按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Hagrid seemed to be thinking the same way； he stumped across the room and pulled back the curtain an inch or so。
'She's goin' back ter the castle；' he said in a low voice。 'Blimey： inspectin' people； is she？'
'Yeah；' said Harry； pulling off the Cloak。 Trelawney's on probation already：'
'Um： what sort of thing are you planning to do with us in class； Hagrid？' asked Hermione。
'Oh； don' you worry abou' that； I've got a great load o' lessons planned；' said Hagrid enthusiastically； scooping up his dragon steak from the table and slapping it over his eye again。 'I've bin keepin' a couple o' creatures saved fer yer OWL year； you wait； they're somethin' really special。'
'Erm： special in what way？' asked Hermione tentatively。
'I'm not sayin'；' said Hagrid happily。 'I don' want ter spoil the surprise。'
'Look； Hagrid；' said Hermione urgently； dropping all pretence； 'Professor Umbridge won't be at all happy if you bring anything to class that's too dangerous。'
'Dangerous？' said Hagrid； looking genially bemused。 'Don' be silly； I wouldn' give yeh anythin' dangerous！ I mean； all righ'； they can look after themselves …'
'Hagrid； you've got to pass Umbridge's inspection； and to do that it would really be better if she saw you teaching us how to look after Porlocks； how to tell the difference between Knarls and hedgehogs； stuff like that！' said Hermione earnestly。
'But tha's not very interestin'； Hermione；' said Hagrid。 The stuff I've got's much more impressive。 I've bin bringin' 'em on fer years； I reckon I've got the on'y domestic herd in Britain。'
'Hagrid： please：' said Hermione； a note of real desperation in her voice。 'Umbridge is looking for any excuse to get rid of teachers she thinks are too close to Dumbledore。 Please； Hagrid； teach us something dull that's bound to e up in our OWL。'
But Hagrid merely yawned widely and cast a one…eyed look of longing towards the vast bed in the corner。
'Lis'en； it's bin a long day an' it's late；' he said； patting Hermione gently on the shoulder； so that her knees gave way and hit the floor with a thud。 'Oh … sorry …' He pulled her back up by the neck of her robes。 'Look； don' you go worryin' abou' me； I promise yeh I've got really good stuff planned fer yer lessons now I'm back： now you lot had better get back up to the castle； an' don' forget ter wipe yer footprints out behind yeh！'
'I dunno if you got through to him；' said Ron a short while later when； having checked that the coast was clear； they walked back up to the castle through the thickening snow； leaving no trace behind them due to the Obliteration Charm Hermione was performing as they went。
Then I'll go back again tomorrow；' said Hermione determinedly。 I'll plan his lessons for him if I have to。 I don't care if she throws out Trelawney but she's not getting rid of Hagrid！'
… CHAPTER TWENTY…ONE …
The Eye of the Snake
Hermione ploughed her way back to Hagrid's cabin through two feet of snow on Sunday morning。 Harry and Ron wanted to go with her； but their mountain of homework had reached an alarming height again； so they remained grudgingly in the mon room； trying to ignore the gleeful shouts drifting up from the grounds outside； where students were enjoying themselves skating on the frozen lake； tobogganing and； worst of all； bewitching snowballs to zoom up to Gryffindor Tower and rap hard on the windows。
'Oi！' bellowed Ron； finally losing patience and sticking his head out of the window； 'I am a prefect and if one more snowball hits this window … OUCH！'
He withdrew his head sharply； his face covered in snow。
'It's Fred and George；' he said bitterly； slamming the window behind him。 'Gits：'
Hermione returned from Hagrid's just before lunch； shivering slightly； her robes damp to the knees。
'So？' said Ron； looking up when she entered。 'Got all his lessons planned for him？'
'Well； I tried；' she said dully； sinking into a chair beside Harry。 She pulled out her wand and gave it a plicated little wave so that hot air streamed out of the tip； she then pointed this at her robes； which began to steam as they dried out。 'He wasn't even there when I arrived； I was knocking for at least half an hour。 And then he came stumping out of the Forest …'
Harry groaned。 The Forbidden Forest was teeming with the kind of creatures most likely to get Hagrid the sack。 'What's he keeping in there？ Did he say？' he asked。
