✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

Harry's P.O.V. 

It was a muggy sort of day, with the sky overcast and the grass still wet from the previous night's rain. He and Ron headed outside once their free period was over, spotting a crowd near Hagrid's hut. They joined their peers, waiting for Hermione and Y/N. Once they arrived, Harry internally groaned at the sight of Draco Malfoy and his group. 

"Obviously we have class with the Slytherins. I mean, what other houses are there?" Harry muttered to Ron glumly, but sarcastically. 

Ron looked over and groaned, "'s already bad enough Hermione isn't talking to me," he said sadly. 

Suddenly, Harry's vision went black - something was covering his eyes. A little, "guess who?" was said into his ear. 

"Hmm..." he said in mock-thought. "Snape?" Harry guessed jokingly. 

"Harry!" Came Y/N's offended voice. 

She removed her hands from his eyes and stood in front of him, hands on her hips. "Why would you even say that?" Y/N asked playfully, putting on a disgusted face. 

"C'mon now, get a move on!" Hagrid called to the class. "Got a real treat fo' yeh today, great lesson comin' up! Righ' now, follow me," said, leading them around the edge of the Forbidden Forest to a large paddock. 

"Ev'ey one, gather 'round here, now. Open yer books-" 

"How?" came the bored drawl of Draco Malfoy. 

Hagrid paused, "Eh?" 

"How do we open our books?" Draco asked coldly, taking out his book. 

Everyone took their books from their bags. Looking around, Harry saw that they had all been bound closed. Some students used duct tape, belts and even clamps to keep the book from opening. Hermione's was closed by Spellotape, Ron's by a belt. 

Harry looked to Y/N, who's book was bound by...a rope of socks...? 

Hagrid looked crestfallen, "Hasn'- hasn' anyone been able ter open their books?" The class shook their heads. 

"Yeh've got to stroke them," he said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Look," he said, grabbing Hermione's book. He ripped off the Spellotape that bound it. 

"Are you a witch or what?" rung in Harry's brain and he had to stop himself from chuckling. Hermione, the smartest witch in their year, had used a muggle method to bind her book? Unexpected. 

The Monster Book of Monsters tried to bite Hagrid, but he ran an enormous forefinger down it's spine, calming the book down. It shivered, then fell open and lay quietly in Hagrid's hand. He gave the book back to Hermione. 

"Oh, how silly we've all been," Malfoy sneered. "We should have stroked them, of course!" he said, once he had opened his book. 

Hagrid's shoulders slumped, "I... I thought they were funny," he said to Hermione and Y/N. Before they could agree with Hagrid, Malfoy continued. 

At this point, Harry felt bad for the guy. If he kept it up any longer, Y/N would most definitely intervene. Malfoy would end up with a broken limb and Harry would laugh. 

"Oh yeah, terribly funny!" said Malfoy. "Really witty, giving us books that try to bite our hands clean off!" 

Hagrid sighed, evidently losing his flow. "So...yeh've got yer books...now yeh jus' need the creature...I'll be righ' back," he said, striding into the Forest, leaving the class alone.

Malfoy scoffed and rolled his grey eyes, "god, this place has gone to the dogs. My father'll have a fit when I tell him Dumbledore's got that oaf teaching classes."

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry said quietly, stalking to towards him. Everyone fell silent. 

Malfoy met him halfway, giving him a look that Harry supposed was meant to intimidate him. It didn't. 

Then, Malfoy's face suddenly changed to a look of fear - "D-D-Dementor, Dementor!" He cried, pointing behind Harry. 

He and his friends put their hoods up to cover their faces, stretching their arms out, "ooooooh," they teased. 

"D-D-Draco's never getting a girlfriend!" Y/N mocked him, pointing at his face, a false look of terror on her face. 

The Slytherins rolled their eyes, but the Gryffindors laughed and Ron went to pat Y/N on the back. She gave him a glare and he retracted his arm. Apparently, she was mad at him on Hermione's behalf, which, Harry thought, was perfectly valid. 

Lavender brown squealed, pointing towards the edge of the forest. Trotting towards them was the most bizarre creature Harry had seen in his life. It's hind legs, tail and neck seemed to be that of a horse. But it's front legs, wings and head took after, as Harry assumed, giant eagles. It was dappled grey, with a steel coloured beak and brilliant orange eyes. 

