The first class that afternoon was Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures. The sky was a fresh, delicate pale gray, and the rain-soaked grass beneath their feet was wet and springy with every step.
When Hermione saw Harry, Ron, and Neville, she did not speak to them as she usually did. Instead, she pulled Jerry along down the slippery grassy slope toward Hagrid's Hut at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. The three boys silently followed them.
By the time they arrived, quite a few students had already gathered outside Hagrid's Hut. After that morning's Divination class and the news at noon that Dementors were roaming near Hogwarts, everyone looked distinctly uneasy, afraid that another Dementor might suddenly emerge from the trees.
Malfoy, however, seemed completely unaffected. He was enthusiastically telling Crabbe and Goyle something that had the two of them roaring with stupid laughter.
Hmph! The Malfoy family had always been tough, and he and Jerry were both in Slytherin House. Besides, Jerry had signed up for every elective, so Jerry would be there no matter what class he took. What the hell did he have to fear?
Dementors? What kind of rubbish were they? Were they scarier than Jerry Green? Go on, bring a Dementor here if you dare! I dare you to bring one here!
Hagrid stood in the doorway of his hut, waiting for the students to arrive. In his trademark moleskin overcoat, he looked both rugged and friendly.
The large boarhound Fang faithfully guarded his feet, seemingly just as eager for the lesson to begin.
"Come on, come on, hurry up!" Hagrid called as the students approached. "I've got something good to show you today! This lesson will really open your eyes! Is everyone here? Good, follow me!"
An inexplicable wave of panic swept through the