Chapter Twenty Seven

UnExpected

by Amerie



She was drugging them. Yep that had to be it. That’s why Fred and George were a whole lot nicer to Buffy the next day. Saying hello and waving. Even sitting with her for a few minutes during lunch. Talking and laughing the occasional laugh. And they realized that surreal was becoming too common an emotion these days.

It was brief but very weird. She was not unaware of that fact. There she was having a nice normal lunch with Neville and Susie when the Twins suddenly plopped down beside her. Bantering their usual confusing banter, one in which Buffy was able to untangle thanks to the many in people in her life who tended to have languages of their own. They joked, traded teasing insults, did the normal diddy and then they were gone. It took her a few minutes to realize what had just happened. Neville had thrown her a questioning look and Buffy could only answer it with a shrug that said she had absolutely no idea. Which was in fact true. Guess some things really do change overnight. If it involves getting caught in a compromising situation, sharing secret information by force, and being blackmailed. If that doesn’t bring people together than what does.

The end of lunch was signaled. Causing most of the students to rush out and head toward their next class. Except for a small few who were a little hesitant, and not to mention worried, for their next lesson. Apprehension seemed to fill the air as the group walked down toward the Forbidden Forest for Care of Magical Creatures. Hagrid was back now, and in charge. In charge of what was the problem.

Both Harry and Buffy looked around for Umbridge. Expecting to find the hateful woman off to the side with her irritating clipboard in hand, and her cringe inducing ‘hem hem’‘s. But she was nowhere in sight, which should’ve been a load off, except that she tended to pop up when you would least expect it. Unwelcomed and unwanted. Kinda like Freddy Krueger.

“We’re workin’ in here today!” Hagrid boomed out to the class, indicating to the dense woods behind him. His face still suspiciously bruised and bloodied. Which had the Trio wondering why they hadn’t healed yet, or if maybe they were new ones, causing them to be even more uneasy. “Bit more sheltered! Anyway, they prefer the dark.”

“What prefers the dark?” Malfoy said to Crabbe and Goyle, and Buffy couldn’t help the amusing smile lifting her lips when she picked up his nervous tone. A smile she forced herself not to fully spread because he was her friend, no matter how much of a chicken he was. “What did he say prefers the dark? Did you hear?”

Standing next to Neville, Buffy could see Harry standing feet away with a pleased tiny smirk on his lips. Which meant he had also picked up on Draco’s discomfort. Those two. If they were the last two people on Earth they’d hate each other. Would probably even compete over who would die first. If they hadn’t already killed each other that is.

“Ready?” Hagrid asked cheerily. Adjusting what looked like to be half a dead cow on his shoulder. Oh yeah, no worries there. “Right, well, I’ve bin savin’ a trip inter the Forest fer yer fifth year. Thought we’d go an’ see these creatures in their natural habitat. Now, what we’re studyin’ today is pretty rare, I reckon I’m probably the on’y person in Britain who’s managed ter train ‘em.”

“And you’re sure they’re trained are you?” Malfoy said, panic in his voice. “Only it wouldn’t be the first time you’d brought wildlife to class, would it?”

“Course they’re trained,” Hagrid scowled.

“So what happened to your face then?” he demanded.

Buffy rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in impatience. Something Draco caught out of the corner of his sight. He could almost hear her voice as though she were standing beside him. Scolding and irritated, ‘stop being such a baby.’ And he nearly pouted before he caught himself.

“Mind yer own business!” Hagrid responded angrily. “Now, if yeh’ve finished askin’ stupid questions, follow me.”

He turned around sharply and walked into the Forest. With no one willing to follow. Well except one.

When she noticed that everyone’s feet seemed to be in the non-working capacity she rolled her eyes, again, and followed Hagrid. It’s not like she’s never been in the wherever he was heading to, in there before. What was the big deal? Wimps.

Neville was a little surprised that Buffy willingly followed Hagrid soon after. But then again so was the rest of the class. The majority believed she was either very brave, or very stupid. Either way Buffy was going in for one big surprise. After all she had left before Hagrid had become the professor of Care of Magical Creatures. And all the scary and dangerous surprises that came after that.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were the next ones to step into the Forest. Ending up leading the rest of the wary class. They were several feet away from Buffy and Hagrid, who were now walking side by side. And looking like they were sharing a very quiet conversation. The Trio glanced at each other in confusion. Since when had Buffy and Hagrid been so chummy.