Harry was sure it's talons could take his arm clean off, so he was relieved to see that it had a leather collar around its neck (which was attached to a long chain in the hands of Hagrid). 

Y/N let out an "oooh," with awe. 

"Buckbeak the Hippogriff! Beau'iful, isn' he?" Hagrid asked, tethering the animal to the paddock. The class spoke in ascent, which seemed  to bring back some of Hagrid's confidence. "Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know 'bout Hippogriffs is that they're proud creatures," he said. "Easily offended, don' even think ter insult one, may very well be the last thing you do," Hagrid warned them. 

Harry noticed Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle speaking in low voices. He had a sinking feeling that they were plotting the best way to disrupt the lesson. 

"Yeh always wait fer the Hippogriff ter make the firs' move," Hagrid continued. " 's polite, see? Yeh walk to'ards him an' bow, if he bows back, yer good. If he don'...get away from him, sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt," he instructed. 

Some students looked entranced by his explanation and began whispering excitedly amongst themselves, especially Y/N and Hermione. Harry thought it was interesting enough, but one look at Buckbeak's talons made him rethink.

"Right, now, who wants ter ride him?" 

Again, the class fell silent. Almost every student backed away, including the excited ones - even Hermione looked apprehensive. Buckbeak tossed his fierce head and flexed his powerful wings, not exactly persuading the students for a ride. 

"No one...?" Hagrid said with a pleading look - Harry felt terrible for him. 

"I'll do it," said Harry and Y/N together. 

He looked at her, she looked at him and sent him a grin. There was an intake of breath from behind him, "oooh, Harry! Remember your tea leaves..." whispered Parvati and Lavender. 

Y/N laughed, "don't worry, girls. I'll keep our Chosen One safe." 

"Safe from what? The sky?" He asked her with a smile. She just shoved him and they climbed over the paddock fence together. 

"Good on you two!" said Hagrid. "Right then, let's see how you get along with Buckbeak," he said, unfastening the chain from the paddock and removing the collar on Buckbeak's neck. The beast tossed it's head once more, a sharp look in it's eyes. The students on the other side of the paddock seemed to hold their breaths. 

"Alrigh' which one of yeh want's to go firs'?" Hagrid said. Before Harry could offer, (which, he wasn't going to) Y/N stepped forward. 

Hagrid went to pat her on the back, then realized he'd probably crush her lungs and opted for a verbal congratulation instead. "Alrigh', Y/N! Er - I mean, Miss Sterling," he corrected with a sheepish grin. 

Y/N's P.O.V. 

Y/N lowered her body into a bow, looking Buckbeak straight in the eye. She wasn't scared, why should she be? He was just a large bird, like...Bandit, but bigger. 

Buckbeak's orange eyes bore into her e/c eyes for a moment, then the beast bent his forelegs in an unmistakable bow. 

Smiling at Buckbeak, she approached him calmly. Hagrid didn't intervene, so that must've meant she wasn't about to get her head bitten off. Slowly, she reached out a hand and stroked from his ears to his beak. He closed his eyes in what she hoped was content and Hagrid started clapping. 

"Yeh did it, Y/N!" He exclaimed and some people clapped. "Now, move over ter give Harry a turn." 

She did as he told and stepped aside, hopping up to sit on the fence of the paddock. Y/N watched as Harry took a couple steps forward, looking nervous. "You got this, Potter," she called to him, shooting him a thumbs up. He glanced at her gratefully, then looked at Hagrid. 

"Go on, Harry...easy now," Hagrid said. 

Harry bowed, looking Buckbeak straight in the eye. Several minutes passed with Harry in this position, the Hippogriff staring haughtily at him - it didn't move. 

Hagrid was getting worried now and so was Y/N. Then, abruptly, Buckbeak bent his scaly front legs, bringing his upper body and neck into a respectful bow. 

"Well done, Harry!" said Hagrid, watching Harry move forward to pat Buckbeak. 

Shooting a grin at Y/N, Harry ran a hand through his hair, messing it up further. "You cocky prat," she mouthed to him affectionately. His grin just grew as Y/N walked over, mentally preparing herself to ride. 

