Harry Potter and the Fifth Year from Hell

Chapter 18 - Hagrid Returns

We now ask ourselves: which of these creatures is a "being" - that is to say, a creature worthy of legal rights and a voice in the governance of the magical world - and which is a "beast"?

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Introduction

* * *

Harry was looking forward to the first Hogsmeade weekend with an almost desperate anticipation. Sirius was the only one, it seemed, who would tell him anything about what was going on. It was hard to concentrate on Charms and Transfiguration, knowing that the future of the wizarding world was being determined in a silent struggle that almost no one seemed to know anything about - a race, Dumbledore had called it.

Harry found himself glaring at the Headmaster on the few occasions when he saw him at his place at the head table, thinking of all the information that Dumbledore had, and how pitifully little of it he had shared with Harry. How was Hagrid progressing with gathering the Order of the Phoenix? What was it that Voldemort wanted, and was it the same method that Dumbledore thought had worked before? What was Sirius doing?

"Harry, stop that," Hermione hissed. "Eat your breakfast."

Harry tore his gaze away from Dumbledore and scowled. "I just wish we could find out something," he muttered, stabbing at his boiled egg with a fork.

"There´s one good thing," said Ron. "Think of Malfoy´s face when he finds out his father´s given most of his money away."

Harry looked at the Slytherin table. Draco Malfoy seemed perfectly content, listening with a patronizing smile to something Crabbe was telling him. Harry´s gaze drifted over a few feet to a fifth-year girl with smooth dark braids - Tamara Nott. She looked as calm and comfortable and well dressed as Malfoy. Ron had told Harry about the Nott family - Tamara was the granddaughter of Henry Nott, the publishing magnate. Her father, Endymion Nott, was Henry Nott´s only son - and said to be a disappointment to his father, having chosen to lead a life of leisure rather than join one of his father´s businesses. But Endymion Nott was the one who had been caught importing virgin´s blood from Transylvania. So both her father and grandfather were --

"And at least we have Potions next," said Hermione consolingly. Ron looked at her in pained astonishment, and she clarified: "We can see how Snape looks."

Harry nodded, but when they reached the dungeon classroom, Snape appeared quite as usual. He did not meet Harry´s eye or acknowledge him in any way as he set them all to brewing the Truthteller Potion. Harry concentrated on steeping the Jobbernoll feather properly, giving silent thanks to Hermione for finding the instructions in another book, after the Slytherins had checked out both of the library´s copies of Ars Forensica and refused to share them. All the fifth-year Gryffindors had clustered around their table in a mass revising session the previous night. For Malfoy´s listening enjoyment, Harry thought sourly.

When they had finished brewing the potion and decanting it into crystal phials, Snape drew their attention again.

"Now we will test your work. Each of you will take the potion and ask your partner a question. To provide a true test, one of each pair must answer truthfully, and the other one must lie. I have the antidote here" - Snape indicated a jar on his desk, filled with pale green liquid - "to reduce your noses to their customary length. Begin."

There was a great deal of giggling, most noticeably from Parvati and Lavender and the Slytherin girls. Harry exchanged disgusted looks with Ron. There was no doubt about what kind of question they were asking each other.

At the next table, Neville and Hermione seemed to be having some sort of polite argument over who should go first. Finally, Hermione gave in, and Neville drank from his phial. He looked apprehensively at Hermione.

"What did you have for breakfast this morning?" Hermione asked. Neville opened his mouth to speak, but Hermione cut him off. "Go ahead and tell the truth," she said. "I don´t mind if my nose grows."

But Neville was too much of a gentleman for that. "Meat pies," he said, and immediately, his face reddened, and his nose lengthened in a comical manner.

"Very good," said Hermione. "Now you ask me." She downed the contents of her phial.

"Err..." said Neville. He inched closer to Hermione and lowered his voice. Harry couldn´t help trying to hear what he said. "Errr..."

Harry frowned. He remembered that Neville had asked Hermione to the Yule Ball the previous year, before he had asked Ginny. Did that mean he fancied Hermione? He certainly looked as if he wanted to ask her something personal - which was distinctly unfair. Hermione had to tell the truth. Harry tried to catch Neville´s eye, but he was already blurting out his question.

"Erm... what kind of boy do you like, usually?" Hermione glared daggers at Neville and he jumped back in alarm. Good. He deserves it. Harry noticed that he wasn´t the only one watching; Ron was completely still and quiet beside him.

Hermione turned pink, though she continued to glower at Neville, who now looked extremely apologetic. Harry could see her formulating and abandoning answers. Harry grinned, and stifled an urge to make suggestions - Tall ones? Redheaded ones? Bulgarian ones? Somehow, he didn´t think Hermione would be amused. Finally, with a last defiant look at Neville, she spoke.

