Bait

By My Side: Bonus Material

- October 3, 2007 -

A chill ran down Minho’s spine as he and Kibum followed Filch out onto the lawn. The Forbidden Forest loomed beside them, its shadow stretching across the lawn as they traipsed after Filch on their way down to Hagrid’s hut. 

After Potions today, Slughorn called for them to hang behind for a moment. He explained that their detention would have something to do with Hagrid and the Forbidden Forest, but the second bell rang before he could say anything further and they had to hurry to the North Tower to make it to Divination on time. 

Even though Kibum was a step ahead of him on the narrow path, he could hear his teeth chattering...all at once he wished he had had the foresight to put on one of his hoodies. 

Oh well. 

When the path widened, Minho picked up his pace so he could walk beside Kibum the rest of the way. He leaned over to ask Kibum if he was too cold, but before he could even breathe a word, Filch’s nasally voice broke the silence. 

“Don’t even think about it, boy.” 

Minho’s eyes widened as he looked at the back of Filch’s head, then over at Kibum, who just rolled his eyes. He’d be gone soon, and they’d just have to be with Hagrid. Really, not too bad for detention, aside from the being in the Forbidden Forest part... Even though they didn’t have any classes with Hagrid, he was nice and fun to be around, so how terrible could this really be? 

Filch pounded three times on Hagrid’s door, then another two times for good measure. Minho resisted the urge to peek into the nearby window to see if he was coming to the door. It would have been futile, anyway, since he came around the side of his hut. “Oh, hello?” He looked over at Minho and Kibum, a smile in his twinkling black eyes. “Here for your detention, are ya?” 

“Yes, sir,” Kibum said. 

“Please, jus’ call me Hagrid. None of that ‘sir’ business.” He chuckled, and some of the tension in Minho’s chest loosened. “Okay, Filch, I can take ‘em from ‘ere.” Filch grumbled as he stalked back to the castle, no doubt hellbent on ruining someone else’s day. “Come around ‘ere...Sorry, I jus’ realized I don’t really know yer names.” 

“That’s okay,” Kibum said as he followed Hagrid to his pumpkin patch. “Neither of us takes Care of Magical Creatures, so...I’m Kibum, and this is my best friend, Minho.” 

“Bes’ friends, huh?” Hagrid hunkered down by one of the huge pumpkins -- Minho wasn’t sure if it looked smaller or bigger next to him or not -- and started stuffing what looked like dead weasels into a big leather satchel. “Nice ter finally meet ya both.” 

“Likewise.” Minho nodded in silent agreement. “What are we doing today?”

“Well, it’s pretty simple.” Kibum leaned his hip against the nearest pumpkin and Minho walked around to see what Hagrid was doing better. “We’re gonna go feed the hippogriffs.” 

Minho smacked Kibum’s arm. “See, I told you we weren’t gonna be bait for anything!” 

“Shut up,” Kibum said with an exasperated smile.  

Minho snorted and quickly sobered when Hagrid passed him one of the satchels. “Jus’ be sure ter stay close. Never really know what can happen in these ‘ere woods.” 

He nodded solemnly as he followed Hagrid toward the trees, looking back to see Kibum duck down behind one of the pumpkins. He jogged to catch up to them, and he held up a rock for Minho to look at before the shadows of the forest engulfed them. It was a dark gray and had a little white spiral embedded into it -- it sort of looked like a fossil of some kind. Minho inspected it and handed it back to Kibum, who pocketed it. 

Minho thought he had been cold before, but that had been before he stepped into the dark and damp Forbidden Forest. “We should try to get a hot chocolate before dinner,” Kibum whispered, and Minho nodded. 

Hagrid stopped walking for a moment and turned around. “Be quiet through ‘ere. Jus’ this spot. The acromantula will ‘ear ya if ya don’t keep quiet.” 

“Acromantula?” Kibum asked with a slight tremor in his voice.

“Big spiders.” Kibum grabbed Minho’s hand, squeezing it tightly. “Let’s go.” 

Minho adjusted his grip on Kibum’s hand so that their fingers were laced together and kept a firm grip on Kibum’s hand to let him know that he was right there. Kibum was afraid of normal-sized spiders -- Minho would always have to dispose of them one way or another if they happened into their study closet -- so it wasn’t hard to imagine how petrified he’d be if he came in contact with what Hagrid considered to be a big spider. 