Hagrid nodded at her, so she hitched her foot in the crease between Buckbeak's wing and leg, climbing onto his back. Y/N wasn't sure if it hurt him, but he didn't react, so she continued. After she was settled, Y/N felt Buckbeak shuffle as Harry began to climb on. 

Harry hoisted himself onto the Hippogriff's back, his fingers ghosting her waist as he searched for some support. Y/N could feel herself go red, thanking the Universe that Harry couldn't see her face. 

Though she tried not to squirm at his touch, Harry noticed. As Hagrid was readying Buckbeak for takeoff, Harry bent down to her ear, speaking lowly, 

"Do I make you nervous, Y/N?" 

Here lies Y/N Sterling, daughter of Remus Lupin, the life of the Golden Quartet, Gryffindor's pain in the arse.

"Shove it, Potter," she muttered, feeling her face burn. 

Harry chuckled and Y/N felt his breath on her neck, sending tingles down her spine. "Didn't know I affect you that much, Sterling," he said, his hands now resting on Y/N's waist with no hesitation. 

"Oh my Merlin, this prat knows what he's doing and I will not let him get away with this," her thoughts were racing, butterflies taking off inside her stomach. 

"You are such a prat!" Y/N whisper-yelled, completely aware of the rest of their class just outside the paddock, watching Hagrid explain the wingspan of a Hippogriff, it's flight habits, etc. 

She could basically hear his smirk. "And why is that?" he asked in an innocent voice, beginning to rub soft circles on her side with his thumbs. 

"I am going to kill you-" 

"Go on then," Hagrid roared, hitting Buckbeak's flank. The Hippogriff flapped it's twelve-foot, massive wings once, twice, then took a running start.

Y/N, startled, leaned forward and seized around the Hippogriff's neck. Just as Buckbeak took off into the sky, Harry jolted forward, his arms now fully around her torso. Then, they were soaring upwards into open sky. 

The flew around the paddock, wind whipping through Y/N's hair. "Sorry, Potter," she thought with a wince, knowing how it felt to get hair in your eye. 

"Take 'em fer a ride, Buckbeak!" Shouted Hagrid from the paddock. Apparently, Buckbeak understood, for he altered his course and flew towards the Black Lake. When the Hippogriff picked up speed, Harry gripped her waist tighter. 

They flew over the grounds, getting lower as they neared the Black Lake. Dipping into a small dive, Buckbeak brought them to the water's surface. Y/N stretched out an arm, her hand cutting through the uniform surface of the lake. 

Harry whooped a laugh behind her and Y/N felt his hands leave her waist as he spread his arms. 

Buckbeak brought them 'round the castle, weaving through turrets and archways. They passed the Great Hall and Y/N saw students gaping at them through the giant windows. 

Finally, they approached the paddock. Y/N waved at Hermione brightly, while Hermione looked faint. As they were about to hit the ground, Hermione suddenly grabbed Ron's hand in fear. He blushed red.

"I fucking knew it," observed Y/N. Oh, she was going to tease Hermione about it later. 

Surprisingly, Buckbeak landed with no issues. She heard Harry sigh in relief - maybe he was worried about their descent. He released his hold on her waist and swung his leg over Buckbeak's back to get off. 

He held a hand out for Y/N a smirk, but she stuck her tongue out and hopped off by herself. When she got down, he nudged her, "so, how'd it feel?" 

"Amazing," she sighed happily, glancing at Hermione. 

"HERMIONE, HERMIONE, HERMIONE!" she widened her eyes slightly. 

"Y/N, Y/N, Y/N?" so did Hermione. 

"I HAVE TO TALK TO YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE."

"OKAY, LATER, THOUGH," Hermione indicated. 

And it all only took two seconds, in which Harry was staring at her quizzically. 

"Good job, you two!" Hagrid exclaimed, fixing the collar around Buckbeak's neck once more. The class, even the Slytherins (well...minus Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle), burst into cheers. They clapped loudly and this time, Y/N let Ron pat her on the back. "Okay, who else want's a go?" asked Ha

Without a word, Malfoy strutted forward and hopped the fence, ignoring Hagrid's warning. "That looked easy," he sneered. 

"That's why you volunteered to go first, Malfoy," Ron muttered under his breath. 

