"You!" Cassie exclaimed, her eyes blazing with fury as she approached Draco's bed.

Draco winced at the sharpness of Cassie's tone.

"I want to know why the fuck did you provoke Buckbeak," Cassie demanded, her voice low and dangerous.

Draco shifted uncomfortably under her intense gaze. "I didn't provoke anything. It was that stupid hippogriff's fault for attacking me," he retorted.

"You insulted him, Malfoy! You called him an 'ugly brute!'"

"He is an ugly brute," Draco shot back, his voice dripping with disdain, a frown on his face.

Cassie's temper flared, and she took a step closer, her wand clenched tightly in her hand. "Listen, Malfoy—"

Pansy interjected, "Cassie, he's hurt—"

"Because he was too dumb to listen to instructions!" Cassie interrupted.

Blaise stepped forward, trying to calm the situation. "Cassie, maybe we should—"

"No!" Cassie cut in, her eyes never leaving Draco's. "He needs to understand the consequences of his actions."

Draco met Cassie's gaze defiantly. "What are you going to do, Cassie? Hex me?" he taunted.

"Don't taunt her, man. Looking at her mood, she actually might," Theo reasoned, casting a cautious glance at Cassie.

"Listen, Cassie, I know you're mad, but calm down... Now we've got to think about what's to be done," Pansy suggested.

"That's not even a question... Draco, you're going to march your sorry ass and apologize to Hagrid," Cassie declared.

"No!" Draco immediately retorted.

"Why should he—" began Pansy.

"Pansy, you too?" Cassie exclaimed, incredulous.

"Listen, Cassie, Draco is the one who's hurt... Why should he go and apologize?" Blaise reasoned.

Cassie looked to Theo, but he merely shrugged, mouthing, "I'm with you."

"I'm going to write to my father," Draco declared. "I'll get that ugly brute killed and that oaf removed."

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Draco?" Cassie exploded, her voice echoing through the room. "You're going to kill an innocent creature for your mistake?"

"Ms. Black... Mr. Malfoy is my patient. Do not distress him," Madam Pomfrey's voice interrupted as she entered the room.

"Come on, you lot, out you go now... Mr. Malfoy will be discharged in an hour," Madam Pomfrey ordered, ushering the group towards the door.

Pansy immediately spoke up, "I'll stay," she declared, her eyes darting between Cassie and Madam Pomfrey.

Blaise nodded in agreement. "Me too," he added, casting a sympathetic glance at Cassie.

"Fine, do what you want, Malfoy," Cassie spat, storming out of the room, Theo following closely behind her.

****************************

(Golden trio's pov-)

"That was a really bad thing to happen in Hagrid's first class, though, wasn't it?" said Ron, looking worried. "Trust Malfoy to mess things up for him...."

They were among the first to reach the Great Hall at dinnertime, hoping to see Hagrid, but he wasn't there.

"They wouldn't fire him, would they?" said Hermione anxiously, not touching her steak-and-kidney pudding.

"They'd better not," said Ron, who wasn't eating either.

Harry was watching the Slytherin table intently. A large group, including Crabbe and Goyle, was huddled together, deep in conversation. Harry was sure they were cooking up their own version of how Malfoy had been injured.

Meanwhile, Black and Nott were seated at the end of the table, engaged in what seemed like a heated discussion. Black appeared to be muttering something furiously, while Nott was attempting to reason with her.

"What's up with Black, though?" Harry asked to no one in particular.

"We heard she fought with Malfoy," Fred announced, the twins taking a seat in front of Harry.

"No way... Where did you hear that?" Ron asked incredulously.

"A bunch of Ravenclaws were talking about it," George replied casually, reaching for the pudding.

"But what was the fight about?" Hermione inquired.

"Apparently Draco wants to write to his father to press charges against Buckbeak," Fred explained.

"Bloody git," Ron muttered.

"And Black?"

"Doesn't want it to happen... She thinks Malfoy is at fault."

"Can't believe she has a heart," Harry snorted, finishing the last bite of pudding.

**********************************

They went up to the crowded Gryffindor common room after dinner and tried to do the homework Professor McGonagall had given them, but all three of them kept breaking off and glancing out of the tower window.

"There's a light on in Hagrid's window," Harry said suddenly. Ron looked at his watch.

"If we hurried, we could go down and see him. It's still quite early..."

"I don't know," Hermione said slowly, and Harry saw her glance at him. "I'm allowed to walk across the grounds," he said pointedly.

"Sirius Black hasn't got past the dementors yet, has he?"

So they put their things away and headed out of the portrait hole, glad to meet nobody on their way to the front doors, as they weren't entirely sure they were supposed to be out. The grass was still wet and looked almost black in the twilight.

When they reached Hagrid's hut, they knocked, and a voice growled, "C'min." Hagrid was sitting in his shirtsleeves at his scrubbed wooden table; his boarhound, Fang, had his head in Hagrid's lap.

