The other Gryffindors and Slytherins were waiting for them as Pansy joined them and stood next to Braedey. Hermione's eyes narrowed in jealousy.
"That's it. Come on now, you lot. Come closer. Less talking if you don't mind!" Hagrid called out over the noise of people talking. "I've got a real treat for you today. A great lesson. Follow me!"
Hagrid leads the group of students around the outskirts of the forest until they arrived at a part where it wasn't creepy, nor dark or haunting. Actually, the forest didn't look very spooky at all with the sun shining through the trees.
"Right, you lot. Less chattering. Form a group over there, and open your books to page 49." Hagrid told the group. Braedey grabbed his book and strokes the spine before opening it, but also notices Neville's book attacking him.
"Exactly how we do that?" Malfoy asked sarcastically.
"Stroke the spine, it's not that complicated!" Braedey called out as he helped Hermione with hers.
She smiled at the kindness of the American who then looks around before whistling to himself. "I think they're funny." Hermione pointed out.
"Oh yeah, terribly funny." Draco called out. "Really witty. This place has gone to the dogs. Wait till my father hears Dumbledore's got this oaf teaching classes." Crabbe and Goyle laughed in reaction as Braedey slipped off undetected.
"Shut up, Malfoy." Harry responds, storming towards Draco, who walked forward in response.
The two have a bit of a staring contest when Draco noticed something behind Harry, and pointed his finger. "DEMENTOR!! DEMENTOR!!"
Nearly everyone fell for that joke as there was no Dementor around. Draco and his Slytherin gang laugh in reaction. Suddenly, a loud nightmarish roar echoed through the air, causing Draco, Crabbe and Goyle to scream in fright and look around frantically. Everyone look around in corner as they too noticed something was watching them within the trees, but nobody could see clearly what it was.
"What was that? A dragon?" Ron uttered in fright.
"That's not a dragon. It sounds bigger." Hermione was also confused as to what that sound was.
"Hey, Draco." Draco turned to the source of the voice, only to get punched in the face and knocked to the ground by Braedey who smirked at his handiwork. He then joined back with Harry, Ron and Hermione. "Ah, that felt good."
"Why do you get to punch him and I don't?" Hermione asked to her crush.
"Don't worry, the opportunity will present itself." Theo|Braedey reassured to her.
Hagrid called for the class's attention. Everyone's eyes widened in shock because of what was with Hagrid as he presented it. It is a hybrid between a horse and an eagle with large majestic wings, and grey/white/dark grey feathers.
"Isn't he beautiful. Say hello to Buckbeak." Hagrid introduced the students to the Hippogriff.
Ron was very shocked. "Hagrid, what exactly is that?" He asked.
Hagrid stepped forward. "That Ron, is a Hippogriff. First thing you wanna know about Hippogriffs, is that they're very proud creatures. Very easily offended. You DO NOT want to insult a Hippogriff. It may be the last thing you ever do. Now, who'd like to come and say hello?" He asked. Everyone immediately backed away. Everyone, except for Harry and Braedey. "Well done, Harry and Braedey." Hagrid said, smiling at the two as they stepped forward. "Braedey, you're first. Now, you have to let him make the first move. It's only polite."
Braedey nodded his head as he stopped, suddenly forming his armour pauldron and fingerless gauntlet on his right arm. 'Easy, I'll need this for when the armoured herbivores are fully grown.' Braedey thought to himself as Buckbeak took a few steps forward.
"Step up. Give him a nice and slow bow. Then you wait and see if he bows back. If he does, you can go and touch him. If he doesn't.... we'll get to that part later." Hagrid added.
Braedey stepped forward, then he bowed slowly as he maintained eye contact with Buckbeak, and not blinking. The Hippogriff noticed this, then stepped forward, and bowed back.
"Well done, Braedey! Well done!" Hagrid smiled as everyone applauded behind him him. Braedey smiled as he high-fives Hagrid. "Now, you can go ahead and touch him. Now be careful." He advised.
Braedey nodded, then he began to slowly walk forward to Buckbeak, and he began to slowly raise his hand to the Hippogriff. Buckbeak slowly lowered his head to Braedey, and the brunette gently patted his neck, a smile on his face.
"Excellent. Well done, Braedey." Hagrid announced, he and everyone else applauding in response.
Braedey smiled and he rejoined Ron and Hermione. "Just like riding a broomstick." He said.
"Honestly, you make the hardest things look easy." Hermione commented, smiling at the same time. "How'd you learn to do that?"
"Uh, practice, Hermione. Uncle Franklin said you never get any better if you don't practice. And practice makes perfect." Braedey answered, avoiding the truth that he has dinosaurs in his suitcase.