'No；' said Hermione miserably。 'He says he wants them to be a surprise。 I tried to explain about Umbridge； but he just doesn't get it。 He kept saying nobody in their right mind would rather study Knarls than Chimaeras … oh； I don't think he's got a Chimaera；' she added at the appalled look on Harry and Ron's faces； 'but that's not for lack of trying； from what he said about how hard it is to get eggs。 I don't know how many times I told him he'd be better off following Grubbly…Plank's plan； I honestly don't think he listened to half of what I said。 He's in a bit of a funny mood； you know。 He still won't say how he got all those injuries。'
Hagrid's reappearance at the staff table at breakfast next day was not greeted by enthusiasm from all students。 Some； like Fred； George and Lee； roared with delight and sprinted up the aisle between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables to wring Hagrid's enormous hand； others； like Parvati and Lavender； exchanged gloomy looks and shook their heads。 Harry knew that many of them preferred Professor Grubbly…Plank's lessons； and the worst of it was that a very small； unbiased part of him knew that they had good reason： Grubbly…Plank's idea of an interesting class was not one where there was a risk that somebody might have their head ripped off。
It was with a certain amount of apprehension that Harry； Ron and Hermione headed down to Hagrid's on Tuesday； heavily muffled against the cold。 Harry was worried； not only about what Hagrid might have decided to teach them； but also about how the rest of the class； particularly Malfoy and his cronies； would behave if Umbridge was watching them。
However； the High Inquisitor was nowhere to be seen as they struggled through the snow towards Hagrid； who stood waiting for them on the edge of the Forest。 He did not present a reassuring sight； the bruises that had been purple on Saturday night were now tinged with green and yellow and some of his cuts still seemed to be bleeding。 Harry could not understand this： had Hagrid perhaps been attacked by some creature whose venom prevented the wounds it inflicted from healing？ As though to plete the ominous picture； Hagrid was carrying what looked like half a dead cow over his shoulder。
'We're workin' in here today！' Hagrid called happily to the approaching students； jerking his head back at the dark trees behind him。 'Bit more sheltered！ Anyway； they prefer the dark。'
'What prefers the dark？' Harry heard Malfoy say sharply to Crabbe and Goyle； a trace of panic in his voice。 'What did he say prefers the dark … did you hear？'
Harry remembered the only other occasion on which Malfoy had entered the Forest before now； he had not been very brave then； either。 He smiled to himself； after the Quidditch match anything that caused Malfoy disfort was all right with him。
'Ready？' said Hagrid cheerfully； looking around at the class。 '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？' said Malfoy； the panic in his voice even more pronounced。 'Only it wouldn't be the first time you'd brought wild stuff to class； would it？'
The Slytherins murmured agreement and a few Gryffindors looked as though they thought Malfoy had a fair point； too。
'Course they're trained；' said Hagrid； scowling and hoisting the dead cow a little higher on his shoulder。
'So what happened to your face； then？' demanded Malfoy。
'Mind yer own business！' said Hagrid； angrily。 'Now； if yeh've finished askin' stupid questions； follow me！'
He turned and strode straight into the Forest。 Nobody seemed much disposed to follow。 Harry glanced at Ron and Hermione； who sighed but nodded； and the three of them set off after Hagrid； leading the rest of the class。
They walked for about ten minutes until they reached a place where the trees stood so closely together that it was as dark as twilight and there was no snow at all on the ground。 With a grunt； Hagrid deposited his half a cow on the ground； stepped back and turned to face his class； most of whom were creeping from tree to tree towards him； peering around nervously as though expecting to be set upon at any moment。
'Gather roun'； gather roun'；' Hagrid encouraged。 '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 know it's me。'
He turned； shook his shaggy head to get the hair out of his face and gave an odd； shrieking cry that echoed through the dark t