The Big Dipper

The Second Task

Everybody got up late on Boxing Day. Ursula spent most of the day lounging in the Slytherin common room, penning letters in reply as follow-ups to Christmas gifts. Now that the Yule Ball was over, it was time now to think of the homework she and the others had neglected during the first week of the holidays. Everybody seemed to be feeling rather flat now that Christmas was over.

Soon the first day of the new term arrived, and Ursula set off to lessons, weighed down with books, parchment, and quills as usual. The weight of ten NEWT classes was rather heavy on her shoulders, even if the exams themselves were still a year and a half away.

Snow was still thick upon the grounds, and the greenhouse windows were covered in condensation so thick that they couldn't see out of them in Herbology. Even Ursula was apprehensive about having Care of Magical Creatures in this weather. When she arrived at Hagrid's cabin for her first class of the new term, however, she found an elderly witch with closely cropped gray hair and a very prominent chin standing before his front door.

"All here?" she said, as Rue and the Weasley twins came to a halt beside Ursula. "Excellent."

"Er — excuse me ma'am, who are you?" asked Ursula.

"My name is Professor Grubbly-Plank," she said briskly. "I am your temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher."

"Where is Hagrid?" said Ursula.

"He is indisposed for the moment," said Professor Grubbly-Plank, although not unkindly.

"Oh," said Ursula softly. She looked at Hagrid's cabin, where all the curtains were closed.

"Follow me, please, this way," said Professor Grubbly-Plank. The four sixth years followed her past the paddock where the huge Beauxbatons horses were standing, huddled against the cold, and toward a tree on the edge of the forest, where a large and beautiful unicorn was tethered.

The unicorn was so brightly white it made the snow all around look gray. It was pawing the ground nervously with its golden hooves and throwing back its horned head. Professor Grubbly-Plank directed Ursula and Rue to approach with care.

"Beautiful," murmured Ursula, as the unicorn nuzzled her hand. Rue nodded slightly in agreement, mesmerized by the creature before them. Ursula sighed, looking back again towards Hagrid's hut as Professor Grubbly-Plank began to talk about unicorns. "I wonder what's the matter with him."

"Hmm, don't know, but I do know that this is way better than our usual class," Rue spoke dismissively, her focus completely on the unicorn. Ursula shot her a sour look.

"Hagrid is a fine teacher," she said, her voice quiet, turning back to the unicorn.

"If stumbling over your words every other sentence and not actually knowing the properties of what you're teaching about, makes a fine teacher then I completely agree."

"Just because you didn't like the skrewts," said Ursula, "does not make Hagrid a bad teacher! He knows about all sorts of magical creatures and he cares about them."

"Just caring about something doesn't suddenly give him the skills to be a proper teacher," said Rue.

"No, but thankfully our OWL scores prove he does," snapped Ursula. "I would rather have a teacher stumble over his words than not care about his subject."

"I would rather a teacher who could do both, like —" Rue paused rather mockingly to think "— I don't know, maybe Professor Grubbly-Plank. Do you think she would stay if we asked?"

"The woman has been here for ten minutes," said Ursula. "Do you honestly think Hagrid knows nothing about unicorns? Besides, she already said she was temporary, and I for one will be glad when Hagrid returns."