Harry's Godfather (A Father and Son Fanfic) Book 3

Chapter 4: Transfiguration, COMC and Potions

Harry enters the classroom and sits in the back. His mind was still on what Trelawney had said in Divination. He was hardly paying attention to what McGonagall said about Animagi (Which were witches and wizards who can turn into animals). He wasn't even watching when McGongall turned into a tabby cat with markings around the eyes. Everyone was quiet as she turns back into herself. She said, "Really, what has got into you all today? Not that it matters, but that's the first time my transformation's not got applause from a class." Everyone looks at Harry, but no one spoke. Hermione raises her hand, "Please, Professor, we've just had our first Divination class, and we were reading the tea leaves, and...." McGonagall frowns, "Ah, of course. There is no need to say any more, Miss. Granger. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?" Harry said, "Me, Professor." McGonagall said, "I see. Then you should know, Mr. Snape, that Sibyll Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year, since she arrived at this school. None of them has died yet. Seeing death omens is her favorite way of greeting a new class. If it were not for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues...." McGonagall pauses, then said, "Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. True Seers are very rare, and Professor Trelawney...." She pauses again, then said to Harry, "You look in excellent health to me, Mr. Snape, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in." Hermione laughs in response. Harry starts to feel a little better. Not everyone was convinced, though. Ron was worried and Lavender said, "But what about Neville's cup?" McGonagall sighs in response. As Transfiguration class ended, Harry, Ron and Hermione joined the rest of the students heading to the great hall for lunch. They sit down at the Gryffindor table and start to eat. Hermione said, "Ron, cheer up. You heard what Professor McGonagall said." Ron spoons stew into his bowl. He said, "Harry, you haven't seen a great black dog anywhere, have you?" Harry said, "Yeah, I have. I saw one as Snape locked up his house. Just before we disapparated to the Leaky Cauldron." Ron's spoon falls on the table, making a loud clattering sound. Hermione said simply, "It's probably a stray." Ron looks at Hermione, incredulously, "Hermione, if Harry's seen a Grim, that's.... That's bad. My.... My uncle Bilius saw one and.... and he died twenty-four hours later!" Hermione said, "Coincidence." Ron said angrily, "You don't know what you're talking about! Grims scare the living daylights out of most wizards!" Hermione said, "There you are then. They see the Grim and die of fright. The Grim's not an omen, it's the cause of death! Plus, Harry's still with us because he's not stupid enough to see one and think, right, well, I'd better kick the bucket then!" Hermione takes out her arithmancy book and props it up against a juice jug. She said, "I think Divination seems very woolly. A lot of guesswork, if you ask me." Ron said hotly, "There was nothing woolly about the Grim in that cup!" Hermione said coolly, "You didn't seem quite so confident when you were telling Harry it was a sheep." Ron said, "Trelawney said you didn't have the right aura! You just don't like being bad at something for a change!" Harry knew at once that Ron had it a nerve, because Hermione slams her arithmancy book down on the table, hard. Hermione said, "If being good at Divination means I have to pretend to see death omens in a lump of tea leaves, then I'm not sure I'll be studying it much longer! That lesson was absolute rubbish compared with my Arithmancy class!" Hermione grabs her bag and leaves the great hall. Ron said to Harry, "What's she talking about? She hasn't been to an Arithmancy class yet." Harry shrugs, glad that their arguing had stopped. Harry was glad to get out of the castle, once lunch had ended. They set off for their first ever Care of Magical Creatures class. Ron and Hermione weren't speaking to each other. Harry walks beside them in silence as they go down to Hagrid's hut. He spots Draco Malfoy and his thuggish friends Crabbe and Goyle there.

