𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗦 ( 𝗗𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗢 𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗙𝗢𝗬 )¹

𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐬𝐢𝐱

"So- anyone knows the names of these creatures?", Professor Grubbly-Plank questioned, one of her eyebrows raised before she slowly nodded at Hermione. "Miss Granger?"

"Bowtruckles- they're tree-guardians, usually live in wand-trees", Hermione answered her confidently.

The professor nodded at her, "Five points to Gryffindor.- Yes, these are Bowtruckles and as Miss Granger rightly says, they generally live in tress whose wood is of wand quality. Anybody know what they eat?"

"Woodlice", Hermione immediately answered without raising her hand. "- but fairy eggs if they can get them."

"Good girl, take another five points!", Professor Grubbly-Plank stated with a small smile before she went on. "So, whenever you need leaves or wood from a tree in which Bowtruckles lodges, it is wise to have a gift of woodlice ready to distract or placate it. They may not look dangerous, but if angered they will try to gouge at human eyes with their fingers, which, as you can see, are very sharp and not at all desirable near the eyeballs."

She motioned with her hand for them to step closer, "So if you'd like to gather closer, take a few woodlice and a Bowtruckle- I have enough here for one between three- you can study them more closely. I want a sketch from each of you with all body-parts labelled by the end of the lesson."

The students all went to grabbed everything they needed while Harry looked sceptically at Professor Grubbly-Plank, "Where's Hagrid?"

"Never you mind", the Professor responded to him dismissively.

Annabeth saw how Harry gave the Professor another curious look, but then Malfoy suddenly appeared besides them, a large smirk over his face.

He leaned across Harry and seized the largest Bowtruckle from the table, his voice low, "Maybe - the stupid oaf's got himself badly injured."

"Maybe you will if you don't shut up", Harry immediately hissed back at the blond boy.

Annabeth quickly placed a hand on Harry's arm and gave him a warning look, "Harry- don't."

But Malfoy just continued smirking at him, "Maybe he's been messing with stuff that's too big for him, if you get my drift."

The blond boy then walked away from them, while giving the siblings one last smirked when he glanced over his shoulder.

Annabeth's mind immediately started running, did he knew something? His father was a Death Eater after all. Maybe he knew something that hadn't reached the Order yet. Maybe Hagrid was in trouble-

Annabeth was pulled out of her thoughts when Hermione grabbed her by her arm and dragged her after her towards their Bowtruckle.

The rest of the lesson went by rather quickly and except for a few students that had been scratched by the Bowtruckle. But Annabeth's mind was still preoccupied with worrying about Hagrid.

After Professior Grubbly-Plank had dismissed them from her lesson the day continued with a lesson of Herbology and to Annabeth it was no surprise that Professor Sprout started her lesson by telling them about the importance of their OWL's.

Everytime the teachers did that, Annabeth felt this discomforting anxious feeling that turned her stomach into knots.

The brunette girl started fiddling with her fingers while she mentally created a list of all the things she still had to do today.

She hadn't written a single word into her dream diary for Professor Trelawney yet and she didn't had time to study her vanishing spells as well.

Her leg nervously bounced up and down while she continued to listen to Professor Sprout giving them instructions on their homework.