A rhythmic clattering echoed from the depths of the Forbidden Forest, sounding like horse hooves pounding the dirt.
A moment later, a dozen bizarre creatures trotted into view. To the young wizards, they looked like something out of a fever dream.
They had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and heads of giant eagles. Their cruel, steel-colored beaks looked razor-sharp, and their massive, unblinking eyes were a vibrant orange. The half-foot-long talons on their front legs were genuinely terrifying.
Each beast wore a thick leather collar attached to a heavy chain. Hagrid held all the chains in his massive hands, leading the creatures slowly into the paddock.
"Giddyup, over there!" he shouted, rattling the chains to herd the beasts toward the fence where the class stood.
"Come to me."
The stone slab resting against Sean's chest floated slightly. Several of the "monsters" that he and his Pukwudgie butler usually cared for broke away from the pack and trotted straight toward him.
They lowered their massive heads gently. Sean dipped his head in a practiced, respectful bow. In response, the creatures fell into line, standing calmly behind him.
The rest of the herd stayed in front of Hagrid.
"Right, exactly like that—did you lot see that?" Hagrid told the class, beaming with excitement.
"See what... wait, are we supposed to bow to these things too?" Ron asked, his face a picture of pure confusion.
Harry just grinned.
"Oh, right, you wouldn't know yet," Hagrid chuckled, scratching his head as he tied the remaining beasts to the fence. "Haven't told you what they are yet, have I?"
As the creatures got closer, the students instinctively backed up.
"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid roared happily, waving a massive hand at the herd. "Beautiful, aren't they?"
Sean quietly watched his classmates. Once they got over the initial shock of seeing half-horse, half-bird hybrids, they started to appreciate the creatures. Their coats were incredibly glossy, transitioning smoothly from feathers to hair.
Each one was a different color: stormy gray, bronze, pinkish roan, gleaming chestnut, and pitch black.
Xavier, Vance, Amelia, Sienna, and Buckbeak... Sean knew every blade of grass and every stone at Hogwarts, and that included the Hippogriffs he helped care for.
He looked up. The intoxicating afternoon sun spilled across the fertile grounds, painting the distant landscape in soft, pastel greens—the quintessential beauty of Hogwarts. He remembered the days spent harvesting jasmine and citrus with Professor Sprout, while Hagrid flew Hippogriffs right over the treetops.
Sean reached out and stroked the dark feathers on top of Buckbeak's head. Beside him, the towering, intimidating beast acted like an overgrown puppy.
Sometimes, Sean thought about it like this: he took care of the Hippogriffs, and in return, Hogwarts took care of him.
"Right then," Hagrid said, rubbing his hands together with a wide smile. "If any of you want to come a bit closer..."
Nobody seemed eager. Only Harry, Ron, Neville, and Hermione cautiously inched toward the fence. If Justin had been there, Sean would have felt like they were back hanging out in their private cabin.
"Alright, listen close. The first thing you need to know about Hippogriffs is that they're proud," Hagrid warned them. "They get offended real easy. Don't ever insult one, 'cause it might just be the last thing you do."
Sean noticed Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle completely ignoring the lesson. They were huddled together, whispering and snickering, clearly plotting a way to derail the class.
"You always wait for the Hippogriff to make the first move," Hagrid continued. "It's just polite, see? You walk up to it and bow. If it bows back, you're clear to pet it. If it doesn't bow, you back away quick. Those talons are nasty."
"Right—who wants to go first?"
Most of the class actually took a step backward. Even Harry and his friends looked doubtful. The Hippogriffs were tossing their fierce heads and flexing their powerful wings, clearly unhappy about being tethered.
"No one?" Hagrid asked, practically pleading.
"It's fine... there's no danger," Sean chimed in.
With his floating Void Rune active, Sean shared a mental link with Buckbeak. The beast wouldn't snap from a simple provocation right now. It might try to scare a disobedient student, but it wouldn't actually hurt them.
Reassured by Sean, the class finally started looking interested.
"Oh, wouldn't know what to do without you, Sean," Hagrid flashed him a grateful, gap-toothed grin.