Somewhere, in the shadows of the forest around them, came the clicking of what unfortunately sounded like pincers. Kibum’s breath caught and Minho pulled him along when he stopped in his tracks, following Hagrid through the dense underbrush. 

Luckily, it didn’t last too long. Hagrid breathed a deep sigh and Minho let out the pent up breath he had been trying to hold since Hagrid told them to keep quiet. “Used ter be on good terms with ‘em,” he said, his voice tinged with sadness. “But when Aragog -- the father -- died, it’s not never been the same with ‘em.”

Minho nodded in sympathy and Kibum made a quiet coughing noise. Probably holding back some sort of comment. Minho squeezed his hand and Kibum squeezed it back before he released it. 

“Almos’ there!” Hagrid said once a little bit of dim daylight glimmered between the trees. A moment later, they followed Hagrid into the clearing where they found a herd of what Minho assumed were hippogriffs. 

They were odd creatures...their bodies looked like a horse’s but their heads look like an eagle’s. They had huge wings that fluttered at their sides when they noticed the humans entering their territory. One of them stood, head held high and proud before it squawked at them.  

“‘S jus’ me, Buckbeak!” Hagrid called out to the hippogriff, and it started walking toward them. “Which one of ya wanna feed him firs’?” 

Kibum nudged Minho forward and Minho let out a nervous chuckle. “Me, I guess.” 

Hagrid grabbed Minho’s shoulder, guiding him toward the hippogriff. “Ya gotta remember ter be polite. Bow yer head an’ wait fer him to bow back. When he does, then ya can feed him.” 

“O...okay...” Minho lowered his head as Buckbeak drew closer, gulping when his massive talons came into view. His beak dipped into Minho’s peripheral vision and then rose.

“Ya can fee ‘im, now! Jus’ toss ‘im one o’ the weasels in yer bag!” 

Minho lifted his head, staring into the orange eyes of the hippogriff. He cocked his head to the side, his beak snapping as Minho dug into the satchel with a grimace. He took a step back when Minho pulled out one of the carcasses and darted forward to catch it when Minho tossed the weasel. At the insistence of Hagrid, Kibum introduced himself to Buckbeak as well. Together, and under Hagrid’s watchful eye, they fed the rest of the herd.

Once the bags were empty, they followed Hagrid back out of the forest. The breeched the trees just as the final toll of the bell for dinner rang out. “Bes’ go wash up fer dinner,” Hagrid said as he took the satchel from Minho. “Don’ wanna be too late.” 

Kibum started toward the castle and Minho followed behind him, calling out, “Thanks, Hagrid!” 

Once they were out of earshot, Kibum snorted. “Did you just thank him for detention?” 

“What? He’s nice! And it seemed like the polite thing to do.” 

“You’re so...” Kibum’s voice trailed off into a chuckle and he shook his head.

“So what?” 

Kibum shook his head, smiling. “You’re just funny.” Minho’s brow furrowed as he started to smile in return. “Come on, he’s right. We’ll be late if we don’t hurry.”

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bummbleMin1004
#1
Chapter 19: DAMNNNNN I CANNOT STOP READING!!!! <333
bummbleMin1004
#2
Chapter 15: I HAPPY THEY GET EACH OTHER TT
bummbleMin1004
#3
Chapter 14: guys that NOT HOW YOU USE TIME TURNER LOL NOT FOR SLEEP XD
bummbleMin1004
#4
Chapter 13: Kibum you are idiot :/
bummbleMin1004
#5
Chapter 12: YOU INSERT LACUSPECTIO OMG YOUR AMAZING I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!! XD <333333
bummbleMin1004
#6
Chapter 11: MINHO DON'T BE SAD TT
bummbleMin1004
#7
Chapter 10: THAT MAKE ME CRAZY!!!! MINHO YOU BE CAREFUL NEXT TIME!!! ><
bummbleMin1004
#8
Chapter 9: THEY VERY PRECIOUS!!! XD
EdwardHisTopazEyes
#9
Chapter 65: Awwwww!!!! Such cuteness. I'm glad they have a new start once again.
bummbleMin1004
#10
Chapter 8: TT THEY TOO CUTE!!!!!