Once everyone arrived, Hagrid said, "Got a real treat for you today! Great lesson coming up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!" Hagrid walks off around the edges of the trees, five minutes later, they found themselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing in the paddock. Hagrid said, "Everyone gather around the fence here! That's it! Make sure you can see!" Malfoy said, "How do we open our books?" Malfoy takes out his book which was tied shut with a rope. Other students take their books out. Some were tied with belts, like Harry's. Hagrid said, "You stroke them of course. Here." He takes Hermione's book and takes off the spell-o-tape binding it shut. The book tries to bite him, but Hagrid quickly runs a finger down the spine of the book. The book shakes then falls open. Malfoy sneers, "Oh, how silly we've all been. We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess!" Hagrid said, unsurely, "I thought they were funny." Malfoy said sarcastically, "Oh, tremendously funny! Really witty! Giving us books that try and rip our hands off!" Hagrid said, "Ok.... Yeah.... Now that you have the books, I'll go and get the creatures then. Hang on...." Hagrid went into the forest and out of sight. Malfoy said, "God this place has gone to the dogs! Wait until my father hears that Dumbledore's got this oaf teaching classes." Mafoy snickers with his Slytherin friends, Harry said, "Shut up, Malfoy." The class said, "Ooooh." Malfoy hands his bag to Crabbe and walks up to Harry. He starts to act scared as he said, "Dementor! Dementor!" Harry and the other Gryffindors look back, only to see nothing there. Mafoy and the rest of the Slytherins laugh. They turn back to the Slytherins to see them pulling their robes over their heads and going, "Oooooooo" With their arms outstretched. Hermione makes a face at them, pulls Harry towards the other Gryffindors and away from the Slytherins. Hagrid comes back with a bizarre looking creature. It has half the body, hind legs, and tail of a horse, but the front legs, wings, and head of an eagle. It had a steel-colored beak, large orange eyes and talons on its front legs. It had a mixture of gray, black and white feathers and fur. It wore a thick leather collar around its neck, which was attached to a long chain. The end of the chain was held in Hagrid's hand. Hagrid said, "Beautiful, isn't he?" The students look at hippogriff with a mixture of awe and fear. Hagrid said, "This is Buckbeak." Ron said, "Exactly, what is that, Hagrid." Hagrid smiles, "That, Ron, is a hippogriff." He looks at his class and said, "The first thing you want to know about Hippogriffs, is that they are very proud creatures. Very easily offended. You don't want to piss off a hippogriff. It may just be the last thing you ever do." Hagrid claps his hands and smiles, "Now, who'd like to come and say hello?" Harry, Ron and Hermione approach it cautiously. Though, Ron and Hermione stayed just behind Harry. Hagrid said, "Well done, Harry." Hagrid smiles encouragingly, "Come on." Harry inches forward then stops as Hagrid said, "Now, you have to let him make the first move. It's only polite. Step up, take a nice bow, then you wait and see if he bows back. If he does, then you can go and pet him. If he doesn't... well, we'll get to that later." Harry bows at the hippogriff. He didn't feel keen on baring his next, but bare it he did. After a few minutes, Buckbeak puts a leg forward and amazingly, he bows back! Hagrid grins, "Well done, Harry! Well done!" Harry relaxes and straightens up. Hagrid said, "You can go and pet him now." Harry slowly walks up to Buckbeak, hand outstretched. He stops and waits as Buckbeak slowly walks towards Harry. Until, Buckbeak bows its head slightly and touches Harry's hand. Harry starts to pet him as Buckbeak leans into Harry's touch. Hagrid grins, "Yes! Well done, Harry!" Everyone claps but the Slytherins. Hagrid said as he walks over to Harry, "I think he might let you ride him now." Harry said, "What...?" Hagrid picks him up as Harry shouts, "Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hagrid!" Hagrid puts him on Buckbeak's back and said, "There you go. Now, don't pull out any of his feathers, cause he won't thank you for that." Before Harry could say anything, Hagrid slaps Buckbeak's hindquarters. Buckbeak rears up, then goes at a run as he spreads his wings. Buckbeak takes off and flies into the air, while Harry holds on. Buckbeak flies over Hogwarts, then over the lake. Harry holds on for dear life as Buckbeak finally descends and makes a landing, coming to a stop by Hagrid. Hagrid said, "Well done, Harry. Well done, Buckbeak!" Hagrid helps Harry down and said, "How am I doing on me first day?" Harry grins, "Brilliant, Professor." Hagrid grins at Harry." Malfoy scoffs, "Oh please." He saunters up to Buckbeak and sneers, "Yes, you're not dangerous at all, are you, you great big ugly brute." Hagrid's eyes widens as he shouts, "Malfoy, no!" Buckbeak rears up and slashes at Malfoy with his talons. Malfoy puts his arms up to protect himself. Buckbeak slashes his arm, sending him to the ground. Hagrid gets in front of Buckbeak and begins to calm him down. Malfoy moans on the ground as he said, "It's killed me! It's killed me!" Hagrid manages to calm Buckbeak down and ties him to a nearby tree. He comes to check on Malfoy and said, "Calm down, it's just a scratch." Hermione said, "Hagrid, he has to be taken to the hospital wing!" Hagrid said, "I'm the teacher, I'll do it." He picks Malfoy up and starts to carry him up to the castle. Malfoy said, "You're going to regret this. You and your bloody chicken." Hagrid said, "Class dismissed." Pansy Parkinson follows Hagrid up to the castle. Harry, Ron and Hermione look on with worried expressions on their faces.