“So how is he?” Buffy asked as lowly as possible, but loud enough so Hagrid could still hear her.

“He’s alright’. Bin gettin’ restless though,” he whispered, knowing Buffy could hear him just fine. Though the first time he tried to ‘whisper’ to her, had caused his voice to echo in the Forest at night. It took some practice but he got there.

“Doesn’t surprise me,” she replied. “Being tide up like that. It’s gotta be frustrating for him.”

“It is, but he’s gettin’ better,” he said pleasantly. “Compared to how he was befer. Especially when yeh come around. I think he kind o’ fancies yeh now.” He winked at her and smiled broadly, even more so at Buffy’s stunned look. “He actually listens to me when he knows yer comin’. Behaves calmly an’ everythin’.”

“Well that’s good right?” she said. “I mean in a weird and strangely flattering way. He’s at least somewhat behaved.”

“It’s a start, but as yeh can see,” he told her, then indicated to his still wounded face. “It’s still gonna take some time.”

Buffy nodded as they arrived to wherever it was Hagrid had been leading. It was definitely a dark spot in the Forest. Where the trees stood so close together that no snow fell on the ground, and very rare light seeped through from the sides.

She moved off to one side as Hagrid dropped the dead animal he had been carrying to the ground with a heavy grunt. The rest of the students arriving. Their frightened eyes moving through the trees waiting for something to pop out.

“Hey,” she greeted, as Neville came to stand beside her again. “What took you so long?”

Neville rolled his eyes and looked at her as though it were obvious. Guess all those stories he had told her about third and fourth year in Hagrid’s class hadn’t made an impression after all.

“Gather roun’, gather roun’,” Hagrid encouraged, cutting off any current conversation. “Now, they’ll be attracted by the smell o’ the meat but I’m goin’ ter give ‘em a call anyway, cause they’ll like ter now it’s me.”

That was not really something they wanted to hear. Nothing nice and friendly ever gets attracted by the smell of fresh meat.

Hagrid cupped his hands over his mouth and gave a loud shrieking cry that echoed through the trees. Which should’ve been funny except for the freezing fear most of the students were experiencing. Hagrid waited, and then gave the bird like cry one more try.

It was like waiting for your tooth to be pulled. You know it’s coming, you know it’s gonna be scary, and yet for some reason the experience didn’t seem any less terrifying.

A pair of blank, white, shiny eyes made their way through the dense of the Forest. Hovering in the darkness. And then a dragon-like face soon emerged from the trees. Pulling its large, skeletal body toward them. Leathery wings decorating the sides of its black body. Its glossy eyes swept over the class, it’s tail swishing back and forth. Then it moved toward the food, and with its pointed teeth it began to tear into the flesh.

They were real. Here was the proof. These creatures weren’t just a figment of his over exhausted imagination. Harry breathed a sigh of relief. He thought he was going mad. Seeing them pulling the carriages on the first day of term, then flying in the air. But as he looked around he could see confused faces looking for something that apparently wasn’t there. Even Ron looked lost. They were real right? Hagrid was looking at them, had called for them in fact, so he knew he wasn’t the only one to see them. So why couldn’t anybody else?

“Oh, an’ here comes another one!” Hagrid announced proudly, and sure enough another one emerged from the Forest to join the feast. “Now . . . put yer hands up, who can see ‘em?”

Harry immediately raised his hand, then Neville, a boy from Slytherin behind Goyle did as well, and finally Buffy. Harry was a little surprised by that. Buffy could see them. He didn’t know why but he found that to be a little unexpected.

“Yeah . . . yeah, I know you’d be able ter Harry,” he said seriously. He passed his eyes over Buffy, but didn’t comment. He wasn’t supposed to know why she could, he told himself, but was a little saddened nonetheless at her reasons why. “An’ you too, Neville, eh? An’-”

“Excuse me,” Malfoy interrupted sneeringly. “But what exactly are we supposed to be seeing?”

