Everyone walked around the student crying in the hallway. They were too afraid. Afraid of the monster he was said to have. One student' wasn't afraid.

"Minnie?" Rubeus looked up from the floor, "Ye think I did it? I didn't! It wasn't Aragog! It wasn't his fault! He's not a monster!"

"Rubeus, I know you didn't do it, and your acromantula didn't do it either" Minerva said calmly.

"Wha?" He looked stunned, "ya believe me?"

"Of course I do. Ruby, " Minerva used his nickname, "I wrote to New Scamander himself."

Rubeus Hagrid's jaw dropped.

"He told me that Acromantula venom is a neurotoxin; hits the nerves first. Myrtle didn't even have fangmarks"

"You looked at the body?" Rubeus gasped.

"I had to. Poor Myrtle. Looks like she was hit by some sort of spell, like one of those Unforgivables Auggie told me about. Scamander said it was an animal with some sort of magic power like a catoblepas, only those can't hide and those have a withering spell. Professor Dumbledore told me it'd be something Slytherin himself would have, and I looked in every book and found nothing. It's horrible. You'd think it'd be something Grindlewald would do but this is Scotland" Minerva sighed

"Minnie!" her friend Augusta gasped as she saw Minerva, "Be carefull!"

"Are you seriously suggesting that I take the word of Tom Riddle more than Rubeus, Auggie?" Minerva spun around, "I know Dippett thinks so but I'm with Dumbledore; Rubeus has nothing to do with it, and Myrtle wasn't killed by whatever he owned! And tell Septimus that Hagrid's pet is gone and he should stop worrying about it!"

By this point she was breathing hard. Augusta was shocked. Usually she was the brash one, the proud one, the one that would fight tooth and nail. In a moment, she saw Minerva with new eyes.

"All..all right" she stammered, "I'll save your seat for you", before running off.

"Septimus? That doesn't surprise me," Minerva grumbled, "'es just scared of spiders"

"Thanks fer standin' up fer me, Minnie" Rubeus wiped away his tears, "I know Dippet's gonna break m'wand. I'm gonna miss seein' you"

"I'm going to miss you too, Ruby. Talk to Dumbledore-he might be able to help." And then the tall, thin girl hugged the giant boy.

"I'll never forget you, Minnie" Rubeus smiled, wiping his nose.

"Send me an owl, Ruby" Minerva smiled back before going back down the hall.

For a while, Minerva was quiet. She didn't play exploding snap with Auggie or Gideon or the rest of the gang. She just took her seat and looked at the table glumly during the meals, working diligently but listlessly. In History of Magic she just droned back at Bimms.

One day while doing a Magical Creatures assignment, she saw the groundskeeper, Mr. Perrybuck. And behind him was a figure almost his size.

"Ruby!" Minerva squealed, running up and hugging him, "How did you get here? How'd you get this job?"

"Professor Dumbledore," Perrybuck explained, "he said young Hagrid here has a real talent with magical critters. I'm getting a wee bit old to walk the place alone so the lad's living with me in my hut. He might even take Mrs. Carver's job at Magical Creatures someday!"

"That's wonderful! I'm thinking of being a teacher too, but I haven't decided between Charms, Dark Arts, or Transfiguration."

"Isn't Dark Arts cursed?. Professor Pickett lost his hand, remember? Hate for that to happen to you" Rubeus scratched his head through his long mane of hair.

"I was leaning towards Transfiguration away" Minerva rolled her eyes but grinned.

"If we're both teachers, we get to see each other every day! I can't wait, Minnie!"

"I can't wait either, Ruby"