"I like boys who are sweet and funny and smart." Hermione´s hands flew nervously to her nose, but she must have been telling the truth, because nothing happened. Harry couldn´t help it; he laughed out loud.

Hermione had opened her mouth to tell Neville off, but she shot a quick frown at Harry. "It´s not funny, Harry. Neville, I can´t believe you asked me that. It wasn´t fair!"

"I´m really sorry, Hermione -" Neville was beginning, when Snape´s icy voice cut in from behind Harry.

"Is there a problem, Potter? Weasley?"

Harry jumped. "Just going." He grabbed his phial and gulped it down, looking at Ron expectantly. The whole class seemed to have finished already and was watching them. Snape tapped one foot impatiently.

"Err, what´s your favourite course?" said Ron.

Harry decided to lie. There was no reason to expose Ron to any more jokes about his nose. He quickly discarded his first impulse, which was to say `Potions.´ Any course besides Defence Against the Dark Arts would be a lie. "Divination," said Harry firmly.

Harry felt his face heat up, and suddenly saw his nose grow into his line of sight. He ignored a titter of laughter from Pansy Parkinson, and nodded to Ron.

Ron drank his portion of the potion, looking distinctly nervous. Harry gave him a reassuring look, and asked, "What´s your favourite colour?"

Ron should have no trouble with that question. Harry was pretty sure the answer would be orange, the colour of the Chudley Cannons´ uniforms.

To Harry´s surprise, Ron looked appalled, and his ears turned bright red. What? thought Harry in dismay, is his favourite colour pink or something? Whatever it was, Ron would have to answer honestly now, or they would lose marks on their potion.

Reluctantly, Ron unclenched his lips. "Yellow," he said, glaring at Harry much as Hermione had glared at Neville. A wave of colour washed over him, as though he had said something embarrassing, but no one else seemed to find it worth commenting on. Snape continued his progress around the classroom, and the other pupils turned away to laugh at each other´s long noses.

"What was wrong with that question?" said Harry irritably.

"Nothing," said Ron. "Forget it."

"Really -" insisted Harry, "I thought it would be an easy one. I didn´t mean to -- "

"Forget it." Ron repeated angrily. "Just shut it, will you?"

"All right," said Harry. He had better things to do than try to figure out Ron´s strange behaviour. Yellow was kind of a girlish colour - maybe that was it.

At Snape´s summons, Harry walked to the front of the room to have his nose reduced. He looked around at his fellow Pinocchio look-alikes. Neville. Parvati. Seamus. Crabbe and Goyle. Millicent Bulstrode. That other Slytherin girl, Queenie somebody. Probably this revealed something important about the Slytherins and their status rankings, but Harry couldn´t be bothered to think about what it might be.

Neville turned to Harry while they waited their turn. "Harry, do you think I´m... smart?"

"Sure," said Harry. He was grateful that the Potion worked for only one answer. "You´re funny, too." Neville looked very pleased. Harry glanced guiltily at Hermione. Perhaps I shouldn´t have said that.

*

"Transubstantial transfiguration..." Professor McGonagall intoned, surveying her pupils with an expectant air. "How does it differ from everyday transfiguration?"

Harry tried to force himself to pay attention, but it was very hard. It was the Friday before the Hogsmeade weekend, and Professor McGonagall had sent him an owl asking him to stay after class with Ron and Hermione to discuss their arrangements for the next day.

"... very good, Mr. Finch-Fletchley." Professor McGonagall gave the Hufflepuff boy one of her small smiles. "I am happy to see that someone has done the supplemental reading. And what is the distinction between transubtantial transfiguration and transmogrification?"

There were so many things he wanted to talk to Sirius and Remus about. The Direction-Writer and Voldemort´s current location. The Death Eater meeting and the "thing" that Voldemort was looking for. The Dursleys and their move. Simon Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. What Snape had said about Harry´s parents. He almost needed to make a list to remember it all....

"Did everyone hear Miss Bones´s explanation? Good! This material will certainly be on your O.W.L. examinations." Harry winced as the bell rang signalling the end of class. Yet another thing to read up on before the O.W.L.s.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron dawdled over packing up their book bags until everyone else had left the classroom, and then advanced eagerly to Professor McGonagall´s desk. She smiled tightly at them and spoke in a low voice.

"Go to Hogsmeade as usual," she said. "At half ten, go through the back door of Dervish and Banges. There will be an exterior stair to your right - my flat is at the top of those stairs. Mr. Lupin will be waiting for you there."