He continued, "I mean, if Potter and Sterling can do it, must be a breeze..." he approached Buckbeak. "You're not dangerous at all, are you?" Malfoy said to Buckbeak roughly. 

"Malfoy..." Hagrid warned, taking several steps forward. 

He was ignored. "Are you, you great ugly brute?" 

There was a sudden flash of steely talons and blood. Malfoy let out a high-pitched scream. Hagrid was wrestling Buckbeak to chain him once more. Buckbeak struggled against Hagrid's grip, wanting to charge at Malfoy, who was curled up on the ground, blood blooming across his robes. 

"I'm dying!" He cried, the class began to panic. "I'm dying, look! It's killed me!" 

Hagrid had gone very white, fear and shock written all on his face. 

Harry, Y/N and Ron just looked bored. Y/N looked at Ron, Ron looked back at her. They both shrugged lightly, rolled their eyes and turned away, starting a thumb-war. 

"One, two, three, four, I declare a thumb war-" 

Hermione, however, ran to open the paddock gate as Hagrid picked Malfoy up. As Hagrid passed, Y/N saw that Malfoy had a long, deep gash across his arm. The class followed Hagrid up to the castle. 

"They should sack him straight away," cried Pansy Parkinson through tears. 

Dean snapped, "It was all Malfoy's fault! Hagrid told us not to!" 

Once they reached the deserted Entrance Hall, Hagrid took Malfoy to the hospital wing, grumbling to himself. 

"I'm going to see if Draco is okay!" Pansy said, running up the marble staircase in pursuit of Hagrid. The class began to murmur. 

Hermione asked Y/N, Ron and Harry, "do you think he'll be okay?" 

Y/N and Ron scoffed, "don't care," said Ron. They honestly didn't care if he died. 

"Why should we? The git got what was coming," said Y/N. "Also, Ronnie, I wont that thumb war." 

"Nice try, but we all know I did-"

Harry looked at Hermione apologetically, cutting Ron off, "'Course he will. Madam Pomfrey can mend just about anything," he reassured her. He would know, seeing as he's had some terrible injuries over the years. 

"Do you think they'll sack him?" asked Y/N, Hagrid's job being the only thing she was worried about. Did she care about Malfoy? No. 

"They better not, or I'm gonna take Malfoy's head and bash..." he trailed off, muttering to Hermione couldn't hear and sent a dark look up the staircase. 

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

After dinner, which they barely ate, the quartet changed into casual clothes and were doing the homework Professor McGonagall set them. Well, sort of. Every twenty seconds, they sent a glance through the window at Hagrid's hut. 

"Hagrid's light is on," observed Harry, rising suddenly from his seat, pulling Y/N up alongside himself. 

Ron checked his watch, "If we hurried...we could see him before nightfall," he said. 

"I don't know...the whole Sirius Black thing...with Harry," Hermione said hesitantly. 

Y/N raised a brow, whipping around to face Harry. "What? What does Sirius Black have to do with Harry?" 

Harry facepalmed, "you weren't in our compartment for the beginning of the train ride," he said. Sitting back down, pulling Y/N down alongside him. 

"Yeah, I was with my Twin Troubles," said Y/N, picking up an eraser and chucking it at Fred's head. The ginger yelped in indignation, Y/N ignored him. 

"Yeah, so basically, Sirius Black broke out of Azkaban to hunt me down and kill me," said Harry, cheerfully. 

Y/N gaped at him. "And you're not scared?! Harry he's killed thirteen people with one curse!" She exclaimed, thoroughly worried. 

He shrugged, " 'M not worried. Dumbledore is here, Black wouldn't try anything." 

"Dumbledore can't help you while you're running around on the Grounds, chasing rats or cats or whatever!" Y/N shouted, her temper rising. Why didn't this idiot get it? Was he really that daft? 

He grabbed her forearms, turning her to face him. "I'm allowed to walk the grounds, aren't I?" Harry asked with his signature smirk. 

They had a staring contest, with the background noise of Ron going, "Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, hurry the bloody hell up, hurry the fuck up before I-" 

"Fine!" Y/N gave in, avoiding Harry's gaze. "Fine. But this is the only time," she said, then realized Harry and Ron were already halfway to the Portrait Hole. 

"Boys..." Hermione muttered, walking with Y/N in pursuit of the boys. 

