𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸, harry potter

˗ˋ 97

CHAPTER NINETY SEVEN
✧
-: fifth year :-

── IN WHICH UMBRIDGE 
INTERRUPTS

. . .

Thestrals. These creatures, the ones she had seen pulling the carriages from Hogsmeade were thestrals, and it made so much more sense now. Why nobody else would acknowledge them, nor question why they were being led to the castle by these large, looming omens. 

At the sound of her name leaving Hagrid's mouth - it was nothing new; she had answered so many questions in the class that it rivalled Hermione's level of dedication - Harry had turned around to face her, openly curious. But her eyes were fixated upon the black horse before them, as it ripped more and more flesh from the cow carcass.

"But they're really, really unlucky!" Parvati interrupted the silence that had fallen in a particularly high-pitched voice, looking alarmed. "They're supposed to bring all sorts of horrible misfortune on people who see them. Professor Trelawney told me once-" 

"No, no, no," Hagrid brought her to a stop, chuckling, "tha's jus' superstition, that is, they aren' unlucky, they're dead clever an' useful! 'Course, this lot don' get a lot o' work - an' here's another couple, look -" Two more horses came quietly out of the trees, one of them passing very close to Parvati, who shivered and pressed herself closer to the tree, seemingly able to sense it. 

"Don' worry, it won' hurt yeh," Hagrid told the girl patiently. "Righ', now, who can tell me why some o' you can see them an' some can't?" 

Hermione raised her hand. 

"Go on then," Hagrid, beamed at her. 

"The only people who can see thestrals," Hermione answered, quite stiffly, "are people who have seen death." 

"Tha's exactly right," Hagrid nodded solemnly, "ten points ter Gryffindor. Now, thestrals -"

"Hem, hem." The cough was instantly recognisable. Umbridge was standing a few feet away from Aviana, just behind her shoulder, and the poor girl jumped out of her skin, making a very obvious face and taking a rather large step towards Harry. 

Umbridge did not say a word to her, but instead set her sights on Hagrid, who had never heard Umbridge's fake cough before, was gazing in some concern at the closest thestral, evidently under the impression that it had made the sound. 

"Hem, hem." 

"Maybe use words, pretentious bitch." Aviana muttered, slipping into place on Harry's left, his hand instinctively reaching for hers. 

"Oh hello!" Hagrid said, smiling, having located the source of the noise. 

"You received the note I sent to your cabin this morning?" Umbridge asked, in a loud, slow voice as though she was addressing somebody both foreign and very slow. "Telling you that I would be inspecting your lesson?" 

"Oh yeah," Hagrid nodded brightly. "Glad yeh found the place all righ'! Well, as you can see - or, I dunno - can you? We're doin' thestrals today-" 

"I'm sorry?" Umbridge asked loudly, cupping her hand around her ear and frowning. 

"What did you say?" Hagrid looked a little confused. "Er - thestrals!" he repeated loudly. "Big - er - winged horses, yeh know!" He flapped his gigantic arms hopefully.