Finally, the hours passed, and it was time to walk to Hogsmeade. The ceiling of the Great Hall was grey with blowing clouds, but no rain was falling. Harry repressed an urge to push past his fellow pupils as they surged out toward the entrance hall. He was very much looking forward to Apparating once more. Maybe they could go to Lupin Lodge again, or --

"Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter, Miss Granger - may I see you for a moment?" Professor McGonagall beckoned to them as they came out into the entrance hall. Quickly, she led them away from the rowdy crowd and a little way up the marble staircase. As soon as they were out of earshot, she said, "I´m afraid there has been a change of plans."

Harry´s heart fell. No! He had been looking forward to this for so long.

"What´s wrong, Professor?" said Hermione. "Is there something...?"

Professor McGonagall pursed her lips. "Professor Dumbledore has asked me to inform you that Mr. Lu - your instructor will not be able to meet you today. An emergency came up that... he... we´ll have to reschedule your refresher lesson for a later time."

Harry realized that Professor McGonagall looked pale, and her voice was trembling. Instantly, his disappointment turned to terror.

"Is he all right?" he asked. "Are they all right? What´s happening?"

McGonagall frowned. "He´s perfectly all right." She faltered. "That is... I´m sure he´ll be fine, and so will - the other person. They´ve simply been sent on an emergency mission for Professor Dumbledore. Nothing for you to be concerned about." Harry found this impossible to believe, since she was looking very concerned indeed.

"Why won´t you tell us -- " he began sharply, but Ron cut him off.

"Is this something about my dad?" he said. "Or one of my brothers?"

"Not at all," said McGonagall impatiently, recovering her poise. "None of this is any of your concern. Go on to Hogsmeade and enjoy your day. I will let you know about the rescheduling."

Harry scowled after her as she turned and swept up the stairs. "So we´re just supposed to go and enjoy ourselves?" he growled. Ron and Hermione looked at each other, and then at Harry.

"It could be anything, really," said Ron, as they slowly and reluctantly descended the stairs again. "I don´t think has Dumbledore has many people working for him besides..." he jerked his chin significantly "... those two. I mean, they don´t have jobs or anything, so they´re free to do whatever he needs."

"But what does he need?" said Hermione. "What could it be? Do you think You-Know-Who has attacked someone? Harry - how´s your scar?"

"Not hurting," shrugged Harry. "But it only does do when Voldemort is close to me, or angry, I think."

"We´ll find out sooner or later what´s going on," said Ron. "In the meantime -" he shrugged "--shall we go to Hogsmeade?" They crossed the entrance hall and opened the heavy door to the outside. The crowd of pupils was a few dozen yards in front of them, making for the front gate. The wind was cool, and they pulled their cloaks around them as they stepped out.

"I suppose so," said Harry reluctantly.

"You can stay here, if you like," said Ron, raising his eyebrows at Harry. "Catch up on your reading, like you said." He looked significantly from Hermione to Harry.

"Oh, I should do that," said Hermione immediately. "I have so much -- "

"No, not you," Ron said, looking flustered. He looked to Harry for help.

Harry was annoyed. It appeared that since their Apparating lesson was cancelled, Ron wanted to return to the scheme of him going to Hogsmeade alone with Hermione. Not bloody likely! Harry had offered to stay back, but that was before all this came up. If Ron thought Harry wanted to sit in the common room by himself and worry, he was mad. Besides, didn´t the stupid prat know that the important part of a date was that you asked? Even Harry knew that much - Ron wouldn´t get any credit for going to Hogsmeade with Hermione by chance.

Harry glared at Ron, and set off at a brisk pace. "Come on," he said. "We need to talk about this."

They quickly caught up to the crowd. Fred and George were walking with Lee, Angelina, Katie, and Alicia. Harry could hear them arguing about what to do for the day.

"It´s not very nice of you," Angelina said hotly, "when you know we can´t go with you. Besides," she added as an afterthought, "leaving Hogsmeade is blatantly against the rules."

"But none of us has ever been to Dundee," said Alicia, "and you´ve been loads of times. Look, we´ll only go for half the day, and we´ll bring you something back..."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione passed out of earshot without hearing the resolution of the dispute. They came up behind a cheerful group of fourth-year Gryffindors, including Colin Creevey, Sophie Greene, and two other girls. Neville Longbottom was with them, as well.

"I wonder where Ginny is," Harry said to Ron, indicating the group. Ron looked around for her and shrugged.

"Don´t know," he said. He lowered his voice. "D´you think Dumbledore is making his move against You-Know-Who?"

"I don´t see how," Hermione said. "Nothing has changed with the Ministry. Fudge was in the Daily Prophet yesterday, calling for the prosecution of rumourmongers and panic-spreaders." Hermione´s tone was icy.