While the others hesitated, a voice piped up from the back.
"I'll do it."
Harry stepped forward, looking excited.
A collective gasp echoed behind him. Lavender and Parvati yelled in unison, "No, Harry! Remember the tea leaves!"
Harry ignored them and climbed over the paddock fence.
"Good man, Harry!" Hagrid boomed. "Right then—let's see how you do with Buckbeak."
He unclipped a chain, leading the stormy-gray Hippogriff away from the herd and slipping off its leather collar.
On the other side of the fence, the entire class held their breath. Malfoy narrowed his eyes maliciously.
"Easy now, Harry," Hagrid said softly. "You've got eye contact, so don't blink. If you blink too much, they don't trust you..."
Harry's eyes immediately started to water, but he kept them wide open. Buckbeak tilted his massive, sharp head, fixing Harry with a fierce orange stare.
"Settle down, Buckbeak," Sean commanded softly.
The Hippogriff instantly relaxed its neck.
"Right, quick now," Hagrid urged. "Go on, Harry... bow..."
Harry hated the idea of exposing the back of his neck to the creature, but trusting Sean's promise that it was safe, he did what he was told. He gave a quick bow and looked up.
Buckbeak was still glaring at him haughtily. It didn't move an inch.
"Ah," Hagrid said, a note of panic creeping into his voice. "Right—back away, Harry, nice and slow—"
"Buckbeak," Sean called out again, his voice gentle.
Through their connection, Sean could feel that Buckbeak actually liked Harry; the beast was just in a playful mood and wanted to mess with him.
To Harry's absolute shock, the Hippogriff suddenly bent its scaly front knees, sinking into a very deliberate, unmistakable bow.
"Well done, Harry!" Hagrid cheered, practically ecstatic. "Right—you can touch him now! Go on, give his beak a pat!"
Harry felt like he deserved a reward for backing away, but he slowly stepped forward and reached out. He patted the beak a few times. Buckbeak lazily closed his eyes, leaning into the touch.
The class erupted in cheers—everyone except Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who looked deeply disappointed that Harry hadn't been maimed.
"Brilliant, Harry," Hagrid said. "I reckon he might let you ride him now!"
Harry definitely hadn't signed up for that. He stared up at the massive eagle-horse hybrid.
"I... you... him?" Harry stammered.
"Yeah, just climb right up there, just behind the wing joint," Hagrid said casually, buzzing with excitement. "And mind you don't pull out any of his feathers, he won't like that..."
Resigning himself to his fate, Harry stepped onto Buckbeak's wing and hoisted himself up onto the creature's back.
Buckbeak stood tall. Harry had no idea what to hold onto; everything in front of him was covered in smooth feathers.
"Go on, then!" Hagrid yelled, shooting a look at Sean.
Sean gave a slow nod.
Twelve-foot wings suddenly unfurled on either side of Harry. He barely had time to wrap his arms around the Hippogriff's neck before they launched into the sky.
It was absolutely nothing like riding a broomstick, and Harry knew instantly which one he preferred. The massive wings beat on either side of him, catching his legs and making him feel like he was going to be bucked off at any second.
"Oh, come on, Sean, mate..." Hagrid said sheepishly, looking at the assistant. "You said you'd be gentle... Look at him, Harry's shaking like a leaf up there..."
"Fair enough," Sean nodded.
"Sienna," Sean called out.
A gorgeous chestnut Hippogriff with a shimmering coat stepped forward gracefully. She lowered her head and used her wing like a ramp, gently lifting Sean onto her back.
"Can they all do that?" Ron asked, eyes bugging out as he looked from Harry to Sean.
"Not a chance. First time I've ever seen it myself," Hagrid interrupted. "A Hippogriff wouldn't lower its noble wings for anyone else, I promise you that."
Hagrid watched as the two young wizards took to the sky.
Flying on a broom was one thing, but riding a massive, living magical creature was a completely different experience. Sean had ridden in carriages pulled by dragons before, but only when you were pressed right up against the beast could you feel the steady, burning rhythm of its heartbeat. It made the freezing wind at this altitude feel almost warm.
