto it's back and remained calm as it stood up and then the wings came up and it started to fly.

It was not the most comfortable of rides but the view was great, she clung on as tight as she could without causing any pain to the animal and looked over at the castle and then the Quidditch Pitch. It wasn't the same as being on a broomstick where you had much more control over it but it was still fun.

Buckbeak then began to fly towards the ground and Eliza sucked in some air, fearing about the landing, hearing a large thud she straightened herself up before jumping off the creature, "Good Work, Eliza." All the other students applauded her, "Who else wants a go?" Hagrid asked and this time everyone was a lot more willing to fly the animal.

Eliza stood by Fred and George as another person had a go, "Was it fun?" Fred asked her.

"It was." Eliza replied, "You should have a go. You would enjoy it."