"Maybe Voldemort is doing something," said Harry, kicking at a stone in the street. He looked around the village for a quiet place to talk, and finally settled on the stile at the end of the lane where they´d once met Sirius. If only he were here today.

But there really was nothing to talk about. They had no new information, and their speculations ran in useless circles. Ron was the first to lose patience.

"This isn´t getting us anywhere," he said. "Let´s go have some butterbeer, at least."

The headed for the Three Broomsticks. As they passed the glass front of Honeydukes Sweetshop, Harry came to a sudden stop. Ginny Weasley was inside, bent over a shelf of chocolates, shoulder-to-shoulder with a brown-haired boy. After a moment´s thought, Harry identified him as the Slytherin who´d stopped Ginny on the train platform coming into Hogsmeade. Were they... was she...?

Ron stopped and looked back. "Harry? What is it?"

Harry shook his head and hurried to catch up. It was none of his business if Ron´s sister chose to talk to Slytherin boys. Even if she had come to Hogsmeade with that bloke - which was certainly what it looked like, considering that she hadn´t been with Colin and Neville earlier - that wasn´t Harry´s business. Nothing could happen to her in Honeydukes. There was no reason to say anything to Ron. As for Hermione - for all Harry knew, Hermione knew all about it already. She did talk to Ginny sometimes. Maybe he could ask her...

No, that´s silly. Harry found a table in the crowded pub and offered to get the drinks. Ron and Hermione, who had somehow got onto the subject of house-elves, waved him off absently.

By the time Harry returned, the house-elf discussion had become heated, and Ron and Hermione accepted their mugs with a brief word of thanks, before plunging back into argument. Harry sighed and looked around the packed room. Katie Bell, Lee Jordan, and Angelina Johnson were seated in front of the window, looking as glum as Harry felt. It appeared that the other three had indeed Apparated off and left them. Cho Chang was standing at the bar with the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. Harry wished briefly that he had the courage to go up and talk to her, but she seemed fully occupied with her teammates. In the very back part of the room, several tables full of Slytherins were talking quietly. A chattering crowd of young Hufflepuffs departed in a noisy mass, giving Harry a clear view to the tables by the fireplace. Red hair caught his eye - Anne Weasley was seated at the smallest table, leaning forward to talk to a young, dark-haired man. Harry had never seen the man before.

"Who´s that talking to Professor Weasley?" he asked.

"I never said they deserve slavery," Ron said impatiently. "I said they like working. Making them stop would be like stopping Harry from playing Quidditch - or stopping you from reading every book in the universe."

"She looks pretty cosy with him," Harry said loudly.

"And I never said they had to stop working," retorted Hermione. "If they were free, they could do whatever they wanted, couldn´t they? You just - what did you say, Harry?"

Harry, who had been about to give up, quickly directed his friends´ attention to the small table. "Who is that over there with your cousin?"

"That´s Mr. Gudgeon," said Ron with a puzzled frown. "Percy´s boss."

Harry looked more closely at the man - yes, one of his eyes was horribly scarred. He was leaning forward as well, supporting his chin with one elbow on the table and stroking his empty butterbeer mug with the fingers of his other hand. Professor Weasley stared into his face, paying no attention to the students surrounding her. Ron sniggered.

"I reckon they´re starting back up again. Remember Mum said Annie used to go out with him?"

Hermione nodded. "I met him when Ginny and I were visiting Penelope." She grinned. "He did seem very interested to see Professor Weasley again."

"Mr. Gudgeon was visiting Penelope Clearwater?" said Ron.

"Yes," said Hermione. "He was trying to talk her into accepting the job he´d offered her, but she wouldn´t, because she didn´t want to work in the same office as Percy."

"You didn´t tell us about that," said Ron, interested. "Did Penelope tell you why she chucked old Percy?"

Hermione´s cheeks reddened. "She - umm - decided he really didn´t love her, I suppose. She wanted to - to live together or something, but Percy wanted to..." Hermione blushed harder. "You know, like they talked about in the fifth year assembly, he wanted to let his... you know."

"His magic keep growing?" said Harry. Hermione nodded.

Ron´s mouth fell open. "You mean she wanted to, and he wouldn´t? That git! I don´t blame her for throwing him over. What - does he think he´s going to be the next Dumbledore or something?"

"It really hurt Penelope´s feelings," said Hermione, "but I can see his point - Percy just wanted to let his magic reach its full potential. You know how ambitious he´s always been."

"You can see his point? Didn´t they tell you how slowly your magic grows after you turn eighteen? It´s mad - you´d have to be all power-crazy to keep putting off your life just so you can get a little stronger. Harry, tell her! You see how stupid it is, don´t you?"

