Puppet Strings (Hogwarts x Reader)

Chapter 3

He untied one of the chains, pulled the gray hippogriff away from its fellows, and slipped off its leather collar.

"Easy, now, Harry," said Hagrid quietly. "Yeh've got eye contact, now try not ter blink... Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much..."

Buckbeak had turned his great, sharp head and was staring at Harry with one fierce orange eye.

"Tha's it," said Hagrid. "Tha's it, Harry... now, bow..."

Y/n held her breath as Harry did what he was told, exposing his neck. One swipe from those talons...

Harry straightened again. The hippogriff was still staring haughtily at him. It didn't move.

"Ah," said Hagrid, sounding worried. "Right—back away, now, Harry, easy does it—"

But then, the hippogriff suddenly bent its scaly front knees and sank into what was an unmistakable bow.

"Well done, Harry!" said Hagrid, ecstatic. "Right—yeh can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!"

Harry moved slowly toward the hippogriff and reached out toward it. He patted the beak several times and the hippogriff closed its eyes lazily, as though enjoying it.

The class broke into applause, all except for Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were looking deeply disappointed.

"Righ' then, Harry," said Hagrid. "I reckon he might' let yeh ride him!"

Y/n watched, fascinated, as Hagrid helped Harry up onto the beast.

"Go on, then!" roared Hagrid, slapping the hippogriff's hindquarters.

Without warning, twelve-foot wings flapped open on either side of Harry; he just had time to seize the hippogriff around the neck before he was soaring upward. Buckbeak flew him once around the paddock and then headed back to the ground, where he landed.

"Good work, Harry!" roared Hagrid as everyone except Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle cheered. "Okay, who else wants a go?"

Emboldened by Harry's success, the rest of the class climbed cautiously into the paddock. Hagrid untied the hippogriffs one by one, and soon people were bowing nervously, all over the paddock. Neville ran repeatedly backward from his, which didn't seem to want to bend its knees. Ron and Hermione practiced on the chestnut, while Harry watched.

Y/n approached the inky black one cautiously. She was just about to bow, but her jaw dropped when the hippogriff dropped to its knees first.

Y/n spun to look at Hagrid, utterly taken aback. "Hagrid?"

"Hm—yeh?" He turned to look at Y/n and grinned. "Righ' then! Inkshot returned your bow, you can pet 'im!"

"But—no, he bowed first."

Hagrid chuckled, shaking his head. "No, no, you're mistaken. Tha's not the sorta thing they do."

"But—"

Hagrid had already moved on, helping a small Slytherin girl with her hippogriff.

Y/n turned back to Inkshot, who was standing again. She gave a bow in return, just to be respectful. Inkshot approached and cocked its head, staring down at her as if fascinated.

Y/n probably had the same expression on her face as she reached up to pet his glossy feathers. His eyes were emerald green.

"Why would you bow to me first?" she whispered to herself, confused. The Hippogriff let out a small trill, nuzzling into her hand.

"This is very easy," Malfoy drawled, loud enough for Y/n to hear him. He was before Buckbeak. "I knew it must have been, if Potter could do it... I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you?" he said to the hippogriff. "Are you, you great ugly brute?"

It happened in a flash of steely talons; Malfoy let out a high-pitched scream and next moment, Hagrid was wrestling Buckbeak back into his collar as he strained to get at Malfoy, who lay curled in the grass, blood blossoming over his robes.

"I'm dying!" Malfoy yelled as the class panicked. "I'm dying, look at me! It's killed me!"

"Yer not dyin'!" said Hagrid, who had gone very white. "Someone help me—gotta get him outta here—"

Hermione ran to hold open the gate as Hagrid lifted Malfoy easily. As they passed, Y/n saw that there was a long, deep gash on Malfoy's arm; blood splattered the grass and Hagrid ran with him, up the slope toward the castle.

Very shaken, the Care of Magical Creatures class followed at a walk. Y/n bid goodbye to Inkshot, then hurried after them to catch up with Val and Solene.

A group of Slytherins were all shouting about Hagrid.

"They should fire him straight away!" said Pansy Parkinson, who was in tears.

"It was Malfoy's fault!" snapped Dean Thomas. Crabbe and Goyle flexed their muscles threateningly.

"Oh, poor Draco..." Pansy lamented. "I bet he's so terrified, all alone...."

"Pull yourself together," Val snapped. "You're acting as if he died." As they climbed the stone steps into the deserted entrance hall, Val muttered, "Ese chico se lo merecía, el puto hurón."

"I'm going to see if he's okay!" said Pansy, and they all watched her run up the marble staircase.

The rest of the Slytherin's headed back down to the common room. As they walked, Y/n asked, "Do you think he'll be alright?"

"'Course he will. Madam Pomfrey can mend cuts in about a second," said Val.

Solene signed something.

"She asked why you care," Val translated.

"I care about Hagrid," Y/n corrected. "If a student was hurt on his watch, even if it was Malfoy's fault, it's still not a great look for him."

"Solene had detention with Hagrid in the forest once," Val said, translating. "He was very kind."

"And of course Malfoy's now messed this up for him," Y/n said, worried.

"Don't worry," Val said. "We saw what actually happened, and everyone knows Malfoy is like water for hot coffee."

Y/n frowned. "Huh?"

Val paused, confused, then rolled her eyes. "Sorry. Spanish idiom. I mean, everyone knows Malfoy gets overly angry and emotional."

"You're from Spain, then?" Y/n asked.

"Born and raised," Val said proudly.

"Sorry if this is rude, but...well how come you aren't going to a closer school, like Beauxbatons?"

"Don't know. Never got a letter from them, just Hogwarts."

"Huh."

"I'm not complaining," Val said. "I wouldn't have ever met Sol if I didn't come here." She signed the last part as she spoke, and Solene smiled.

The rest of the day passed rather quickly with just a long Charms class. Emi joined Val, Sol, and Y/n for dinner. Emi was a bit closed off, but it wasn't in a rude way. More like....she just got lost in thought a lot. Her eyes always had a sort of dreamy look in them, as if she never was quite there.

Malfoy was still in the hospital wing, and Pansy was whispering with Crabbe and Goyle, no doubt cooking up their own version of how Malfoy had been injured.

Hagrid wasn't at the teacher's table either.