c'mon now, get a move on! got a real treat for yeh. great lesson comin' up. follow me.
gather 'round. find yerself a spot. that's it. now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books --
crikey. didn' yeh know? all yeh've got ter do is stroke 'em. look -- hagrid takes hermione's copy, snaps the spellotape binding it. as it begins to bite, hagrid calmly runs a forefinger down the book's spine and it.  shivers. falls quietly open. hagrid glances at the class, looking suddenly unsure.
righ' then. so.  so.  yeh've got yer books, an' now yeh need the magical creatures. right. so.  i'll.  i'll go an' get 'em. hagrid turns, disappears into the trees. draco shakes his head, speaks loudly to crabbe and goyle.
gee up, there! beau'iful, isn' he?
a hippogriff, o' course. now, firs' thing yeh gotta know is they're proud. easily offended, hippogriffs are. don't never insult one, 'cause it migh' be the las' thing yeh do. right then -- who wants ter come an' say hello? the entire class steps back, leaving harry in front.
good man, harry! harry looks around, then -- reluctantly -- approaches.
tha's it. easy now.  stop! this here's buckbeak, harry. yeh want ter let 'im make the firs' move. it's polite, see? jus' take step forward, give 'im a bow, and if buckbeak bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. ready? unsure, harry nods anyway. steps forward. and.  bows. buckbeak's head cocks, eagle eyes studying harry cannily. harry waits. and waits.
back off, harry! back off! harry starts to step back, when.  buckbeak ducks his beak. hagrid sighs, relieved.
well done, harry! go on. give 'im a pat. tentatively, harry reaches out, lays his hand on buckbeak's fierce beak. the class claps. harry smiles.
look at that! i reckon he migh' let yeh ride 'im!
we'll jus' set yeh behind the wing joint. mind yeh don' pull any feathers out. he won' like that. hagrid lifts harry high, drops him onto buckbeak's back, and before harry's settled, slaps buckbeak's hindquarters.
off yeh go! as buckbeak gallops forward, harry slides scarily back, giant wings unfold, huge and powerful, and -- whoosh! -- they soar into the air. rising higher. and higher. and higher. gradually, harry loosens his hold on buckbeak's neck. losing himself in the joy of flying. smiling at the sight of his and buckbeak's shadow racing across the grass below. circling over the whomping willow, past hogwarts castle, and then swooping, with heart-stopping speed, over the black lake, buckbeak's talons tickling the smooth glass of the water, summoning the giant squid to the surface briefly. hagrid whistles then, and buckbeak wheels, beating his way back to the paddock, galloping to a halt. as harry slides off, the class cheers -- all except draco, who narrows his eyes maliciously.
good work, harry! how'm i doin' me firs' day?
malfoy! no! in a flash, buckbeak's steely talons slash down. malfoy freezes. looks down at the blood blossoming on his robes. shrieks. instantly, harry dashes forward. buckbeak whips around, raises its talons and -- seeing harry -- lowers them. ducks its beak. harry.  realizing what he's done.  breathes.
calm yerself! yer fine.  jus' a scratch.  hagrid looks: a deep gash glistens on draco's limp arm.
no. i'm the teacher. you all.  you all just.  class dismissed! and with that, hagrid -- looking shaken -- swoops up malfoy, flops him over his shoulder, and lumbers toward the castle.
buckbeak liked london.
oh. that. well, i got up an' said my bit -- you know, how buckbeak was a good hippogriff an' as long as yeh treated 'im with respect, he'd treat you the same. then lucius malfoy got up an' said his bit -- you know, how buckbeak was a deadly dangerous beast that no teacher in their righ' mind would expose their students to.
buckbeak's not going back to the forest.
he asked fer the worse, yeh see, lucius malfoy did. an' the committee granted it. buckbeak's bin sentenced ter death.
look at 'em. loves the smell o' the trees when the wind blows.
they'd know i did it. and tha' would only get dumbledore in trouble. gonna come down, yeh know. says he wants ter be with me when it.  when it happens. great man, dumbledore.
yeh will not! think i wan' yeh seein' a thing like this! no. yeh'll drink yer tea an' be off. but before yeh do -- i wan' ter see you an' ron shake hands, harry. ron and harry exchange a glance, then look to hagrid.
thin' i haven' seen 'ow it's bin betw'n you two? go on now.  reluctantly, harry and ron extend their hands. shake.
good. now then. ron, i wan' ter see you give hermione a hug.
go on! you two've been at it all year. an' i'm sick o' it. acutely uncomfortable, hermione and ron step forward and perform perhaps the most awkward hug hogwarts has ever seen.
crikey, tha's jus' abou' the most pathetic hug i e'er seen. but yeh did it, an' tha's wha' matters. there's jus' one other thing.
yeh should keep a closer eye on yer pets, ron.
crikey. here we go agin.  smash! a glass jar on the shelf shatters. as hermione scoops up a jagged star-shaped stone, a second stone bounces off the back of harry's head.
yeh got to go! it's almost dark. anyone sees yeh outside the castle it'll be trouble! big trouble! 'specially you, harry -- bang! bang! bang! the door shakes. hagrid stiffens in fear. harry reaches up, puts his finger to hagrid's trembling lips, speaks softly to the others.
beaky.  hearing hagrid's husky voice, buckbeak strains at his tether, whimpers eerily. hermione tosses him another ferret.
professor, i swear! i didn't!
just a broom.