"Bloody hell, Braedey. You've been taught well." Ron added. "Shame your uncle is on the run."
A snap of a twig now alerted the three to Harry, who slowly backed away from Buckbeak, while still bowing. Buckbeak looked at Harry before slowing bowing back. The three join in with the others as they applaud Harry. Hagrid suddenly puts Harry on Buckbeak, despite Harry protesting. Hagrid then slapped Buckbeak in the back, forcing him to run and take to the skies with Harry still on it.
"Bloody hell! Harry better hang on!" Ron reacted in awe.
"Bet I could top that." Braedey smirked to himself.
A few minutes later, Buckbeak soon returned with Harry safe and sound on his back, everyone all now congratulating Harry for what he had done. Sadly, the happy moment was ruined by Draco who shoved past several students out of the way.
"Yeah, you're not dangerous at all, are you? You great, ugly brute!" Malfoy shouted, insulting the Hippogriff. BIG mistake.
"DRACO, NO!!!" Braedey yelled out as he raced foward, and transformed into his Giganotosaur form, just as Buckbeak reared up to swipe at Malfoy. Everyone screamed and ran for cover as the theropod protected Draco.
"AHHHH! It's gonna kill me! It's gonna kill me!" Draco cried out.
'Oh, quit your whining, you big baby.' Braedey scoffed mentally. 'He didn't even scratch you.'
"Hagrid! He needs to be taken to the hospital wing!" Hermione called out, still shocked that Braedey was an Animagus.
"I'm the teacher, I'll do it." Hagrid now grabbed Draco and carried him away. "Class dismissed!"
Harry, Ron and Hermione now look at the Giganotosaur before them, Harry noticing some difference: It's arms and claws are much longer than before, the feet looking bigger and stronger, while it's head still looked the same, but with two small horns on either side of the skull. There's also a huge sail on its back.
Buckbeak stood there with wings raised, then lowered them as Buckbeak stepped back. Braedey now shifted back to human form. He raised a hand to the Hippogriff, and he gently pats Buckbeak's side to reassure him everything was okay. He then looked and noticed his three friends looking at him in complete shock and surprise.
"Well, that escalated quickly." Was all Braedey could say.
~*~*~
3RD SEPTEMBER 2013
The next morning, the news of Draco's attack and his unexpected saviour was spreading through the castle like wildfire when Braedey woke up. Now everyone knew Braedey is an registered Animagus who can turn into a dinosaur, more like a hybrid dinosaur now.
Braedey entered the Great Hall for breakfast when he noticed Draco surrounded by his fellow Slytherins as one of the girls asks him, "Does it hurt terribly, Draco?"
"It comes and goes. Still, I consider myself lucky. I could've lost my arm if Braedey wasn't there." Draco responded as he noticed the American. "Hey, Grindelwald. Thanks for what happened yesterday."
"Don't push your luck, Draco." Braedey nodded his head.
"Yeah, my father was pretty shocked, since no one has ever turned into a dinosaur in history." Draco added. "Still, you should stay away from Granger. She's a filthy-"
Braedey turned and glared with a vicious snarl at Draco, shutting him up before he could say anymore. After that, Braedey heads over to the Gryffindor table to join Harry, Ron and Hermione.
"Listen to the idiot. He's really laying it on thick, isn't he?" Ron pointed out.
"At least Hagrid wasn't fired." Harry added.
"I heard Draco's father is furious." Hermione included.
"Yeah. This isn't gonna end up with us burying pieces of Draco in the forest?" Braedey questioned.
Seamus suddenly comes rushing in with a copy of the Daily Prophet in his hand. "He's been sighted! He's been sighted!"
"Who? Who?" Braedey asked in concern.
"Who do you think? Sirius Black!" Seamus shouted out.
Hermione snatched the newspaper as she and Braedey quickly read the article. "Dufftown!? That's not far from here."
"Technically, Hermione. It's 24.7 miles Southwest from here." Braedey immediately corrected her. "And judging from previous sightings, Black is making a beeline straight for the castle." He informed.
"You don't think he'd come to Hogwarts?" Neville now asked. "Do you?"
"Sirius is staying under the radar. I'd estimate he'll reach the perimeter by... somewhere near the end of October." Braedey added. "Then there's the Dementors stationed at EVERY entrance to and from the grounds."
"Dementors, he's already slipped past them once. Who says he'll do it again?" Seamus pointed out.
"Hey, Braedey, there's more. 'According to reports, it appears Sirius Black is being chased by Naomi Grindelwald Martin, famed MACUSA auror'." Hermione then gets the American's attention as she read the article further.
"Naomi Grindelwald Martin? Who's she?" Dean looks around.
