ffindor Tower。
〃You think he'll be all right？〃 said Hermione nervously。
〃Course he will。 Madam Pomfrey can mend cuts in about a second；〃 said Harry； who had had far worse injuries mended magically by the nurse。
〃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。 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。
〃Well； you can't say it wasn't an interesting first day back；〃 said Ron gloomily。
They went up to the crowded Gryffindor mon 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's only a matter o' time； i' n'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 gov'nors have bin told； o' course；〃 said Hagrid miseribly。 〃They reckon I started too big。 Shoulda left hippogriffs fer later。。。 done flobberworms or summat。。。。 Jus' thought itdmake a good firs' lessons 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。
Tears leaked out of the crinkled corners of Hagrid's beetle…black eyes。 He grabbed both Harry and Ron and pulled them into a bone…breaking hug。
〃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； letting go of Harry and Ron； who both staggered away； rubbing their ribs。 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 ter e 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' let me catch yeh walkin' down ter see me after dark again。 I'm not worth that！〃
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE BOGGART IN THE WARDROBE
Malfoy didn't reappear in classes until late on Thursday morning； when the Slytherins and Gryffindors were halfway through double Potions。 He swaggered into the dungeon； his right arm covered in bandages and bound up in a sling； acting； in Harry's opinion； as though he were the heroic survivor of some dreadful battle。
〃How is it； Draco？〃 simpered Pansy Parkinson。 〃Does it hurt much？〃
〃Yeah；〃 said Malfoy； putting on a brave sort of grimace。 But Harry saw him wink at Crabbe and Goyle when Pansy had looked away。
〃Settle down； settle down；〃 said Professor Snape idly。
Harry and Ron scowled at each other； Snape wouldn't have said 〃settle down〃 if they'd walked in late； he'd have given them detention。 But Malfoy had always been able to get away with anything in Snape's classes； Snape was head of Slytherin House； and generality favored his own students above all others。
They were making a new potion today； a Shrinking Solution。 Malfoy set up his cauldron right next to Harry and Ron； so that they were preparing their ingredients on the same table。
〃Sir；〃 Malfoy called； 〃sir； I'll need help cutting up these daisy roots； because of my arm 〃
〃Weasley； cut up Malfoy's roots for him；〃 said Snape without looking up。
Ron went brick red。
〃There's nothing wrong with your arm；〃 he hissed at Malfoy。
Malfoy smirked across the table。
〃Weasley； you heard Professor Snape； cut up these roots。〃
Ron seized his knife； pulled Malfoy's roots toward him； and began to chop them roughly； so that they were all different sizes。
〃Professor；〃 drawled Malfoy； 〃Weasley's mutilating my roots； sit。〃
Snape approached their table； stared down his hooked nose at the roots； then gave Ron an unpleasant smile from beneath his long； greasy black hair。
〃Change roots with Malfoy； Weasley。〃
〃But； sit ！〃
Ron had spent the last quarter of an hour carefully shredding his own roots into exactly equal pieces。
〃Now；〃 said Snape in his most dangerous voice。
Ron shoved his own beautifully cut roots across the table a； Malfoy； then took up the knife again。
〃And； sir； I'll need this shrivelfig skinned；〃 said Malfoy； his voice full of malicious laughter。
〃Potter； you can skin Malfoy's shrivelfig；〃 said Snape； giving Harry the loo