Besides the Divination class, which spouted a mix of nonsense and prophecy, the third year curriculum introduced many new subjects in earnest.
Considering the O.W.L.s were taken in the fifth year, it seemed the judgment was that a minimum of three years of education was necessary.
Thinking about it, I felt a little resentful of my own situation, having taken all the exams after only one year of study. But what could I do? I was the successor to Ancient Magic.
And not a single one of those students who had studied for three years scored better than me on the exams.
If I were to pick the subjects I most enjoyed learning, they would be Magical Theory, Transfiguration, and Care of Magical Creatures.
The first two were subjects I enjoyed because the professors who taught them were my masters in the truest sense, but the last one was different.
It was, quite literally, the class I had the most fun learning.
Magical creatures of a variety unimaginable in the Muggle world. How could it not be fun when animals that existed only in imagination were real?
Of course, it wasn't more fun than hunting Dark Wizards.
In any case, having even run a farm to protect magical creatures from smugglers, the Care of Magical Creatures class was very familiar territory for me.
Although…
"Alright, everyone! This fella here is a Hippogriff!"
…I had never imagined that a professor would bring a creature with a XXX danger rating to the very first class.
It's easy to forget because the creatures we usually travel with are a XXXX-rated phoenix and XXXXX-rated dragon and basilisk, but a XXX-rated creature is nothing short of a disaster for an ordinary young wizard of Harry's age.
As if instinctively sensing this fact, all the surrounding students could do was stare blankly at the Hippogriff's magnificent and obviously intimidating form.
I thought to myself, *How old is Hagrid again? His teaching style seems closer to the 19th century than the 20th.*
Completely unaware of my thoughts, Hagrid flashed a broad smile and said, "I assume you've all read about Hippogriffs? It's right there on the first page of your textbook!"
"We don't even know what that textbook is supposed to be," a sullen voice replied from the group of Slytherins. It was Malfoy.
For reference, Care of Magical Creatures was one of the classes that Gryffindor and Slytherin took together.
Though he had calmed down a bit since the Chamber of Secrets incident, Malfoy, who still hadn't completely shed his delinquent nature, spoke complainingly.
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell us that hand-biting monster is our textbook."
The students all nodded in unison.
Despite Slytherin and Gryffindor being called mortal enemies who could not exist under the same sky, even some Gryffindor students nodded in agreement with his words.
Flustered, Hagrid exclaimed, "What, don't tell me none of you could tame your books? No way! There must be at least one!"
As if searching for a glimmer of hope, Hagrid looked towards the four of us.
Ron and Hermione awkwardly turned their heads, avoiding his gaze. A dejected Hagrid then looked at Harry and me. He looked so pathetic that I finally gave a nod.
Hagrid's face lit up as he shouted at me, "Right, of course, the top student! Isn't that right, Aisen? Go on, show the others how it's done!"
Left with no choice, I took the monster book out of my bag and said,
"I'm only showing you once, so watch carefully."
One. Let the book loose.
Two. Wiggle your fingers enticingly in front of the book.
Three. When the book opens its mouth to bite your hand, quickly snatch its tongue.
Four. Slam the book on the ground by its tongue until it lets out a *kieeek* and surrenders.
Only after the now-fainted monster book made a gurgling, gasping sound did I let go of its tongue.
Surprisingly, since it was still made of paper, grabbing the tongue felt less like grabbing something slimy and more like holding a wad of paper.
I picked up the book sprawled on the ground and opened it. The monstrous features were gone, and it had become a normal book.
I added a supplementary explanation.
"It's still a book, so if you try to subdue it with magic, the contents will get damaged. You have to handle it directly like this."
Hagrid muttered in bewilderment, "But… it just opens if you stroke it."
At his words, I blinked and stared at the monster book.
These ill-tempered things? Open from being stroked? Perhaps the monster books they made these days were a different breed.
Back in my day, you had to do this to make them listen.
I asked Hagrid, "Could it be that because you, Hagrid—I mean, Professor—have high magic resistance, the monster book just surrendered on its own?"
"I-Is that so? No, that can't be right…"
Hagrid, speaking without confidence, and me, who had just given a live demonstration.
It was obvious which of us the students would believe.
A few moments later, an extraordinary scene unfolded in the middle of the Forbidden Forest as students began slamming their books onto the ground in unison.
*Thump, thump! Whack!*
"Surrender! Surrender!"
"This thing is so stubborn!"
"Aargh! My hand!"
"Die! Die!"
Amidst the chaos, while everyone else was beating their books, only Harry was stroking his. He then came over and told me quietly, "Master. It really does just open if you stroke it."
"…It does?"
Well, it made sense that they would have improved the breed of monster books after a hundred years.
Even knowing this, I told Harry quietly, "Still, this is more fun, so let's just keep quiet."
"Coincidentally, I was about to say the exact same thing."
*That's right. You all deserve to suffer a bit.*
Harry and I watched for a long time as the students slammed their books around, panting.
Hagrid's bewilderment was short-lived.
He awkwardly asked us, who had subdued our books first, "Er, since you two have already opened your books… want to try riding a Hippogriff first?"
We nodded without a second thought.
Clearly excited about being a professor for the first time, Hagrid had brought a whopping eight Hippogriffs to his first class.
At this rate, he must have rounded up half the Hippogriffs living in the Forbidden Forest.
Hagrid brought over the two who were posturing at the front of the herd and introduced them to us.
"Right, this one's Buckbeak, and this one's Blackwing. Harry, you take Buckbeak. Aisen, you take Blackwing."
A Hippogriff is a creature with a danger rating of XXX.
Since encountering a creature of a higher rating is tantamount to a natural disaster, they are effectively the apex predators of the ecosystem.
