Harry and I were in potions when he asked me something.

"Cassidy?"

"Hmm?"

"Want to go to the Black Lake with Hermione, Ron, and I. Hermione thought I ought to ask you."

"As friends of course." he quickly says.

"Yeah. Only friends.I don't want drama."

"We'll never be anything more than that."

"Perfect."

The bell rings.

"Anyways, let's get to dinner." I say before I become flustered. He shrugs.

"Fine," he says as Ron and Hermione walk up.

"What are you two doing? It's time for dinner," Hermione scolds. I flinch.

"Calm down, Hermione. Bloody h*ll, they were just talking. I think. Unless they were doing something else," Ron winks.

I blush, and walk out of the portrait hole.

I quickly walk into the Great Hall, and remember the earlier events.

Avoid Pansy.

"Oh, look! It's food girl!" Pansy mocks as I sit down at the Gryffindor table.

"Shut up Pansy," I hear Dean say from behind me. Dean sits next to me, still towering above me as he sat.

"Thanks, Dean. I didn't want to deal with pug-faced Pansy," I thank him. He shrugs.

"Anyone would have done it," he merely says.

"But nobody else did," I point out. He looks at me.

"Have you met Seamus?" he asks with a tiny blush.

"Of course I've met bloody Seamus! Who hasn't?" I throw up my arms for emphasis.

"Ummm, do you want to hang out with Seamus and I? You don't have to, we just saw you and thought, hey! She looks cool! We should see if we can be friends and-" Dean rambles. I laugh.

"You don't have to be awkward. Of course I'll hang out! Now where do you sit, I'm hungry!" I say. At that moment, Harry, Hermione, and Ron walk in.

I turn, not seeing the crestfallen look on Harry's face.

"Right over here," Dean points out Seamus' sandy blonde hair.

"Oi, Seamus! Nice to see ya again!" I say, shakily holding out my hand for him to shake. He takes it, and I feel weird. Physical contact.

"Hey, Cass! How are ya?" Seamus asks friendly.

"Good. How about you guys?" I ask politely. They just shrug.

"So, Seamus, you seem to be well known around here. Care to explain?" I inquire. He rubs his hands together, and Dean mutters.

"What, was I not supposed to ask that?" I say nervously. Dean shakes his head no.

"Well, you see, dear Cassidy, I am known as the accident prone. I might as well demonstrate," Seamus grabs his wand. "I will perform a spell."

"Take cover," Dean says, grabbing his empty plate and shielding his face. I copy, confused.

I couldn't hear what spell he performed, but next thing I know, I heard an explosion. I peeked over my plate to see Seamus grinning goofily at me with singed hair. I facepalm.

"Oh, Seamus. What have I done? I shouldn't have asked," I mutter, covering my face.

He chuckles, "Trust me, I'm used to it."

I look around to see nobody, except Harry, watching us. Nobody was surprised by the explosion? Wow, he is used to it, along with the school.

Wait, Harry?

I excuse myself, "I'll be back in a minute. I have to check on something."

I strut over to Harry, and push my hair behind my shoulder.

"Is something wrong?" I ask Harry. He looks down.

"No. Not a thing. In fact, everything's great. Nothing to worry about," he says with an obvious fake smile.

"You sure?"

"One-hundred percent."

"Okay, Harry." I say, sitting back down with Dean.

"What's up with him?" he asks. I look at him and shake my head.

"I don't know. I really don't know."

🔹⭐🔹

Harry, Hermione, Ron, and I walk to Hagrid's hut. We see green and silver and realize that we must be having lessons with Slytherins.

"C'mon, now, get a move on!" Harris yelled as the class started to come forth. "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"

Hagrid led us to an empty paddock.

"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" Hagrid said to the class. "That's it - make sure yeh can see - now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open your books -"

"How?" Malfoy sneered.

"Eh?" Hagrid asked.

"How do we open our books?" Malfoy said coldly. He held out his monster book. Others did the same.

I opened my bag and grabbed mine cautiously.

"Hasn' - hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" Hagrid asked. The class shook their heads. "Yeh've got ter stroke 'em," Hagrid instructed. "Look -"

Hagrid took Hermione's book and ripped off the tape she had put on it. He ran his finger down the spine and the book opened. I did the same, and my book fell open.

"Oh, how silly we've all been!" Draco sneered. "We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess?"

"I - I thought they were funny," Hagrid said sadly.

"Oh, tremendously funny!" Draco spat. "Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off!"

"Shut up, Malfoy." Harry and I said at the same time. Draco turned to us.

"Make me." Draco challenged. I grabbed my wand.

I aimed my wand at Malfoy.

"Ducklifors!" I yell, hitting Draco with the spell. I remember reading a spell book, and I'd been wanting to try out this one.

Draco slowly morphed into a duck, quacking and running around. The whole class laughed, and Harry gave me a high five.

Hagrid laughed, but performed the spell to fix him. "Okay, okay, settle down. I'll be right back." Hagrid walked off.

Malfoy sneered at me, "I can't believe I thought that you could be cool. My father will hear about this."

Hagrid suddenly came out of the forest with an eagle like creature. "Right - who wants to go first?"

I stepped forward. My hands were shaking. I need to try and get over my anxiety. My hands, however, didn't stop shaking.

I climbed over the paddock. Luckily, I knew all about hippogriffs.I had read about them. I tend to read a lot, and it has finally become useful.

"Right then - let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak." Hagrid said happily.

I slowly walked up to the hippogriff, barely breathing, and bowed. I heard rustling and looked up, seeing Buckbeak kneeling.

"Well done, Cassidy! Right - yeh can touch him! Pat his beak, go on."

I wanted to step away, seen as I'm starting to shake even more, but instead I walked forward. I slowly patted Buckbeak's beak.

"Right then, Cassidy," Hagrid said calmly. "I reckon he migh' let yeh ride him."

I shook my head, "No, I have a-"

Hagrid put me up on the hippogriff while I tried to get off.

"-fear of -" I continue, panicking.

Buckbeak took off. "Heights!" I scream, grappling on to Buckbeak so tightly I left marks on him. I started to cry. "No, no, no, no, no!"

I'm having a panic attack. Not good. I'm finding it hard to breathe, seen as I'm crying so much.

After what seemed like an hour, although it was only a couple minutes, we landed. I still held on to Buckbeak for dear life, and I could hear Draco and his friends laughing at me.

"Uh oh. I need some help here." Hagrid said as he noticed me crying.

Hermione groans as she tries to get me off the hippogriff, but I'm frozen in shock. Hagrid carries me off of it.

"Hermione, take her to the infirmary. Harry, help her out." Hagrid instructs.

Harry picks me up and starts walking, Hermione at his side.

"Shh. It's okay, you're fine." Harry soothes me as I hiccup. I must look like a mess.

Eventually, we reach the infirmary. I am told to drink a potion, and I do.

I'm out before I hear anything else.