Harry opened his mouth, closed it again, and spoke carefully. "I can see how someone might - I mean if they had some reason that they needed to be as strong as possible..."

Ron looked disgustedly at Harry. "Both of you are bonkers. Don´t you understand that if you think of it that way, it´ll never end? You´ll always be more powerful if you wait another year. Look at my Mum and Dad. They got married right out of Hogwarts, and they don´t have any problem doing magic. There´s no point to waiting -- "

"Hush!" hissed Hermione. "People can hear you."

People at several nearby tables were indeed looking at Ron with interest and amusement. He subsided, shaking his head and muttering under his breath. Hermione stared down at the table, wiping at a smudge with her finger. Harry tried, and failed, to think of a new subject to introduce.

Ron was the first to break the silence. "Oi - who´s that with Ginny?"

Harry looked up quickly. The brown-haired Slytherin boy was conducting Ginny through the crowd toward the back of the room. Ginny was talking and smiling up at him.

"His name is Ian St. Clair," said Hermione. She made a futile grab at Ron´s sleeve as he stood up to stare after Ginny. Harry spun around in his chair to watch the two as they accepted empty seats at a crowded table. "He´s a fourth-year."

"Fourth-year Slytherin you mean," said Ron. He was glaring at Ginny. Ginny showed no signs of having seen her brother, but Harry suspected, from the way she didn´t look in their direction, that she was aware of Ron´s scrutiny.

Hermione finally got hold of Ron´s sleeve and pulled. He sat down heavily.

"Well," Ron said, " I never thought Ginny´d be going out before I was." He pulled his gaze away from Ginny long enough to give Harry a reproachful glance, and then his eyebrows contracted. "What is that bloke up to, anyway? D´you think he´s trying to get information from Ginny about Harry?"

"I don´t think so," Hermione said, frowning. "He seems like a nice enough boy."

"Well, why would he be interested in Ginny then?" said Ron. "It´s not like she´s - " he waved a hand "--fit or anything."

Hermione gasped angrily. "Ginny is very nice and very pretty!" she said fiercely. "There´s no reason to think a boy wouldn´t be interested in her."

Ron snorted. "Come on, Hermione - she´s just a skinny kid with a lot of freckles. I mean, she´s okay, but she´s not what you´d call pretty."

Harry scowled. This was pretty rich, considering that Ginny looked just like Ron, except that she didn´t have a long nose, or big clomping feet, and her hair was much nicer... really, she was a lot better-looking than Ron was, so he didn´t have any call to --

"Look at those tossers!" said Ron. Harry glanced quickly back. A group of fourth-year Slytherin boys had gathered around Ginny and the St. Clair boy, grinning and leaning forward eagerly to shake Ginny´s hand.

"They don´t seem to mind her freckles," said Hermione.

"You´d think they´d never seen a girl before," Harry grumbled. He watched with narrowed eyes as the boys nodded farewell to Ginny and walked away to the bar, laughing and nudging each other. If they´re talking about Ginny... But all Harry heard as they passed his table was a reference to someone named Badger always being on the pull and a suggestion that one of them should have asked Lucy this weekend. Harry looked back toward the Slytherin table and stiffened.

"Ron, look."

Draco Malfoy, flanked as usual by Crabbe and Goyle, had stopped by the table where Ginny sat. He spoke to the brown-haired boy, who laughed and said something back. Then St. Clair made a gesture, obviously presenting the three boys to Ginny. Harry felt angry blood rush to his face. Ginny shouldn´t have to talk to the son of the man who had given her Tom Riddle´s diary. It was wrong. Was she actually smiling?

"GINNY!" Ron had left their table, and taken a few steps toward the back of the room. He beckoned to his sister. Ginny paused in the act of shaking hands with Goyle, frowned at Ron, and gave her head a little shake. Then she turned back and said something to Goyle.

Harry found himself on his feet. Ginny didn´t know about Malfoy spying on them. But she knew about the burning of Hermione´s house... and... and Harry had just seen Lucius Malfoy meeting with Voldemort. It was wrong and sick and impossible that Ginny would sit there and socialize with his son.

Before he could think, before he could stop himself, Harry found himself walking toward the back of the room. Ginny saw him coming, and her eyes rounded. Malfoy must have noticed, because he spun around and jerked his chin at Harry.

"Do you have a problem, Potter?"

Harry ignored him. "Ginny," he said, "would you come over here a minute. We need to talk to you."

"What´s the matter? Can´t stand to lose your little fan-girl?"

Harry felt the blood drum in his ears, but he ignored Malfoy´s jibes. He held Ginny´s eyes steadily.