Hagrid didn’t say anything as he pointed toward the dead cow. Strips of flesh were being stripped off by something unseen and disappearing into nothingness. There were gasps, squeals and some of them even looked a little green.

“What’s doing it?” Parvati squimished.

“What’s eating it?” Lavender squeaked, retreating with Parvati to a nearby tree.

“Thestrals,” Hagrid said proudly, yes indeedy.

Harry heard Hermione give a comprehensive ‘oh!’ beside him. Her eyes on the slowly disappearing cow.

“Hogwarts has got a whole heard of ‘em in here. Now who can tell me-”

“But they’re really, really unlucky,” Parvati pointed out in alarm. “They’re supposed to bring all sorts of horrible misfortune on people who see them. Professor Trelawney told me once--”

“No, no, no,” Hagrid chuckled. “Tha’s jus’ superstition, that is, they aren’ unlucky, they’re dead clever an’ useful! Course, this lot don’ get a lot o’ work, it’s mainly jus’ pullin’ the school carriages unless Dumbledore’s takin’ a long journey an’ don’ want ter Apparate- an’ here’s another couple look . . . ”

Two more came gracefully out of the trees. But they both didn’t head straight for the dead animal. Instead one of them paused almost in indecisiveness and then slowly walked over to a transfixed Buffy.

They felt . . . familiar. She’s never seen them before that was for sure. She’d definitely remember seeing something like them. They were hauntingly beautiful in a way. In a weird creepy way. Without knowing what she was doing, she reached out her hand and slowly the Thestral walked over to it. Hesitantly sniffing it. Taking a step back it looked at her, analyzing her, with her hand still stretched in the air. Moving forward again the Thestral sniffed her hand one more time and then, finally, it nuzzled her palm.

Hagrid, Neville, Harry and Theodore, the boy from Slytherin, looked on in speechless surprise. The picture was almost serene. Buffy completely unaware as she petted the Thestral who seemed to have taken a shining to her. Her golden blonde hair and light complexion in stark contrast with the Thestral’s pitch black leathery skin.

The other creatures had stopped feasting on their meal. Their white eyes looking at the image as well. Their heads cocked to the side as they tried to understand the strange sense of familiarity they were getting from the strange girl. The urge to be petted as well.

“Righ’,” Hagrid coughed loudly, firmly ending the spell. The Thestral moved away from Buffy and toward the rest of his kind. All of them returning to their meal, but keeping on occasional eye on the girl.

Buffy felt herself snap out of her fixation, and looking around she saw the questioning looks of Harry, Neville, Theodore, and even Hagrid. And when everything came back she realized even she had no idea of had just happened. It was almost like a dream. Distant and surreal.

“Now, who can tell me why some o’ yeh can see ‘em an’ some o’ yeh can’?” he asked, giving Buffy the occasional curious eye.

Hermione shot up her hand as Harry still kept his eyes on Buffy. The scene imprinted in his mind. Unaware that Draco was watching him, not liking the look he was giving Buffy. Actually, not liking, was putting it mildly.

“The only people who can see Thestrals, are people who have seen death,” Hermione replied knowledgeably.

The answer didn’t make things any better. Not only were Neville, Harry and Theodore taken aback by the answer, but were even more curious as to the way the Thestrals had acted toward Buffy. Which she seemed to realize when she felt the stares. Of course, freakishness was just in her nature wasn’t it.

“Tha’s exactly right,” Hagrid somberly said. “Ten points ter Gryffindor. Now, Thestrals--”

“Hem, hem.”

It was like nails on a blackboard. Against a megaphone. During a migraine. While on the flu.

Umbridge was standing a few feet away from Harry. Dressed in her green hat and cloak again, Buffy half-expected her to ribbet.

“Oh hello!” Hagrid greeted happily, he’ll soon grow to regret that.

“You received the note I sent to your cabin this morning?” she asked slowly like she were talking to someone who didn’t understand English. Clutching the clipboard tightly against her. “Telling you that I would be inspecting your lesson?”

“Oh, yeah,” Hagrid nodded. “Glad yeh foun’ the place all righ’! Well, as you can see - or I dunno- can yeh? We’re doin’ Thestrals today--”

“I’m sorry? What did you say?” she asked, cupping her hand over her ear.