One look told them that Hagrid had been drinking a lot; there was a pewter tankard almost as big as a bucket in front of him, and he seemed to be having difficulty getting them into focus.

"'Spect it's a record," he said thickly, when he recognized them. "Don' reckon they've ever had a teacher who lasted on'y a day before."

"You haven't been fired, Hagrid!" gasped Hermione.

"Not yet," said Hagrid miserably, taking a huge gulp of whatever was in the tankard. "But it's only a matter o' time, ain't it, after Malfoy..."

"How is he?" said Ron as they all sat down. "It wasn't serious, was it?"

"Madam Pomfrey fixed him best she could," said Hagrid dully, "but he's sayin' it's still agony... covered in bandages... moanin'..."

"He's faking it," said Harry at once. "Madam Pomfrey can mend anything. She regrew half my bones last year. Trust Malfoy to milk it for all it's worth."

"School governors have been told, o' course," said Hagrid miserably. "They reckon I started too big. Shoulda left hippogriffs for later... done flobberworms or summat... Jus' thought it would make a good first lesson—all my fault..."

"It's all Malfoy's fault, Hagrid!" said Hermione earnestly. "We're witnesses," said Harry.

"You said hippogriffs attack if you insult them. It's Malfoy's problem that he wasn't listening. We'll tell Dumbledore what really happened." "Yeah, don't worry, Hagrid, we'll back you up," said Ron.

He grabbed both Harry and Ron and pulled them into a bone-breaking hug.

A loud screech interrupted the moment as an owl as black as the night with piercing yellow eyes flew in the open window holding a letter.

Fang immediately started barking, but one piercing gaze from the owl sent him whimpering.

"Looks like you got some mail," Ron said, reaching out for the letter.

"Pro'ly governors firing me," Hagrid wailed.

"No, it's not," Harry said quietly. "I recognize this owl. It is Black's... she calls it Mortem, I think?"

Mortem hooted approvingly.

"Ah, well, read it, I can't see too well," Hagrid said, stumbling as he got up.

Hermione opened the letter and read the elegant scrawl:

Professor Hagrid,

I wish to apologize for my dumbass cousin... he was clearly wrong in insulting Buckbeak... I assure you his injuries are not very grave... but I'll warn you, start preparing for the case.

I'm pretty sure Lucius has already pressed charges and a case is being formed... Knowing Lucius's position in the Ministry, your chances are less.

As far as I know, that stupid Potter... he is probably with you already—

Ron snorted. "She got you there, mate," interrupting.

Hermione shushed him.

Granger can help you with the case, I'm sure... If you need my help, don't hesitate to ask.

Cassiopeia Black

Youngest Heiress of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black

***************************

"She is a good kid." Tears leaked out of the crinkled corners of Hagrid's beetle-black eyes.

Harry was still suspiciously eyeing the letter.

"I think you've had enough to drink, Hagrid," said Hermione firmly. She took the tankard from the table and went outside to empty it. "At, maybe she's right," said Hagrid.

Hagrid heaved himself out of his chair and followed Hermione unsteadily outside. They heard a loud splash.

"What's he done?" said Harry nervously as Hermione came back in with the empty tankard.

"Stuck his head in the water barrel," said Hermione, putting the tankard away. Hagrid came back, his long hair and beard sopping wet, wiping the water out of his eyes.

"That's better," he said, shaking his head like a dog and drenching them all.

"Listen, it was good of yeh to come an' see me, I really—" Hagrid stopped dead, staring at Harry as though he'd only just realized he was there.

"WHAT D'YEH THINK YOU'RE DOIN', EH?" he roared, so suddenly that they jumped a foot in the air.

"YEH'RE NOT TO GO WANDERIN' AROUND AFTER DARK, HARRY! AN', YOU TWO! LETTIN' HIM!"

Hagrid strode over to Harry, grabbed his arm, and pulled him to the door.

"C'mon!" Hagrid said angrily. "I'm takin' yer all back up ter school, an' don't let me catch yeh walkin' down ter see me after dark again. I'm not worth that!"

******************************

Meanwhile, in the Slytherin dorm, Cassiopeia Black stayed up writing a letter to Regulus.

***************************

A/n

Guys. Like. Cassie is a dark oc doesn't mean she is heartless. for the plot i think a fight was necessary

also. Guys can we talk abt no one calling hagrid  - ""Professor hagrid,."" LIKE WHY?

also also...like cassie was raised by Regulus...so her upbringing was all posh and purebloodly uk...

and blacks have a flair for dramatics

''Youngest Heiress of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black'' sounds so authorative

Anyways. the next chapters are gonna be quite a ride DADA, hogesmade and sirius breaking in.

till then..

byeii

mx. riddle