Perhaps for that reason, most Hippogriffs are extremely proud.
Unless you bow your head in greeting, they will consistently try to kill you on sight, regardless of whether you're a wizard or a witch.
I looked at the Hippogriff Hagrid had introduced as Blackwing. A body covered in pure white feathers, contrasted by wings as black as pearls, shimmering in the sunlight. It was easy to see why it was named Blackwing.
"Bow your heads, and greet them!"
Following Hagrid's instructions, Harry and I bowed our heads.
However, unlike Buckbeak, who arrogantly prepared to accept Harry's greeting, Blackwing just tilted its head and brought its face close to mine.
'?'
Up close, Blackwing's face looked familiar. Had I seen it somewhere before?
While I was pondering what it was doing, Blackwing sniffed me and suddenly reared up on its hind legs in excitement.
*Kieeeeng!*
"Whoa, whoa! Easy! Blackwing! Blackwing, calm down! Hey!"
Despite Hagrid's attempts to stop it, Blackwing continued to thrash about.
*Kieeeeng! Kieng! Keeeeeng!*
Seeing Hagrid struggle with Blackwing, which was bucking hard enough to be difficult even for someone with giant's blood to control, I couldn't just watch.
"Hagrid, it's okay. Let it go. It doesn't seem angry."
"No, but even so—oof!"
Just as Hagrid was trying to stop me, Blackwing managed to break free from its tether and lunged towards me.
The massive body approached with the force of a charging chariot.
However, having read Blackwing's surface thoughts with Legilimency and finding no negative emotions, I wasn't particularly worried.
Just as I thought, Blackwing raised its forelegs, flapped its wings, and approached me.
Then it buried its bird-like head in my chest and started nuzzling me.
*Kieeng! Kieeeeng! Kieng!*
Hagrid, who had squeezed his eyes shut in anticipation of the impending disaster, slowly opened them to slits and said in bewilderment, "What… why is Blackwing acting like this? Like it's met its parent…"
Parent? At that word, something clicked. On a hunch, I asked, "Highwing? Caligo?"
*Kieeeeeeng! Kieeeeng! Kegegehng!*
Blackwing reacted violently, as if to say *that's it!*
I spoke reluctantly to the clueless Hagrid.
"It seems I might know its parents."
"What? No, that's impossible. Blackwing's parents died of old age more than twenty years ago! I brought the orphaned chick here and raised it myself."
"Ah, then I must be mistaken."
Noticing Hermione giving me a suspicious look from where she'd managed to overhear, I immediately changed my tune and made an excuse.
*Keeeeng! Kieeeeng!*
Of course, Blackwing, still nuzzling against my chest, continued to cry out as if protesting that I was right.
Highwing and Caligo were the Hippogriffs I had raised and ridden back in the 19th century.
They were far more comfortable to ride than a broomstick, so I almost always rode them before I developed flight magic.
The female, Highwing, had a pure white body, while the male, Caligo, was black.
And Blackwing had a white body with black wings.
Did they have a chick after I was flung into the 20th century?
I unconsciously stroked Blackwing the way I used to stroke Highwing. It cooed in pleasure and closed its eyes. Had it perhaps caught my scent from its parents?
Seeing this, Hagrid said, "…Well, I don't know what's what, but it seems the fella's taken a real liking to you! Go on, give it a ride! You too, Harry!"
At Hagrid's insistence, Harry and I mounted Blackwing and Buckbeak.
*Kieeng!*
*Thud, thud!*
With just a few running steps, the Hippogriffs soared into the sky.
Harry cheered, thrilled by the feeling, which was completely different from flying on a broom.
"Wahoooo! This is fuuuun!"
The sensation was familiar to me. Recalling the feeling of riding a Hippogriff in the old days, I did a loop around Hogwarts castle before landing lightly.
Harry, however, seemed to have taken a liking to it and was still circling in the sky with Buckbeak.
*Kieeeeng!*
When I dismounted from Blackwing, it cried out as if disappointed and continued to nuzzle its head against me. But this was still a Care of Magical Creatures class.
I couldn't just take the creature as I pleased, so I pushed it toward the other students.
It tried to stick to me as if it didn't want to go, so I whispered softly to it.
"I'll come get you soon, so for now, give the other kids a ride."
*Kiiing? Kehng!*
Was it truly the descendant of the creatures I had raised? The clever beast seemed to understand my words. It tilted its head, then nodded, large tears rolling down its face.
The more I looked at it, the cuter it was. *Alright, I'll sneak it away from Hagrid later.*
Meanwhile, back on the ground, the students had finally tamed their monster books and were opening them.
The most spectacular sight was Ron, standing next to a magnificent crater, looking down at the sprawled-out monster book whose tongue he held, like a war-worn veteran.
"I… have won. Kraaaaaah!"
The sight of Ron howling like a werewolf while the others whispered around him was truly indescribable.
Meanwhile, Malfoy had somehow succeeded in taming his book and was the first of the Slytherins to approach a Hippogriff.
Coincidentally, it was Blackwing, who was wandering around after dropping me off.
"Malfoy, bow!"
"…You want me to bow to a bird-brain?"
He grumbled under his breath, but surprisingly, he complained while still bowing properly.
If he hadn't bowed properly, Blackwing would have attacked him. And if he had tried to fight back against Blackwing, he would have been attacked by my own hands.
*You're lucky, Malfoy.*
In any case, Hagrid's first class ended with great success.
Seeing him bring out Hippogriffs for the very first lesson, it was clear that Hagrid lost all reason when it came to magical creatures.
*Excellent.* At this rate, he would surely agree if I suggested bringing in other creatures later. Seeing Blackwing had made my desire to bring more animals grow and grow.
***