Author's Note: I would like to dedicate this to Ang. You've been a lovely teammate and friend, and I would like to say how much I appreciate your love for writing! I would also like to thank my betas, davros fan and Kat-nee. Please read and review if you have anything to say!
Forestling (Home to Many and Few) by ValkyrieAce
Hagrid walked through the Forbidden Forest, the remnants of war still clinging to his skin. He had always loved the company of the creatures in the forest. That was why he worked hard at his job.
Ever since his father died in his second year, Hagrid had been lonely and unable to cope with the fact that he was an orphan. And a half-giant orphan at that. But when he attended his first Care of Magical Creatures class, he had been baffled by the variety of creatures that inhabited the forest.
He remembered being captivated by the hippogriff that Professor Kettleburn had ushered in. He'd learned then that not all creatures were ill mannered. In fact, he'd learned that they had more respect for life than humans did. It was proven as he bowed to the hippogriff, named Sunshine. She had taken one look into Hagrid's eyes and bowed back, her orange eyes blazing with pain similar to his.
"I suppose yeh think I look funny dress'd like this," he'd said to lighten the mood.
He smiled for the first time that year, his eyes glimmering with unshed tears and unbridled happiness.
After that class, he'd poured over every single text on the different types and creatures and how to handle them. He participated in the class enthusiastically, shivering in excitement as he interacted with a new creature. The pain he'd felt at being alone was slowly being washed away by the love and care the creatures returned to him.
Now he wondered if Sunshine was able to see the pain in his eyes back then, too.
"All we have is each other."
That was what his father had muttered after his mother had returned to the Giant colony. He took these words to heart. They fuelled him to become the Gamekeeper, and it was those words that he thought of when a creature attacked a student, whether by accident or on purpose.
He knew his stature as a half-giant intimidated most of the creatures, but his personality made working with them easier than anticipated. He proved his worth time and time again as he learned to work with the darker creatures. He tried to show the students and professors that they didn't attack without good reason.
Aragog was proof of that. They said, he was the only one who could control her. But he'd never really did. She had been his greatest friend, and the greatest secret he'd ever held.
Her escape had rendered him lonely, but as a Gamekeeper, he could watch from a distance as Aragog's family grew. She'd found love now so he was happy. As long as they were together forever, he couldn't care less how humans saw him. The forest was his home.
With them around, he wouldn't be lonely. He'll be able to take care of them like his father always had.
Like his mother never did.
He stopped as an assemblage of creatures stood around him, welcoming him back to the forest, with Sunshine and Aragog watching from the foreground. Now that Tom Riddle was no more, he was ready to take care of the creatures Tom had threatened.
He smiled widely and said nostalgically:
"I suppose yeh think I look funny dress'd like this."
He was finally home.
Fin
Word Count: 547
Additional Prompts:
The Golden Snitch – Through the Universe – (words) 202. Virgo Cluster — together forever
The Golden Snitch – Ollivander's Wand Shop – English Oak: Write a story set in the Forbidden Forest.
The Golden Snitch – Anime Week - Pokemon: Write about Hagrid's first Care of Magical Creatures class. BONUS: (dialogue) "I suppose you think I look funny dressed like this."
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry – Assignment #11 – Notable Witches & Wizards: Notable Nasties, Task #6 - Write about someone having control over a dark creature, or creatures.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry – Return of the Chocolate Frog Cards Club Challenge - (Gold) Chimera
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry – The 365 Prompts Challenge – 87. Dialogue - "All we have is each other."
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry – The Insane House Challenge – 362. Word - Assemblage