OPEN/HOGWARTS AU | HIPPOGRIFF HUNT

[rochelle]

[div style="borderwidth=0px; text-align: justify; width: 550px; padding-bottom: 17px; overflow: stretch; border-bottom: 2px dashed;"][align=center]Preface: It's a normal day in Hogwarts, classes are being let out, the cold sun shining, the end of winter being shaken from the branches. Students were beginning to meet in the Great Hall for an early supper, while others trickled into the library to study, or their common rooms to socialize. There's a peaceful quiet that settles over the day ... when suddenly there's a disruption in one of the courtyards. There was this terrible [i]'screeeech' that ignited in the dead air, and the swooping shadow overhead of the lounging students. Turns out some pesky students had decided to try and tame a baby hippogriff, so they took it from the Care of Magical Beasts class. And ... well ... mama hippogriff Josie was on her way to wreak havoc on the school until she got her child back.[/i]

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Rochelle had been sitting in the clock tower courtyard just after herbology class, fingers flipping the pages of her notebook, searching and scanning with a sense of curiosity. It was often that she was caught doing this, though not exactly in this weather. It isn't bitterly cold, but her body is hugging closely to her robe, her striped scarf wrapped around her neck. Her round face was tilted downwards at the leather book in her lap, fingers brushing her warm brown curls behind her ears. There weren't many other students braving out the slight chill with her, but she kept looking up to see this group of students. They were waiting around, snickering every so often. She looked down, averting her eyes from them, but once the laughing got so boisterous and she couldn't ignore it.

When she looked up this time, she saw the young hippogriff, cowering between the students, who were trying to feed it something, but it only stood back with frightened eyes. Without hesitation, she slammed the book shut. The sixth year stood, tall, burning holes into the students across the courtyard with her round brown eyes. "Hey! What do you guys think you're doing with tha-" Screeee! Her gaze shot upwards, dread taking over her body as she watched the winged shadow soar overhead. "How could they ... they took that poor baby from it's mom! And now we're all going to get hell for it." Rochelle thought. And she was right, the adult hippogriff was perched at the top of a chimney, the bricks falling loose from the roof between its powerful talons. It was a silver female, beak as sharp and yellow as her eyes, burning with fury. The Hufflepuff remembered the hippogriff from her Care of Magical Beasts, her name was Josie, and she had a temper.

"Give the baby back to her! Before it's too late!" Rochelle commanded the students, ducking beside the stone ledge she'd been sitting on. The hippogriff glared down at the seventeen year old, following her gaze to her child. The kidnapping students looked back at Rochelle, and she could see the whites in their eyes. But before she could do anything, they ran, taking the baby hippogriff with them. Rochelle swallowed, reaching back for her book and wand. Josie let out a bloodcurdling screech, wings spanning out to block the sun from her view. Mercy, this was how she was going to die, right? Her thick, straight brows furrowed. No way, she had to go get that baby hippogriff back, or else this thing would start to wreak havoc on the whole school.

Before she had the chance to move a muscle, some poor first year came waltzing into the courtyard. The girl looked at Rochelle, looked up at the hippogriff, and looked like she might cry. "Shhh ... don't move ..." She whispered to her, but it was too late. The first year girl let out a scream and went bolting back into the corridor. Wings outstretched, the hippogriff Josie swooped down into the courtyard, getting close enough Rochelle was sure she'd lose her head. But it dived past her, leaving a gust behind her so powerful it pushed Rochelle back against the stone ledge, graceful mop of hair flying behind her in a mess. She watched as the hippogriff went barreling through a stained glass window, probably making itself known to about half of the school. Her umber eyes squeezed shut at the sound of breaking glass, and she shakily got to her feet, trying to figure out what to do to fix this mess.