Jupiter | Harry James Potter

xlv ; something special

"He is indisposed," Professor Grubbly-Plank said shortly.

Soft and unpleasant laughter reached Jupiter's ears. The four of them turned; Draco Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherins were joining the class. All of them looked gleeful, and none of them looked surprised to see Professor Grubbly-Plank.

"This way, please," Professor Grubbly-Plank, said and she strode off around the paddock where the Beauxbatons horses were shivering. Harry, Ron, Jupiter and Hermione followed her, looking back over their shoulders at Hagrid's cabin. All the curtains were closed. Was Hagrid in there, alone and ill?

"What's wrong with Hagrid?" Harry said, hurrying to catch up with Professor Grubbly-Plank.

"Never you mind," she said as though she thought he was being nosy.

"I do mind, though," Harry snapped hotly. "What's up with him?"

Jupiter grabbed Harry by the wrist and pulled him back to join the group. "Bothering her isn't going to help, Potter," she told him.

"You don't know that," he said stubbornly, chewing on the side of his cheek.

"I definitely do," Jupiter shrugged, and he rolled his eyes, but didn't continue to argue. Harry knew she was always right, even if he didn't want to admit it.

Professor Grubblyplank led them past the paddock where the huge Beauxbatons horses were standing, huddled against the cold, and toward a tree on the edge of the forest, where a large and beautiful unicorn was tethered.

Many of the girls "ooooohed!" at the sight of the unicorn.

"Oh it's so beautiful!" Lavender Brown whispered. "How did she get it? They're supposed to be really hard to catch!"

The unicorn was so brightly white it made the snow all around look gray. It was pawing the ground nervously with its golden hooves and throwing back its horned head.

"Boys keep back!" Professor Grubbly-Plank barked, throwing out an arm and catching Harry hard in the chest. Jupiter had to hold back a laugh. "They prefer the woman's touch, unicorns. Girls to the front, and approach with care, come on, easy does it..."

"Jupiter..." Harry whispered, motioning for her to stay back with him.

"Unicorn!" She grinned, swatting him away before turning back to the creature.

-

"I hope she stays, that woman!" Parvati said when the lesson had ended and they were all heading back to the castle for lunch.

"That's more what I thought Care of Magical Creatures would be like... proper creatures like unicorns, not monsters..." Daphne Greengrass huffed from beside Lavender.

"What about Hagrid?" Harry said angrily as they went up the steps.

"What about him?" Parvati scoffed in a hard voice. "He can still be gamekeeper, can't he?"

"Hagrid's lesson are... creative, for sure, but that doesn't mean he should be replaced," Jupiter shrugged, earning several eye rolls from Lavender, Parvati and Daphne.

"That was a really good lesson though," said Hermione as they entered the Great Hall. "I didn't know half the things Professor Grubblyplank told us about uni-"