"Then let's not think about it!" Hermione giggled, reaching out to hug Lynn's left arm tighter. "We'll naturally find out when class starts."
"Mm." Lynn nodded with a calm face.
When it was time for class, Hagrid walked slowly out of the Forbidden Forest. "Welcome, everyone. Welcome to your Care of Magical Creatures class."
The Little Lions of Gryffindor clapped loudly. Lynn also clapped cooperatively, and with her lead, the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs all began to clap enthusiastically as well.
Seeing this, the Slytherins could only reluctantly clap a little, even if they were unwilling. The matter with The Daily Prophet hadn't been settled by the Professors yet, especially not by Headmaster Dumbledore.
They couldn't afford to seem too out of place or too conspicuous now, or who knows what the consequences would be.
Lynn held the screaming snidget book in her right arm as she watched Hagrid walk up and stand before everyone.
"Oh, you've all brought your books," Hagrid nodded with a smile. "But your books..."
Hagrid's gaze swept over the books that the Young Wizards had tightly bound with belts. "Have none of you found the way to open the book?"
A look of disappointment appeared on his face. "Has truly no one discovered how to open it correctly?"
Hagrid's eyes searched through the crowd until he saw Lynn and Hermione holding their screaming snidget books normally, without them being bound by belts.
"Miss Lynn! Hermione! Your books aren't tied up. Can you tell everyone how you managed to make them behave?"
Hagrid smiled with encouragement, seemingly extremely expectant that Lynn and Hermione could give the answer he wanted.
Hermione pursed her lips, looking at Hagrid with some difficulty. Although she didn't know what answer Hagrid wanted... she felt that the method Lynn used to help her "tame" the screaming snidget book certainly wouldn't be the one he was looking for.
However, Lynn clearly didn't think that much. Hagrid was a Professor; the Professor had asked her a question, and since she knew the answer, she should answer straightforwardly.
"Give the screaming snidget book a beating, and they'll behave."
Lynn spoke these words in a flat voice. Almost the second she said it, the screaming snidget books in the hands of all the Young Wizards present simultaneously stopped struggling.
The screaming snidget books in her and Hermione's hands trembled even more violently.
They seemed to remember the fear of being stepped on by the Deinonychus Lynn had transformed into back in Diagon Alley, with sharp claws resting on their covers.
"A—a beating?!" Hagrid's eyes widened with a blank expression, and then he waved his hands in a fluster.
"No, we can't—we can't do that to them."
"You just need to stroke their spines gently," Hagrid said as he held up his own book and slowly ran his large fingers over the screaming snidget book's spine. "And then they'll quiet down."
Sure enough, a moment later, the screaming snidget book in Hagrid's hand quieted down, opened slowly, and lay limply in his hand.
"Truly magical! Who would have thought we should use our hands to stroke the spine of a book that wants to bite us to death."
Draco couldn't help but mock, but he still "obediently" ran his hand over the spine.
Lynn also looked down at the screaming snidget book in her hand. Although it was already quiet, she still followed Hagrid's instructions and gently stroked its spine.
Then she looked up and nodded seriously to Hagrid. "I apologize, Professor Hagrid. I shouldn't have treated my textbook that way. I will be careful in the future and won't be as impulsive as before."
"Oh, it—it's nothing, you don't have to..." Hagrid waved his hands even more fearfully. He really hadn't expected Lynn to apologize and admit her mistake to him over this.
"It's alright Hagrid, please continue with the class."
Hermione spoke gently to help Hagrid out of the situation, while also reaching out to pull Lynn into her embrace.
"Relax, Lynn. No one will blame you for that. Just relax and enjoy the class."
Lynn nodded without any change in her expression. "Okay."
Hagrid took a deep breath and smiled again. "Today I've prepared a very special and interesting magical creature for you. I think you should see it."
"You really must see it."
After saying that, he turned and walked into the woods with great excitement. Seeing how excited he was—
A faint premonition appeared in Lynn's mind. She felt that among her previous guesses about what this magical creature was—
The probability of the third guess was slowly increasing.
A roar came from the woods, and the Young Wizards couldn't help but take a step back collectively. Even Lynn was pulled back a bit by Hermione.
Hearing the roar in her ears, Lynn was completely certain. The magical creature Hagrid brought for the first class was her third guess: the Hippogriff.
A few seconds later, a tall "beast" was led out by Hagrid. This beast had the head of an eagle, the body of a lion, and its two front claws were also those of an eagle.
Hermione gasped beside Lynn. "Merlin's beard! Hagrid actually—actually brought out a Hippogriff for the first class."
"This is—this is a very dangerous magical creature!"
Lynn felt the hands hugging her left arm tighten a bit more. She turned her head slightly to look at Hermione.
"It's fine. I can beat a Hippogriff."
Hermione was stunned for a moment by Lynn's words. It took her two seconds to realize she meant there was no need to be afraid; she could defeat the Hippogriff and protect her.
"Mm," Hermione smiled brilliantly and nudged Lynn's shoulder gently. "Lynn is so amazing."
Lynn's ears turned a faint shade of red as she looked at the Hippogriff Hagrid was leading with a normal expression.
Hagrid patted the Hippogriff beside him. "This fellow's name is Buckbeak. Maybe you've seen it in books or heard of it before; it's a Hippogriff."
"This is a very proud creature, unyielding even in death. They will only treat creatures whose etiquette they approve of with gentleness."
"Bow to them. If your bow is accepted by them, they will bow back. But if they don't bow back—"
Hagrid paused. "Then you need to back away slowly and leave its sight."
"Alright," he said, clapping his hands as large as fans. "Who wants to try first?"
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