BLOODY CHICKEN!

SEPTEMBER 1993

3rd Year

• • • •

Annabelle let out a giggle, as Buckbeak nuzzled his head into her neck.

"He's wonderful, Hagrid." Annabelle grinned.

"Isn' he?" Hagrid beamed with pride, before hearing voices nearing his hut, "Well, we be'er get goin'."

"I'm really glad you're teaching us." Annabelle told the man as they walked back to his hut.

Hagrid blushed, leaning down to her height, "I am too."

Annabelle smiled, before joining her brother and friends as the Slytherin and Gryffindor students gathered in front of Hagrid.

"That's it. Come on, now. Come closer. Less talking, if you don't mind. I got a real treat for you today. A great lesson. Follow me." Hagrid said, before leading the students into the clearing.

"You're gonna love this." Annabelle muttered a promise to Hermione.

"Right, you lot. Less chat'ering. Form a group over there. And open your to page 49." He instructed.

"Exactly how do we do that?" Draco spat.

"Just the spine, of course," Hagrid sighed, "Goodness me."

Annabelle smiled in triumph as she stroked the spine of her textbook, the book gently falling open.

"I think they're funny." Hermione told her best friend.

"Oh, yeah. Terribly funny," Draco's voice scoffed, making everyone turn to him, "Really witty. God, this place has gone to the dogs. Wait until my father hears that Dumbledore's got this oaf teaching classes."

Harry scowled, walking towards his enemy, "Shut up, Malfoy."

"Ooh!" Malfoy and his croons smirked, before the platinum boy dropped his bag on Crabbe and sauntered towards Harry. His eyes drifted behind the dark-haired boy, his eyes widening, as he spluttered, moving backwards, "Dementor! Dementor!" Draco cried, making everyone whip around, only to see that there was nothing there.

Draco and his cronies laughed, as they turned back to them, lifting their hoods up and mimicking the dementors.

Hermione grabbed Harry's arm, making a face at the Slytherins, dragging Harry back to the front of the group, "Just ignore him."

Ron chuckled as Neville joined them, "You're supposed to stroke it."

"Yeah." Neville nodded, in a daze after having been attacked by his textbook.

Annabelle smiled softly, straightening the boy's shredded robes, "Don't be embarrassed." She whispered into his ear.

"It's a bit difficult not to be." Neville muttered, glancing over at a laughing Draco and his gang.

"Ignore them," Annabelle shook her head, turning him to face away from the gang, "They're a bunch of twats, their opinion is worthless."

Neville smiled slightly, Annabelle squeezing his hand as Hagrid re-emerged, clearing his throat, Buckbeak in tow.

"Da-da-da-da!" He fan-fared as Buckbeak made himself seen, the half horse, half eagle standing proudly in the clearing, "Isn' he beau-iful? Say hello to Buckbeak."

"Hagrid, exactly what is that?" Ron asked.

"That is a hippogriff." Annabelle said with a grin.

"Tha' he is," Hagrid nodded, "First you wan' to know about hippogriffs is that they're very proud creatures. Very easily offended. You do not wan' to insult a hippogriff. An' why is that Annabelle?"

"Because it may be the last thing you ever do." The redhead smirked.

"Exactly," Hagrid nodded, before clapping his hands together, "Now, who'd like to come and say hello?"

Everyone except Harry and Annabelle took a step back, Neville falling over - which made Annabelle move back and help him up as Hagrid faced them all once again.

"Well done, Harry. Well done," Hagrid nodded, making the boy look behind him, sighing as he saw what had happened, "Come on now."

Annabelle rolled her eyes at Harry's hesitance, pushing her twin forward.

"Now, you have to let him make the first move. It's only polite. So, step up. Give him a nice bow. Then you wait and see if he bows back. If he does, you can go and touch him. If not... Well, we'll get to that later. Just make your bow. Nice and low." Hagrid instructed.

Harry nervously bowed at the creature, who became a little uneasy at the sight of Harry slowly approaching him.

"Back off, Harry. Back off," Hagrid instructed, the boy complying, standing on and snapping a stick - which made Hermione gasp and grab Ron's wrist, Anabelle chuckling to herself, "Keep still. Keep still."

Buckbeak studied the Gryffindor, cocking his head to the side before bowing majestically at Harry.

"Well done, Harry. Well done. Here, you big brute, you," Hagrid nodded, chucking a dead ferret at the animal to eat, "Right. I think you can go and pat him now. Go on. Don't be shy," Hagrid reassured at Harry's wide-eyed look, "Nice and slow, now. Nice and slow. Slow. Not so fast, Harry. Slow down, Harry. That's it," The half-giant smiled as Harry slowly approached Buckbeak, holding his hand out towards him, "Nice and slow. Now let him come to you. Slowly, now, slowly, slowly... That's it... Yes! Well done! Well done, Harry, well done!"

The class clapped as Buckbeak nuzzled his head into Harry's hand.

"I think he may let you ride him now."

"What?" Harry's smile dropped as Hagrid moved over, picking the boy up, "Hey, hey, hey!" He cried as he was placed on the Hippogriff's back.

"Put you over here, just behind the wing joint. Don't pull out any of his feathers, because he won't thank you for that." Hagrid said, before patting Buckbeak's hind, the creature letting out a neigh-like noise and taking off, the students - bar one - all ducking.

Hermione turned to Annabelle, "How are you not worried?"

Annabelle shrugged with a small smile, crossing her arms, "I know Buckbeak. He's incredibly gentle. And besides, I trust Hagrid."

***

The class were waiting for Harry and Buckbeak to return, all of them sitting around, some chatting, some studying, all bored.

"They're back!" A student cried, as Hagrid called Buckbeak with a whistle, everyone hurrying to stand from where they were scattered around the clearing.

"Well done, Harry, and well done, Buckbeak." Hagrid smiled as they landed, the class clapping.

"That was wicked, Harry!" A Gryffindor student cried.

"Oh, please." Draco scoffed, standing up from where he was leant, "You're not dangerous at all, are you?" Malfoy snarled, pushing his classmates said, approaching and unsettling Buckbeak.

"Draco!" Annabelle called after him in worry for the creature.

"You great ugly brute!" The blonde continued.

"Malfoy, no..." Hagrid shook her head, "No!"

Buckbeak jumped up in fright at the Slytherin approaching him, making him jump up and wave his legs about, startled, catching Malfoy's arm and deeply scratching him.

"Buckbeak!" Annabelle cried, running over and helping Hagrid settle him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... Whoa! Buckbeak! Away, you silly creature." Hagrid shook his head, chucking a ferret in the other direction for him to follow.

"It's killed me!" Draco cried from where he was lying on the floor, grabbing his arm and writhing about in pain.

"Hardly." Annabelle rolled her eyes, walking over to Buckbeak, sending him a small bow and receiving a nuzzle in

"Calm down. It's just a scratch!" Hagrid panicked, walking over to the boy.

"Hagrid!" Hermione cried, approaching their teacher, "He has to be taken to the hospital."

Hagrid nodded, "I'm the teacher. I'll do it."

"You're gonna regret this." Draco wailed as Hagrid picked him up.

"Class dismissed!" Hagrid told everyone.

"You and your bloody chicken!"

Annabelle shook her head with a sigh as Harry joined her side, Buckbeak snuggling himself between the twins, "Idiot."