Harry Potter 03 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

off around the edge of the trees, and five minutes later, they found themselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing in there.
    ‘Everyone gather round the fence here!’ he called. ‘That’s it – make sure yeh can see. Now, firs’ thing yeh’ll want ter do is open yer books –’
    ‘How?’ said the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy.
    ‘Eh?’ said Hagrid.
    ‘How do we open our books?’ Malfoy repeated. He took out his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which he had bound shut with a length of rope. Other people took theirs out, too; some, like Harry, had belted their book shut; others had crammed them inside tight bags or clamped them together with bullclips.
    ‘Hasn’ – hasn’ anyone bin able ter open their books?’ said Hagrid, looking crestfallen.
    The class all shook their heads.
    ‘Yeh’ve got ter stroke ’em,’ said Hagrid, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. ‘Look …’
    He took Hermione’s copy and ripped off the Spellotape that bound it. The book tried to bite, but Hagrid ran a giant forefinger down its spine, and the book shivered, and then fell open and lay quiet in his hand.
    ‘Oh, how silly we’ve all been!’ Malfoy sneered. ‘We should have stroked them! Why didn’t we guess!’
    ‘I … I thought they were funny,’ Hagrid said uncertainly to Hermione.
    ‘Oh, tremendously funny!’ said Malfoy. ‘Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off!’
    ‘Shut up, Malfoy,’ said Harry quietly. Hagrid was looking downcast and Harry wanted Hagrid’s first lesson to be a success.
    ‘Righ’ then,’ said Hagrid, who seemed to have lost his thread, ‘so … so yeh’ve got yer books an’ … an’ … now yeh need the Magical Creatures. Yeah. So I’ll go an’ get ’em. Hang on …’
    He strode away from them into the Forest and out of sight.
    ‘God, this place is going to the dogs,’ said Malfoy loudly. ‘That oaf teaching classes, my father’ll have a fit when I tell him –’
    ‘Shut up, Malfoy,’ Harry repeated.
    ‘Careful, Potter, there’s a Dementor behind you –’
    ‘Oooooooh!’ squealed Lavender Brown, pointing towards the opposite side of the paddock.
    Trotting towards them were a dozen of the most bizarre creatures Harry had ever seen. They had the bodies, hind legs and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings and heads of what seemed to be giant eagles, with cruel, steel-coloured beaks and large, brilliantly orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly-looking. Each of the beasts had a thick leather collar around its neck, which was attached to a long chain, and the ends of all of these were held in the vast hands of Hagrid, who came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures.
    ‘Gee up, there!’ he roared, shaking the chains and urging the creatures towards the fence where the class stood. Everyone drew back slightly as Hagrid reached them and tethered the creatures to the fence.
    ‘Hippogriffs!’ Hagrid roared happily, waving a hand at them. ‘Beau’iful, aren’ they?’
    Harry could sort of see what Hagrid meant. Once you had got over the first shock of seeing something that was half-horse, half-bird, you started to appreciate the Hippogriffs’ gleaming coats, changing smoothly from feather to hair, each of them a different colour: stormy grey, bronze, a pinkish roan, gleaming chestnut and inky black.
    ‘So,’ said Hagrid, rubbing his hands together and beaming around, ‘if yeh wan’ ter come a bit nearer …’
    No one seemed to want to. Harry, Ron and Hermione, however, approached the fence cautiously.
    ‘Now, firs’ thing yeh gotta know abou’ Hippogriffs is they’re proud,’ said Hagrid. ‘Easily offended, Hippogriffs are. Don’t never insult one, ’cause it might be the last thing yeh do.’
    Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle weren’t listening; they were talking in an undertone and Harry had a nasty feeling they were plotting how best to disrupt the lesson.
    ‘Yeh always wait fer the Hippogriff ter make the firs’ move,’ Hagrid continued. ‘It’s polite, see? Yeh walk towards him, and yeh bow, an’ yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh’re allowed ter touch him. If he doesn’ bow, then get away from him sharpish, ’cause those talons hurt.’
    ‘Right – who wants ter go first?’
    Most of the class backed further away in answer. Even Harry, Ron and Hermione had misgivings. The Hippogriffs were tossing their fierce heads and flexing