Ginny looked uncertain and irritated. She looked at the St. Clair boy, who was slowly rising to his feet, and then back at Harry.

"If this is something about Ron," said Ginny, "you can tell him to wait. I´ll talk to him later."

"He probably wants to borrow some money from you," drawled Malfoy.

Harry continued to ignore Malfoy, focusing his entire will on Ginny. She had to come away from them.

"It´s not about Ron," Harry said firmly. "Come on. It´s important. We need to talk to you right now." He backed up a few steps. Ginny moved a few steps forward, her face flushed.

"Well, just for a minute then. Ian, I´ll be back in a moment." She stalked toward the table where Ron and Hermione were, her shoulders stiff with fury or embarrassment. Harry gulped as he fell in behind her, hoping she and Ron wouldn´t scream at each other. People were already watching them curiously.

Malfoy let out a sharp laugh, and moved toward the door. As he passed Harry, he spoke softly, "`and everywhere that Potter went, the lamb was sure to go.´" Crabbe and Goyle followed, chuckling. Harry looked back at Ian St. Clair - the Slytherin boy was staring after Ginny, an expression of stung disbelief on his face.

By the time Harry got back to their table, Ron and Ginny were hissing furiously at each other.

"And what do you think you´re doing? Going for the Miss Slytherin popularity award? How can you even talk to Malfoy after the things he´s done to Harry and Hermione?"

"If you think you have the slightest right to tell me what to do -- !"

"I can stop you from making an exhibition of yourself! I can bloody well tell Mum and Dad what you´re getting up to."

"I´m making an exhibition of myself?" Ginny glared from Ron to Harry. "I´m not the one who´s making a scene here! I´m not the one who thinks he can -- "

"Errr, Ginny?"

Ginny gasped and whirled around. Ian St. Clair stood behind her, unsmiling.

"I´m going back to the school now. Will you accompany me?"

"I..." Ginny stuttered to a stop. Ron put a hand on her arm, and she shook it off angrily. "I´ll just be a minute."

The boy stiffened. "I understand." He turned on his heel and left. Ginny´s mouth dropped open as she watched him disappear through the door and then move past the front window in the direction of Hogwarts.

"He´s gone back without me!" she said in dismay. She rounded on her brother. "Now do you see what you did? This is your fault!"

"Ginny -- " Hermione put out a calming hand. Ginny ignored her and turned to Harry.

"And yours!" she snarled. Harry took a step backwards from the fierce heat in Ginny´s narrowed eyes. He hadn´t meant to mess up her date. It was only -- He had just -- Before he could bring any words to his stumbling tongue, Ginny made a little snort of frustration, whirled around, and flounced out the door.

Harry stared after her, feeling as stupid as he´d ever felt in his life. It hadn´t seemed like he was doing anything wrong at the time, but now he felt that he´d blundered terribly. Ginny was angry, the Slytherin boy was angry, Draco Malfoy had looked delighted, and the crowd around them was buzzing with pleasurable gossip.

Hermione shook her head and opened her mouth to speak. Ron stopped her with a searing look. Harry dropped back into his seat and stared blankly at the table.

Somebody needed to say something. Harry cleared his throat.

"Errr - does anyone want another butterbeer?"

*

The next few days were not pleasant. Professor McGonagall looked pale and tense, and Harry´s stomach clenched with apprehension whenever he saw her. He would have given anything for a letter from Sirius, but none came. Ginny pointedly left the common room every time he and Ron walked in, and ate on the opposite end of the table in the Great Hall, her head turned firmly away from them. Her coldness was oddly disturbing - probably, Harry thought, because it was such a change. He had always thought of Ginny as sweet and gentle. He´d seen her angry, but never like this, and never before at him. It unsettled him.

Perhaps it was Harry´s imagination, but everyone in Gryffindor seemed out of sorts. Ron was irritable, and the entire Quidditch team was sluggish and unresponsive at Monday night´s practice, flubbing basic plays and seeming not to hear Harry´s shouted corrections. Harry hoped that the upcoming Halloween Feast would dispel the gloom that seemed to have settled over everyone.

The only break in his mood came at breakfast on the morning of Halloween - an owl to Ron from Mr. Weasley. Ron opened it eagerly and Harry and Hermione read over his shoulder.

Dear Ron,

How are you, son? Your mother and I, and Percy, are all well. We had a little trouble with a Nogtail last week, but your mum got it sorted.

First, let me answer your question from yesterday. I´ve never heard anything charged against the St. Clair family. They live in Cornwall, and Mrs. St. Clair is known for her prize Crups. Why do you ask? Do you have reason to believe they´re involved in something?