"That's my mother. She's hunting Sirius Black. She's still alive!" Braedey immediately smiled widely. It was the best news he had ever heard since going on the run, now he wasn't alone anymore in the family.
~*~*~
7TH SEPTEMBER 2013
Braedey soon didn't have to wait long for his first lesson of Defence Against The Dark Arts with Professor Lupin, the reason being he was good friends with both Franklin and Terrence during the First Wizarding War. Braedey was shockingly the first one to arrive at class.
Professor Lupin then entered in very fine clothes as he then stood in front of a broom closet that seemed to shake every few seconds. There was something inside of that thing. "Would anyone like to venture a guess.... as to what's inside?" Lupin asked to everyone.
"That's a Boggart." Dean answered the question.
"Very good, Mr. Thomas. Now can anyone tell me what a Boggart looks like?" Professor Lupin questioned.
Hermione was about to answer, but Braedey beats her. "Well, technically, no one really knows. Boggarts are shapeshifters, they love dark places, and can take the form of whatever a person fears the most. That's what makes them...."
"Terrifying? Yes, yes, yes. Let's practice now. Without wands, please. After me, Riddikulus!" Lupin said.
"Riddikulus!" The class repeated the spell.
"This class is ridiculous." Draco commented sarcastically.
"Yes, very good. That was the easy part. What really finishes a Boggart is laughter." Lupin explained. "You need to force it to assume a shape you truly amusing. Let me explain. Neville, would you join me please?" He asked next.
Neville then joined Lupin at the front of the class. "So, tell me Neville. What frightens you the most?" The latter asked.
"Professor Snape." Neville answered honestly.
"Professor Snape. Yes, frightens all." Lupin said as everyone laughed, minus a few Slytherins. "And I believe you live with your grandmother, yes?"
"Yeah, but I don't want it to turn into her, either." Neville sighed.
"No, it won't. I want you to picture her clothes. Only her clothes, very clearly in your mind." Lupin told Neville.
"She carries a red handbag...."
"We don't need to hear it." Lupin interrupted him. "As long as you see it, we'll see it. Now, when I open that wardrobe... Here's what I want you to do. I want to picture Snape in your grandmother's clothes. Can you do that?" Neville nodded his head. "Good then, wand at the ready." Lupin readied his wand. "One, two, three!"
The door suddenly unlocked, and slowly opened as Professor Snape climbed out the cupboard. He started walking towards Neville with scorn and discontent on his face.
"Riddikulus!" Neville said the spell, and suddenly, Snape was in a green dress with a dead bird hat, and carrying a red handbag.
Everyone burst out laughing, including Braedey as this was very funny for the American. 'This is definitely an improvement from the last two years.' He thought to himself.
"Incredible!" Lupin called out. "Okay, to the back, Neville. Everyone, form a line. Now, I want everyone to picture the very thing they fear the out, and turn into something funny." He added in next.
Lupin now puts on 'Seven Nation Army' by The White Stripes on the record player as Ron stepped forward. The Boggart noticed the redhead as it now changed into a giant redback spider. Ron's face turned to one of utter fright as he pulled out his wand slowly.
"Riddikulus!" Ron said aloud. The spider's legs now have roller skates on them as it couldn't move properly due to all the roller skates and it falls over.
"Yes, brilliant!" Lupin said. "Alright, Parvati! You're next!"
The Boggart now changed from a spider into that of a giant King Cobra. Braedey reached for his wand in anger, the memories of last year, still fresh in his head but Hermione stops him with a kind smile on her face.
"Riddikulus!" Parvati called, and the King Cobra now changed into a jack-in-the-box as everyone laughed.
Braedey was next in line. The Boggart changed shape and it became that of an asteroid, as tall as the room itself as it now came hurtling towards the American. Everyone backed away in complete shock and fear.
Braedey calmly pointed his wand at the space rock. "Okay, this is... Riddikulus!" The asteroid then exploded into rainbow confetti, everyone now relaxing and laughing at this.
Harry stepped foward. Seconds later, the Boggart mow changed form into a Dementor. Lupin immediately jumped in front of Harry, causing the Dementor to mow turn into a full moon behind some clouds.
"Riddikulus!" Lupin yelled out, and the full moon became a white punctured balloon as it flies around the room, everyone ducking for cover.
Lupin eventually trapped it back in the cupboard and slammed the door shut. "Alright, I think that's enough excitement for one day. Class dismissed." He said.
Braedey grabbed his bag as he followed Terry out of the class room, the two wondering why Professor Lupin was afraid of a full moon. Something just didn't add up. But that would have to wait as Braedey now needed to find out why his Giganotosaur form was becoming that of a hybrid dinosaur.