[You have gained the closeness of the magical creature Hippogriff (Sienna) at the Master standard. Closeness +300]
[Hippogriff Buckbeak: Close (2800/3000)]
[Advancement: Possess seven trusted (Expert-level) magical creature companions to unlock the Magical Creature Domain Entry-level Title]
Sean's Expert-level title for the Magical Creature domain was incredibly close to unlocking. This would be his second fully complete Epic-tier talent.
Smooth, glossy feathers glided beneath Sean's fingers, and he gripped them lightly. A broomstick was relatively smooth, but a Hippogriff's hindquarters rose and fell sharply with every beat of its wings, making it a very bumpy ride.
"Sean!" Harry yelled. The wind caught his voice, whipping his mouth open like a parachute.
"Don't worry, Harry. You're doing great," Sean called back, comforting him.
The ground and the towering spires of Hogwarts shrank away, disappearing from view entirely. They climbed higher and higher until, a few seconds later, the entire island lay mapped out below them, shrouded in mist and catching the sunlight.
It felt like another world.
The giant beasts skimmed over a sea of fluffy clouds. Under the blazing sun, the sky was an endless expanse of brilliant, unbroken blue.
"Whoa—!" Harry shouted, the pure joy and freedom finally taking over.
Sean leaned back comfortably into Sienna's soft feathers, smiled faintly, and opened his system panel.
[Name: Sean Green] [Wizard Sean, Potions Talent: Blue] [Wizard Sean, Herbology Talent: Blue] [Wizard Sean, Magical Creatures Talent: Light Purple] [Wizard Sean, Charms Talent: Light Purple] [Wizard Sean, Transfiguration Talent: Purple] [Wizard Sean, Dark Arts Talent: Gold] [Wizard Sean, Alchemy Talent: Gold] Very soon—possibly even today—his Expert-level title in Magical Creatures would unlock. The previous "Skilled" title hadn't granted a talent boost, so Sean was banking on this one.
But beyond his stats, Sean's mind was preoccupied with those two prophecies.
His Inner Eye was opening... What exactly did Trelawney mean by that?
Time flew by.
Back on the ground, the students heard a heavy thud as the Hippogriffs landed. The two wizards emerged from the beasts' feathers looking like triumphant heroes. Harry was beaming; having Sean up there with him had completely cured his anxiety.
Sean gave Sienna an affectionate pat. Just as they touched down, his new title finally unlocked.
"Brilliant work, Harry! And thanks to you too, Assistant Green!" Hagrid roared over the cheering class. Even Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle couldn't dampen the mood. "Right, who's next?"
Encouraged by Harry's success—and the fact that the Teaching Assistant was actively helping—the rest of the class tentatively climbed into the paddock.
Hagrid unchained the Hippogriffs one by one. Soon, the entire paddock was filled with nervous teenagers bowing to giant bird-horses.
Neville had to back away from his Hippogriff several times because it absolutely refused to bow. Sean quietly walked over, and within moments, Neville had successfully made his first magical creature friend.
Out of the corner of his eye, Sean noticed Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle heading straight for Buckbeak.
Buckbeak had already bowed to Malfoy, and the Slytherin was now patting his beak, looking incredibly smug.
"This is a joke," Malfoy drawled, making sure he was loud enough for Harry to hear. "I knew it was going to be easy. I mean, if Potter can do it... You're not dangerous at all, are you?"
Malfoy sneered directly into the Hippogriff's face.
"Are you, you ugly great brute?"
A blur of steel-colored talons flashed in the sunlight. Malfoy let out an ear-piercing shriek. Buckbeak reared back, lunging down to snap at the boy.
Hagrid wrestled the collar back onto the furious beast. Malfoy lay curled up on the grass, screaming bloody murder.
"I'm dying!" Malfoy shrieked, sending the entire class into a panic. "I'm dying, look at me! It's killed me!"
"What happened?!" Hagrid yelled, rushing over in a panic.
He looked down at Malfoy. "You're... fine?"
Hagrid's expression slowly shifted into one of sheer bewilderment.