Second, I´ve checked on that item you and Professor Dumbledore asked me about. It is still in the warehouse where it belongs. I took the liberty of testing it, and it seems to work fine.

Someone could have come in and used it, but there aren´t that many people still using the old warehouse. Most things go to the new Evidence Stores at Magical Law Enforcement - we even send our stuff there if there´s going to be a trial or hearing. The old warehouse is only used for simple confiscations - mostly Muggle Artefacts from my department, and the things International Magical Cooperation confiscates at Customs. I see Percy there occasionally, and others from his department. Also, rarely, old Morehead from Experimental Charms.

Your mum wants to know if you´re planning on coming for Christmas - Harry is invited, of course, and Hermione, if she will come. Let us know.

Love, Dad

"So what do you say?" asked Ron, as they walked out to Care of Magical Creatures. "Christmas at the Burrow?"

Harry hesitated. It sounded wonderful! To be with a family at Christmas, a family where everybody liked him... except maybe Ginny. But she´ll be over this by then, won´t she? But Harry couldn´t help thinking that if he visited the Weasleys, it would put them all in danger, and they´d have to do whatever elaborate security Dumbledore had arranged the previous summer. It would probably be a lot easier for everyone if he stayed at Hogwarts as he always had.

"Well don´t everybody answer at once!" said Ron, sounding a little hurt.

"Oh!" Hermione bit her lip. "It would be really nice, but... I think I´ll have to go see my parents. They´ve been so worried about me ever since this summer - and I know they want to show me our new house. I don´t suppose... it would be wonderful if you two could come to the Azores with me!"

Ron, who had been looking sulky, brightened immediately. "That would be wicked! I´ll bet Harry would be safe there, too - a lot safer than the Burrow!"

"I´ve never been anywhere like that," said Harry, rather dazzled at the idea of visiting a tropical island. "I´ve never been anywhere, actually." He had never been on a holiday in his entire life.

"But how would we get there?" said Ron. His face darkened. "Does it cost a lot?"

"I´ll look into it," Hermione said briskly. They had almost reached the winged horse enclosure. She lowered his voice. "What do you think about what Mr. Weasley said? Do you think someone could have used the Direction Writer in the warehouse?"

"Definitely," said Ron. "I´ve been in there with Dad - it´s dead empty and no one could see what you were doing."

"Could someone have taken it away, and brought it back?" Harry asked.

"I don´t think so - not easily." Ron frowned. "There are some enchantments to prevent that - and they keep a Troll guard at the door as well. Nobody´s allowed to go in but authorized people."

"How did you go in, then?"

Ron shrugged. "Well, authorized people, and anyone they bring along."

"Someone could have used Polyjuice Potion," mused Hermione, "or - Why are all these people out here?"

Harry looked around. Besides the usual fifth-years from his Care of Magical Creatures class, Professor Weasley and what looked like every first year in the school were clustered about the enclosure. Professor Grubbly-Plank waved her hands for attention and spoke.

"We have a special treat for you today," she announced. "Professor Weasley and I have agreed that the griffin is now sufficiently tame to be released back into the Forest. She has agreed not to eat any more of our livestock.

Harry looked at the griffin with interest. It was a magnificent beast with the front half of an eagle and the back half of a lion. This one was golden-brown in the front, shading into a typical lion tan in the back. The creature was secured with four ropes attached to a heavy collar around its neck, each one leading to a different corner of the compound. Harry knew they were magical ropes of enormous strength. The griffin looked much more ferocious than Buckbeak, or the other hippogriffs Harry had seen. Having a lion body rather than a horse body made a tremendous difference.

"Here, you!" Harry winced as Professor Grubbly-Plank grabbed him by one shoulder. "Boy, you take this rope." She shoved him toward the nearest corner of the enclosure. "When I signal you, undo the fastener and hold the end of the rope." Harry nodded and moved into position. The professor set Goyle, Dean Thomas, and Millicent Bulstrode at the other three corners.

Professor Weasley vaulted lightly over the fence and approached the griffin. The crowd hushed immediately, and watched intently. She bowed. Harry held his breath as the griffin stared at her, its feathers slightly ruffled. Then, slowly and regally, it returned the bow.

Professor Weasley stood straight and still in front of it, but Harry suspected her body was tensed to flee if she needed to. She spoke loudly.

"Trouble us no more, and we´ll not trouble you. Hunt in the forests and leave our beasts in peace." She bowed again.

This time, the griffin returned the bow more quickly and kept its head down. Professor Weasley stepped up to its neck and unfastened the collar. Professor Grubbly-Plank signalled to Harry and the others, and they untied their ropes, giving Professor Weasley enough slack to remove the collar from the griffin.