“Er-Thestrals!” he nearly shouted. “Big-er-winged horses, yeh know!”

Hagrid had flapped his arms in the air to make his point. Which caused Umbridge to raise her eyebrows, and then to mutter as she wrote down on her clipboard. “Has . . . to . . . resort . . . to . . . crude . . . sign . . . language.”

“Well . . . anyway,” Hagrid went back to his lesson, a little flustered. “What was I sayin’?”

“Appears . . . to . . . have . . . short . . . term . . . memory.”

“Oh, yeah,” he ploughed on though slightly uneasy. “Yeah, I was gonna tell yeh, how come we got a herd. Yeah, so, we started with a male an’ five females. This one,” he paused as he patted the first horse that had come out of the trees. “Name o’ Tenebrus, he’s my special favorite, firs’ one born here in the Forest--”

“Are you aware that the Ministry has classified Thestrals as dangerous?” Umbridge interrupted loudly and uncaring of it.

“Thestrals aren’ dangerous! All righ’, they might take a bit outta yeh if yeh really annoy ‘em--”

“Shows . . . signs . . . of . . . pleasure . . . at . . . idea . . . of . . . violence,” she ignored him as she wrote on her little clipboard.

Buffy was clenching her fist so tightly at her sides she was almost positive she was gonna break the skin. Not to mention her teeth, as she clenched her jaw so tightly to keep herself from getting violent. Which is what kids? A bad thing . . . or so she kept trying to convince herself.

“No-come on!” Hagrid anxiously exclaimed. “I mean, a dog’ll bite yeh if yeh bait it, won’ it- Thestrals have jus’ got a bad reputation because o’ the death thing- people used ter think they were bad omens, didn’ they? Jus’ didn’ understand did they?”

Umbridge ignored him again as she wrote down on her clipboard, and after taking her sweet little time she looked up to Hagrid.

“Please continue teaching. I am going to take a walk,” she said very slowly. Miming the action and every other action she every so slowly told him. “Among the students and ask them questions.”

“You hag, you evil hag!” Hermione muttered underneath her breath with tears of anger gathering in her eyes. “I know what you’re doing, you awful, twisted, vicious . . . ”

Buffy watched as Umbridge made her way over to the Slytherins. Her favorites no doubt. She waited until she caught Draco’s eye, and when she did she raised an eyebrow in warning. He smirked in mischief and she didn’t need to be told that he was going to cause trouble.

“Erm . . . anyway,” Hagrid went on. “So- Thestrals. Yeah. Well, there’s loads o’ good stuff about ‘em . . . ”

“Do you find that you are able to understand Professor Hagrid when he talks?” Umbridge asked Pansy.

“No . . . because . . . well . . . it sounds . . . like grunting a lot of the time,” she answered amidst her fit of giggles.

Hagrid watched as Umbridge scribbled down on her notes and tried to forget Pansy’s uneasy reply.

“Er . . . yeah . . . good stuff about’ Thestrals,” he still braved on. “Well, once they’re tamed, like this lot, yeh’ll never be lost again. ‘Mazin’ sense o’ direction, just tell ‘em were yeh want to go--”

“Assuming they can understand you of course,” Malfoy shouted causing Pansy to giggle even louder.

Buffy was sure her hand was bleeding now. She could feel her face becoming hot and her blood pumping in her ears. And what angered her even more was that Toad Face bitc-woman smiling at their response. As though they were being polite. It was . . . it was . . . UGH!

Professor Umbridge turned her beady little eyes toward Neville. And Buffy knew this was not good for her temper.

“You can see Thestrals, Longbottom, can you?” she asked, nearly demanded.

“Like you care,” Buffy mumbled, before Neville could speak.

“I’m sorry Ms. Summers what was that?” she asked almost cheerily.

The class held its breath. They knew where this was going. Even Hagrid looked slightly nervous.

Lifting her eyes from the ground, Buffy coldly moved them to Umbridge. And for a second past her shoulder when she saw Draco’s nervous look and the slight shaking of his head. Telling her to stop before she did anything stupid. Too late.

