𝐎, 𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃 ⎥ "He wants a fight with
a God? I'll give him one."
﹙ from stardust we came, to stardust we return ﹚
Prisoner of Azkaban - Deathly Hollows
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THE FIRST DAY OF THE NEW TERM HAD ARRIVED. elara set off to lessons, weighed down with books, parchment, and quills as usual, but also with the lurking worry of the upcoming second task. harry refused to try cedric's advice on account that it was too cryptic and too weird.
snow was still thick upon the grounds, and the greenhouse windows were covered in condensation so thick that they couldn't see out of them in herbology. nobody was looking forward to care of magical creatures much in this weather, though as ron said, the skrewts would probably warm them up nicely, either by chasing them, or blasting off so forcefully that hagrid's cabin would catch fire.
when they arrived at hagrid's cabin, however, they found an elderly witch with closely cropped gray hair and a very prominent chin standing before his front door.
"hurry up, now, the bell rang five minutes ago," she barked at them as they struggled toward her through the snow.
"who're you?" said ron, staring at her. "where's hagrid?"
"nice one, ron," elara muttered.
"my name is professor grubbly-plank," she said briskly. "i am your temporary care of magical creatures teacher."
"where's hagrid?" harry repeated loudly.
"he is indisposed," said professor grubbly-plank shortly.
soft and unpleasant laughter reached elara's ears. she turned; draco malfoy and the rest of the slytherins were joining the class. all of them looked gleeful, and none of them looked surprised to see professor grubbly-plank.
"this way, please," said professor grubbly-plank, and she strode off around the paddock where the beauxbatons horses were shivering. harry, ron, elara, and hermione followed her, looking back over their shoulders at hagrid's cabin. all the curtains were closed. was Hagrid in there, alone and ill?
"what's wrong with hagrid?" harry said, hurrying to catch up with professor grubbly-plank.
"never you mind," she said as though she thought he was being nosy.
"i do mind, though," said harry hotly. "what's up with him?"
professor grubbly-plank acted as though she couldn't hear him. she led them past the paddock where the huge beauxbatons horses were standing, huddled against the cold, and toward a tree on the edge of the forest, where a large and beautiful unicorn was tethered.
