Hagrid looked at them with a smile and said, "Gettin' along great, they're. She's already expectin', so we get ter go over breedin' an' young risin'. They'd probably 'ave about one ter three youngin's." 
                              
      Harry doubted whether it legal under the Restriction of the Creation of New Magical Creatures for them to interbreed, but it was a pleasant thought.  
                              
      "Should 'ave 'em abou' late April, I'd say," Hagrid continued, and then he dismissed them after a small class on griffins. They walked back to the castle talking excitedly about the pregnancy.
                              
      "Wow, Harry, you were brilliant!" Hermione said breathlessly, as they passed the pumpkin patch.
                              
      "Yeah, Harry, even Hagrid was afraid. How'd you do it?" Ron asked.
                              
      "I just knew I could," Harry said.
                              
      "Still, griffins are very dangerous," Hermione added.  
                              
      They went up to Defense Against the Dark Arts and took their usual seats near the front of the class. Defense Against the Dark Arts was such a practical course now that Snape spent as much time in the back of class as the front. Snape walked through the door looking slightly disgruntled. They had been working on perfecting the Imperious Curse since the term started, and everyone was used to it now. 
                              
      Harry wondered what animal they could be working on them today. They had been working up to bigger and more independent animals. Harry doubted whether any larger animals would fit in the room. Last class, Snape brought in a medium sized graphorn and they tried to perform the spell one at a time.
                              
      "Alright, I think you have demonstrated enough proficiency in the Imperious Curse to move on. We started that as an introduction to other spells and curses. You will not need to work up to bigger animals anymore. Correctly casting a spell on one animal or two animals should be enough to cast it on any creature, now. However, with spells that are more difficult it might be necessary to start small. Today, we will start trying these five curses on mice," he said.
                              
      Snape racked the blackboard and the incantations appeared instantly. He waved his wand again and conjured a box of mice on his desk.  
                              
      "Some of these curses are so familiar to the Imperious Curse, that it will be difficult to separate between them. Begin," he said.
                              
      The class went to get a mouse and returned to their respective seats. Harry looked at the curses. Four of them were curses from the book he had written about last night, but the fifth was unfamiliar. They put their mice in trances, made them change their mind and actually made them squeak as if they were talking. When they got to the fifth curse, Snape stopped them to explain.  
                              
      "This curse won't be found in any book, but you should know it. You just send the mouse one small goal for it, no continued thought. This one goal will take over the mouse's mind and it will complete it without supervision, unless shaken out of it or it completes the task. It is good in sudden situations where you cannot have all your attention span on your opponent. The incantation is "Unanimusi", Snape said, and they tried it.
                              
      This curse seemed trickier than the others did. They spent half the period working on it, and very few people successfully performed it. Harry was one of them, and he sent his mouse back to the box when they were finished, which it did. Snape told them they would work on bigger animals over the next few classes, and gave them an assignment and dismissed them. Everyone let out a breath of exhaustion. Mind control spells were exhausting and the next few classes were as equally draining, as Snape brought in ravens and cats.  
                              
*  *  *  *  *
                              
      On the day before Halloween, Hagrid set up the Great Hall. He brought in the huge pumpkins, and everyone was revved up for the feast. They had just finished their Quidditch practice, and were about to leave, when Ron stopped them.