They raced down to the Grounds, the grass was still wet and looked black in the twilight. When they reached Hagrid's hut, they heard a growled, "C'min." 

Hagrid was sitting at his table, his boarhound, Fang, had his head in Hagrid's lap. One look at him and they could tell he had been drinking, a lot; there was a tankard as large as a bucket in front of him and his eyes seemed out of focus. 

"Should've left some for us, Hagrid," Y/N joked, stepping closer peering into the now-empty tankard. 

Hagrid just grunted. "'Spect it's a record," he said thickly. "Don' reckon they've had a teacher who on'y last'd a day before. 

Hermione gasped. "You haven't been sacked, Hagrid?" She asked worriedly. 

"Not yet," said Hagrid, miserably. He took the tankard off the table and brought it to his lips, sighing in disappointment he tasted nothing. "'s'only a matter o' time, i'nit, after Malfoy..." 

"How is he?" Hermione asked as they all sat down. "It wasn't serious, was it?" 

"I hope it was," said Y/N lowly. Harry shot her a look, which she ignored. 

Hagrid answered dully, "Madam Pomfrey fixed 'im best she could...through his moanin'," 

"He's faking it," said Harry at once. Y/N agreed. "Madam Pomfrey can fix everything - she regrew my bones for Merlin's sake! Trust Malfoy to milk it for all it's worth," he said. 

"School gov'ners been informed, o'course," Hagrid said thickly. "Should'a started with flobberworms...jus' thought i'd give yeh a interestin' firs' lesson..." 

Y/N and Hermione intervened, "It was all Malfoy's fault, Hagrid!" they said, earnestly. Ron nodded vigorously. 

"Yeah, we're witnesses," agreed Harry. "You told us not insult a Hippogriff, Malfoy wasn't listening. We'll tell Dumbledore what really happened." 

Ron nodded again, his ginger hair bouncing, "We'll back you up, Hagrid," he said. 

Tears leaked out of the corners of Hagrid's eyes. He wrapped them all in a bone-crushing hug, then rose from his seat and opened his cupboard. Pulling out another bottle, he poured it into his tankard. Y/N raised a brow. 

"Nuh uh, I think you've had enough, Hagrid," she said, reaching for the tankard. Hermione beat her to it, exiting the hut and emptying the drink into the grass. Hagrid sighed. 

"Ar, maybe they're right..." he said as Harry, Ron and Y/N rubbed their ribs. He staggered outside and dunked his head in a water barrel with a loud, splash! 

He walked back in, shaking his messy mane of black hair, drenching them in water. "Tha's better," he said contently. "Listen, it was good of yer to come an' see me I really-" 

Hagrid stopped in his tracks, his words cutting off. He adopted an angry expression. 

"WHAT DO YOU LOT THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Hagrid roared, startling them all. "YOU'RE NOT TO GO WANDERING AROUND AFTER DARK, HARRY! AND YOU THREE JUST LETTIN' HIM? 

Striding over to Harry, Hagrid grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the door. He scolded the quartet all the way back up to the castle, grumbling about how he wasn't worth that. 

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

Y/N, Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in the common room once more. First, they discussed the situation. And by that, Y/N and Ron spent the first ten minutes cussing out Malfoy. Harry joined in occasionally, but Hermione just sat there. 

"Alright, that's enough," said Hermione, like a tired mother. "We need to start thinking about how to actually help." 

"We don't know how Hermione. We don't know the situation yet, all Hagrid's told us is that the school governors know," Y/N pointed out, reaching into her bookbag and pulling out her Transfiguration homework. 

She stared at it for a moment, then wrote her title and the date. Harry, sitting beside her, tried to peer at her title. "What was the homework, again?" he asked. Hermione and Y/N traded glances, Ron's cussing still continuing in the background. 

"Figure it out, Potter." 

─── ☆: *.⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ .* :☆ ───

okokok, kinda short, but its there! i'm trying to tone down the romance bc i want a slow burn?? a little?? (ignore the waist scene on buckbeak's back) 

the waist scene gave me butterflies and im the one writing it  🤭

scratch that, i got elephants (if you get the reference, marry me?) 

this has really been following the books but im gonna branch out and add more new chapters and maybe leave some stuff out idk 

stan buckbeak for clear skin

-dizzyann1e