〃Well； if you don't like it； you know what the solution is； don't you？〃 yelled Hermione； her hair was ing down out of its elegant bun now； and her face was screwed up in anger。
〃Oh yeah？〃 Ron yelled back。 〃What's that？〃
〃Next time there's a ball； ask me before someone else does； and not as a last resort！〃
Ron mouthed soundlessly like a goldfish out of water as Hermione turned on her heel and stormed up the girls' staircase to bed。 Ron turned to look at Harry。
〃Well；〃 he sputtered； looking thunderstruck； 〃well … that just proves … pletely missed the point …〃
Harry didn't say anything。 He liked being back on speaking terms with Ron too much to speak his mind right now … but he somehow thought that Hermione had gotten the point much better than Ron had。
CHAPTER TWENTY…FOUR … RITA SKEETER'S SCOOP
Everybody got up late on Boxing Day。 The Gryffindor mon room was much quieter than it had been lately； many yawns punctuating the lazy conversations。 Hermione's hair was bushy again； she confessed to Harry that she had used liberal amounts of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion on it for the ball； 〃but it's way too much bother to do every day；〃 she said matter…of…factly； scratching a purring Crookshanks behind the ears。
Ron and Hermione seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement not to discuss their
argument。 They were being quite friendly to each other； though oddly formal。 Ron and Harry wasted no time in telling Hermione about the conversation they had overheard between Madame Maxime and Hagrid； but Hermione didn't seem to find the news that Hagrid was a half…giant nearly as shocking as Ron did。
〃Well； I thought he must be；〃 she said； shrugging。 〃I knew he couldn't be pure giant because they're about twenty feet tall。 But honestly； all this hysteria about giants。
They can't all be horrible。 。 。 。 It's the same sort of prejudice that people have toward werewolves。 。 。 。 It's just bigotry； isn't it？〃
Ron looked as though he would have liked to reply scathingly； but perhaps he didn't want another row； because he contented himself with shaking his head disbelievingly while Hermione wasn't looking。
It was time now to think of the homework they had neglected during the first week of the holidays。 Everybody seemed to be feeling rather flat now that Christmas was over …everybody except Harry； that is； who was starting （once again） to feel slightly nervous。
The trouble was that February the twenty…fourth looked a lot closer from this side of Christmas； and he still hadn't done anything about working out the clue inside the golden egg。 He therefore started taking the egg out of his trunk every time he went up to the dormitory； opening it； and listening intently； hoping that this time it would make some sense。 He strained to think what the sound reminded him of； apart from thirty musical saws； but he had never heard anything else like it。 He closed the egg； shook it vigorously； and opened it again to see if the sound had changed； but it hadn't。 He tried asking the egg questions； shouting over all the wailing； but nothing happened。 He even threw the egg across the room … though he hadn't really expected that to help。
Harry had not forgotten the hint that Cedric had given him； but his less…than…friendly feelings toward Cedric just now meant that he was keen not to take his help if he could avoid it。 In any case； it seemed to him that if Cedric had really wanted to give Harry a hand； he would have been a lot more explicit。 He； Harry； had told Cedric exactly what was ing in the first task … and Cedric's idea of a fair exchange had been to tell Harry to take a bath。 Well； he didn't need that sort of rubbishy help … not from someone who kept walking down corridors hand in hand with Cho； anyway。 And so the first day of the new term arrived； and Harry set off to lessons； weighed down with books； parchment； and quills as usual； but also with the lurking worry of the egg heavy in his stomach； as though he were carrying that around with him too。
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。 Nobody was looking forward to Care of Magical Creatures much in this weather； though as Ron said； the skrewts would probably warm them up nicely； either by chasing them； or blasting off so forcefully that Hagrid's cabin would catch fire。
When they arrived at Hagrid 's cabin； however； they found an elderly witch with closely cropped gray hair and a very prominent chin standing before his front door。
〃Hurry up； now； the bell rang five minutes ago；〃 she barked at them as they struggled toward her through the snow。
〃Who're you？〃 said Ron； staring at her。 〃Wheres Hagrid？〃
〃My name is Professor Grubbly…Plank；〃 she said briskly。 〃I am your temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher。〃
〃Where's Hagrid？〃 Harry repeated loudly。
〃He is indisposed；〃 said Professor Grubbly…Plank shortly。
Soft and unpleasant laughter reached Harrys ears。 He turned； Draco Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherins were joining the class。 All of them looked gleeful； and none of them looked surprised to see Professor Grubbly…Plank。
〃This way； please；〃 said Professor Grubbly…Plank； and she strode off around the paddock where the Beauxbatons horses were shivering。 Harry； Ron； and Hermione followed her； looking back over their shoulders at Hagrid's cabin。 All the curtains were closed。 Was Hagrid in there； alone and ill？
〃What's wrong with Hagrid？〃 Harry said； hurrying to catch up with Professor Grubbly…Plank。
〃Never you mind；〃 she said as though she thought he was being nosy。
〃I do mind； though；〃 said Harry hotly。 〃What's up with him？〃
Professor Grubbly…Plank acted as though she couldn't hear him。 She led them 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。
Many of the girls 〃ooooohed！〃 at the sight of the unicorn。
〃Oh it's so beautiful！〃 whispered Lavender Brown。 〃How did she get it？ They're supposed to be really hard to catch！〃
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。
〃Boys keep back！〃 barked Professor Grubbly…Plank； throwing out an arm and catching Harry hard in the chest。 〃They prefer the woman's touch； unicorns。 Girls to the front； and approach with care； e on； easy does it。 。。。〃
She and the girls walked slowly forward toward the unicorn； leaving the boys standing near the paddock fence； watching。 The moment Professor Grubbly…Plank was out of earshot。
Harry turned to Ron。
〃What d'you reckons wrong with him？ You don't think a skrewt … ？〃
〃Oh he hasn't been attacked； Potter； if that's what you're thinking；〃 said Malfoy softly。
〃No； he's just too ashamed to show his big； ugly face。〃
〃What d'you mean？〃 said Harry sharply。
Malfoy put his hand inside the pocket of his robes and pulled out a folded page of newsprint。
〃There you go；〃 he said。 〃Hate to break it