A/N: This world is JKR's.
House: Ravenclaw
Category: Themed (Discovery)
Prompt: Hagrid
W/C: 872
To Discover Life
Hogwarts was a magical place. Not just in the literal sense—of course, it was quite literally magic, too—but in that it evoked a sense of wonder in its students that few other schools ever could. The ever-changing staircases and haunted corridors might have frightened first-years, but by the time students entered even just their second year they were more excited than scared. The ghosts and walking suits of armor had become family as much as the students and staff had, and the variety of creatures and beasts on the grounds were always a welcome sight.
Unfortunately, for a boy whose best friend was his dad, Hogwarts couldn't quite offer everything.
As the son of a wizard and a giantess, Rubeus Hagrid hardly had what was considered a prestigious bloodline. Most students didn't care whether a person was muggle-born or half-blood, but half-giant was another story. He discovered early on what it meant to be an outcast. With a love of magic deep in his heart, Rubeus loved Hogwarts. But with a lack of friends, he also missed home.
His first year had been the worst, and at Christmas, his father had sent him a pink umbrella and a note that said I hope this brightens your rainy days. Despite the cruelness of his classmates and their gawking stares, the umbrella certainly did brighten his day. He enjoyed walking the grounds with it, sometimes using it as protection from the rain and other times simply carrying it around with him. That year, Rubeus discovered freedom.
His second year was better—he'd stopped expecting the other Gryffindors to include him and had long since given up on the other houses being more welcoming—and his father was prepared. Instead of waiting for Christmas, he sent him to school with a golden pocket watch. They'd always laughed about how small human gadgets looked in Rubeus' giant hands, and he was thrilled to receive one such item. That summer, he discovered sentiment.
Unfortunately, he didn't get to laugh about it with his father after he received it. It wasn't long before the end of the year that Rubeus learned of his father's death. It was unexpected and utterly terrifying for the young boy. He quickly realized that the world was not the place he thought it was when he no longer had anybody fighting for his place at Hogwarts. That day, he discovered grief.
"This an institution for the magical education of human students," Professor Strata complained to Professor Dumbledore as Rubeus walked by one day. He never quite got to find out what influence his father had had that made it possible for Rubeus' place at school to be secured before his father's death, but he knew it must've been immense. Despite the hard times, he was able to continue in his classes and enjoyed the support of Professor Dumbledore, who always spoke out against the nay-sayers. That year, he discovered compassion.
Summer was the hardest, of course, and Rubeus spent most of his time with various relatives, bouncing from house to house. Between his habit of breaking furniture when he used it and the stigma that came with hosting a half-giant, no one wanted him to stay for more than a week or so at a time. When he made his way to King's Cross station to begin his third year at Hogwarts, his stomach was in knots.
He was excited to be going back, sure. But he couldn't help fearing the worst from staff and students who didn't think he belonged. The worst, of course, was waving goodbye to an empty platform, wishing wholeheartedly his father could be there to wave back.
When they'd cleared out the home he and his father had shared together, Rubeus had been loath to leave anything behind. Unfortunately, he had very little say in the matter, and had been left only with a traveling coat his father wore abroad. It was heavy moleskin and much too small for Rubeus to wear but he liked the way it smelled. Later, when he was an adult, he would think of his father whenever he put on his own moleskin coat.
Laying his father's coat against the window, Rubeus leaned over and peered outside, hoping this year would be better than previous ones. Third year was an important one—he would start Care of Magical Creatures this year, a subject he'd been excited for since he heard about it. As the train started moving and his eyes started closing, sleep pressing them down, a wriggle in the pocket of the coat caught his attention.
Sitting up, he reached one large hand into the coat, careful not to rip the small pocket. When he withdrew it, he discovered a spider. Lowering his head so he could examine it more closely, he decided it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Tears sprung in his eyes as he realized his father had given him one last gift for Hogwarts. He had no doubts that he was going to have a great time at Hogwarts. That year, he discovered passion. He discovered deceit and forgiveness and an amazing ability to achieve the impossible with a magic spider, a golden pocketwatch, and a bright pink umbrella.