Almost before she could step back, the creature bent in a deep crouch and leapt into the air. The downdraft of its wings whipped Professor Weasley´s red hair wildly about her head. And then suddenly, more quickly than Harry would have believed possible, it was high, high in the sky.

Harry stood staring, the rope slack in his hand. It flew much faster than a hippogriff. It must be magnificent to ride a griffin. If only he could --

"Not bad, eh?" said Ron at his elbow. "Annie can handle beasts a bit, can´t she?"

Harry nodded, looking at Professor Weasley with a new admiration. He suspected that she, rather than Professor Grubbly-Plank, had done most of the work in taming the griffin. Grubbly-Plank seemed to know a lot about magical creatures, but she´d never caught a Nundu in Africa. Or, at least, Harry assumed she never had.

Professor Weasley vaulted back over the fence, to be immediately surrounded by her chattering pupils. She grinned over at Ron, and then began speaking to the first years, gathering them up to return to the castle. Professor Grubbly-Plank joined her for a few words.

Harry looked up into the sky again. "It´s gone," he said. The griffin had disappeared into the distance.

"I hope it stays away," said Hermione practically. "Professor Weasley said that one was eating a whole sheep or pig every day."

"So?" said Ron. "Goyle does that."

Professor Weasley started back to the castle, with her charges trailing behind her. Suddenly, one of them pointed and shouted.

"It´s coming back! No - there are two of them!"

Harry looked up. Two winged shapes seemed to be speeding toward them over the Forbidden Forest.

"They´re just owls," said one of the first years.

"Those are too big to be owls," said Seamus Finnigan.

"It´s eagles!" screamed his brother Patrick excitedly. "The eagles are coming!"

If they were eagles, thought Harry, they were enormous ones - the biggest eagles he had ever seen. And one of them seemed to have something large and lumpy on its back.

Then, as the shapes came closer, Harry realized what he was seeing.

"It is the griffin!" he shouted. "And - and - BUCKBEAK!"

Buckbeak landed heavily on the grass between them and Hagrid´s cabin. Harry, Hermione, and Ron ran toward him. The griffin circled around again, and landed smoothly beside it.

Then Harry saw the two people on Buckbeak´s back. Remus Lupin hopped off and stretched out his arms to catch his companion. The other man toppled off, unconscious and covered with blood. He landed on Remus and squashed him flat.

Hermione screamed.

It was Hagrid.

*

"Where´s Dumbledore!"

"Get Madam Pomfrey!"

"Is he all right?"

"What happened?"

Harry ignored the shouts and confusion about him and ran straight to Hagrid. Remus was struggling to get out from under Hagrid´s giant body. Ron quickly tugged him out, while Harry knelt beside Hagrid. He was breathing!

"What´s wrong? What happened to him?" said Hermione, running up.

"Ogres," said Remus briefly. "We patched him up as best we could, but we thought we´d better fly him straight back here. Where´s Dumbledore?"

"He´s coming," said Professor Weasley, skidding to a stop beside him. "I sent two students for him, and two to the hospital wing for Pomfrey. What can we do to help?"

"He´s in shock, and he´s lost a lot of blood," said Remus. He sounded exhausted. "He needs warmth, liquids... a bed." He looked around vaguely, as if he expected one to appear.

Penelope Clearwater came running out of Hagrid´s cabin. "Bring him in here!" she said sharply. "Who can conjure a stretcher?"

"I can!" said Remus and Professor Weasley simultaneously. It took them several tries to conjure one big enough to carry Hagrid. By the time they had levitated him onto the stretcher and started back toward the cabin, Professor Dumbledore had arrived, followed by most of the Hogwarts staff.

"Yes, let´s put him in here," Madam Pomfrey agreed. They disappeared into Hagrid´s cabin, closing the door firmly behind them.

"Go back to the castle," Professor McGonagall told the crowd of pupils. "There is nothing more you can do here. Go!" She gave them one last severe look, and then slipped in through the door.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at each other with dismay. They needed to see Hagrid. He wasn´t just their professor and gamekeeper, he was their friend. They needed to speak to Remus. They needed to see Hagrid!

"What about Buckbeak?" said Ron suddenly. "Is he okay?"

Fortunately, Professor Weasley and Professor Grubbly-Plank seemed to be tending to the exhausted hippogriff. The griffin put back its head and screamed once, then jumped abruptly into the air and flew away. Harry hardly noticed it.

He looked from Ron to Hermione. "Invisibility Cloak, you reckon?" he said.

"Maybe later," said Hermione. "When the crowd´s gone. Right now, I just want to make sure we catch Remus."

Harry nodded. They waited. It was a very long wait.