“What was what?” Buffy asked calmly, which was no easy thing to do.

“What you just said?”

“When I asked what was what?”

Umbridge clutched the clipboard even tighter, as she too tried to hold her control.

“No, dear, before that,” she smiled.

“Sorry Professor but I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she replied innocently.

“Yes . . . well.” Umbridge cleared her throat and pursed her lips. “I seem to recall that you too can see Thestrals.”

Buffy stood there quietly with a blank expression on her face.

“Aren’t you going to answer my question Ms. Summers?” she nearly snapped.

“Well, to be honest, it wasn’t really a question. So, I didn’t know I was supposed to answer,” she replied.

Umbridge was almost shaking with restrained anger by now.

“Right, well, can you see them?”

“Yes.”

“Who did you see die?”

Everyone was still frozen as they watched them. Hagrid, however, snapped out of it as soon as he heard the question. Panic evident in his eyes as he feared for Buffy’s secret.

“With all do respect Professor,” she firmly and politely responded. “I don’t really believe that’s any of your business.”

There was a collective gasp. Jaws dropped and shock was everywhere. Pansy however was smiling like Christmas had come early. Draco had a hand over his face in upset anger. And Harry was panicked, knowing where this was headed.

“I’m sorry Ms. Summers what was that?” Umbridge asked, half of her in shock the other half in joy.

“I believe death is something private, and if I don’t feel like sharing than I don’t believe I have to,” she explained.

She had a point. A very good point. If she didn’t want to share something that should be considered private it was completely fair. But Umbridge didn’t believe in fair. She believed in obedience.

“Ms. Summers you are a student at Hogwarts. And I am the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts. It is my job to see that everyone receives the best education. And for that to occur I must evaluate everyone from the staff to the students. To find the problem areas, and see that they are taken care of. After all the Minister has only appointed me to this position because he cares deeply about Hogwarts and the education of its students.”

It sounded like a well-rehearsed speech. Too crisp and too clean. Like she knew she would be using it more than once.

“I don’t see how my personal business has anything to do with your evaluation,” she said, some of her anger seeping through. “I mean, if you were doing your job right. It wouldn’t matter.”

“Are you implying that I don’t know how to do my job?” she demanded indignantly.

“I’m not implying anything,” she said. “I just don’t see how my private business is any of your’s or the Minister’s. I’m pretty sure he has more important things to worry about. Decisions to be made, things to settle, situations to control. I mean, he must be up to his neck in things to not care about. Much less the private lives of his students. Their dreams. Their fears. Their protection. Their credibility--”

“That is enough Ms. Summers,” she crisply ordered.

“The refusal to see the real truth and discrediting those who do--”

“Ms. Summers that is enough!”

She was giving her an out. She should’ve stop right there. But when bottled up anger had a chance to escape, it doesn’t leak out. It explodes.

“The fact that they would hide behind someone who considers torturing students a fun little past time. And demeans others in every way they can just so they could feel superior. Making others feel like nothing because that’s the only way they could feel important--”

“Detention, Ms. Summers,” Umbridge loudly cut her off. “Tonight. My office. Five o’clock.”

No one moved. They were surprised they were still breathing. The eyes of everyone around darted between the two. From Umbridge’s now smug and content face to Buffy’s increasingly calmed one.

She could still feel her blood boiling. The oxygen trying to breathe hard out of her. But she wasn’t going to show it. She knew it was coming. Had walked right into it. Heck had even asked for it. And the truth was she didn’t really care. She may have gotten detention, but some part of it was worth it. And if Umbridge hadn’t had stopped her it would’ve been really worth it.

“I’m looking forward to it Professor,” Buffy smiled sweetly.



*****



Note: Brain still a little sluggish, don’t know what’s happening there, must be the heat. Anyway hope you enjoyed the chapter. Reviews will help to answer that question, and I just wanted to apologize for not answering some of the reviews personally, which I love to do by the way, but since I’m not feeling well it’s a little hard keeping my focus.

Oh, and I remembered someone asking if Umbridge reads Buffy’s letters, and the answer is no. She reads Harry’s because she finds him as a threat. Buffy however is just a thorn in her lily pad :)