Author's note/Disclaimer: This story takes place after Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. If you haven't read that yet read it before you read this for you may become confused (and I may also ruin it for you). And if you haven't read any of the first three books, read them, and in order before your read The Goblet of Fire. The story will make all the more sense the more you know. =)

Some of you may recognize the title and first chapter of this story. I wrote it a while ago and posted it on a site called "The Illustrated World of Harry Potter" which was owned by a girl who called herself Dark Cyradis (spelling?). Wonderful site, really. Her two passions in life were Harry Potter and Anime, so naturally, she made a site containing both. A very well done and organized site with Anime illustrations, all drawn by Dark Cyradis herself. These were very high quality pictures, and I imagine if she moved to Japan that she could get a well-paying job as an animator. But unfortunately, that site no longer exists, and since then, I've re-written this story because, well, because I absolutely hate it. The only things that remained the same were the title, the basic plot line, and the first chapter. So if you read it there, it's completely different now. Not all completely finished, but almost.

So anywho, here's that fun legal crap that I know you all enjoy so much: Okay, I don't own the Harry Potter books. Well, I do, but I don't own the copyrights. I'm not permitted by law to make money off them, and I don't intend to. Some of the characters in this story are mine, but the vast majority of them belong to J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Press, AOL Time-Warner, and other companies and people that I do not know of. I am assuming that you the reader have read the books and will know the difference.

HARRY POTTER and the GUARDIAN ANGEL

By Nentikobe

PART I:

Hagrid's Mission.

It was a beautiful morning on the Hogwarts grounds. It was warm, the skies were clear, and the sky was a beautiful shade of red-orange in the East where the sun would soon show its face. Rubeus Hagrid stood on the porch in front of his cabin, admiring all this. He sniffed the air, which smelled like fresh pine and dewy grass. He couldn't have imagined a more beautiful morning.

The grounds were very quiet, except for the occasional bird song or snore from Fang, Hagrid's boarhound. It was late June, and all the students had long since gone home for the summer holidays. Hagrid, however, remained on the Hogwarts grounds year-round, except for this summer. This summer Hagrid would be getting a little vacation, if you could call it that. And although Hagrid loved Hogwarts with all his heart, he couldn't wait to get going. He turned his head upward to look at the few remaining stars in the sky.

"Good morning Hagrid," said a cheerful voice. Hagrid looked down from the sky, and up the lawn leading to Hogwarts. Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, was approaching.

" G'mornin' Professor!" smiled Hagrid.

"All set for you trip, Hagrid?" asked Dumbledore.

"Yes sir. Finished packin' las' night," replied Hagrid.

"Good, good. Any sign of Madame Maxime?" asked Dumbledore.

"No' yet sir. But she'll be comin' soon. She knows tha' she is suppose' ter be here at sunrise. So any minute now."

The two of them stood for a moment in silence, admiring the sky, and also watching for Madame Olympe Maxime, the headmistress of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, a wizard school in France. Her and a few of her students had visited Hogwarts the previous year for the Triwizard tournament.

"Nervous?" Dumbledore suddenly asked.

Hagrid gave a deep sigh. "Very."

"I would be too, if I were in your position," Dumbledore said, still looking at the sky.

"Yeah, I s'pose. But, nervous or not, this is important. Very important. Nothin' could keep me from this mission."

"That's one of the reasons why I chose you, Hagrid. You have yet to let me down on a mission," Dumbledore smiled at Hagrid. He was looking at the sky again, Dumbledore thought that he looked as if something troubled him. "Is there something on your mind?"

Hagrid did indeed have a strange look about his face, like he was worried. "Well, Professor Dumbledore, sir, what you jus' said made me think of a mission yeh sent me on four year's ago. Yeh know, ter fetch Harry?"

"I remember. What about it?"

"Well, I'm worried a bit, that's all. How is the lad?"

"Judging by what I have and have not heard, I'd say he's doing quite well. Especially for a boy who has just had his world turned upside down."

Hagrid let out another deep sigh. "I feel so sorry for the lad, he's had ter grow up so fas' an' all."

The images of last year played back in both their minds. Especially the end of the third task of the Triwizard Tournament, when Harry appeared at the edge of the maze the champions were supposed to get through with the Triwizard Cup in one hand, and a dead Cedric Diggory in the other.

"God bless 'im though. Bringin' back the body o' that poor Diggory lad. I would've nevera done that. I'd be too scared," said Hagrid in a low, sad tone.

"Yes, Harry indeed put his life at risk to do that. He proved braver than even I thought he was that night. But don't judge yourself. We never know how brave we are until we are tested."

Hagrid opened his mouth to reply, but was suddenly interrupted by a loud whinny and the flapping of wings. Madame Maxime came down from the sky on the back of a giant palomino colored Pegasus. She was holding a rope tied to another Pegasus in her hand. They landed on the ground with a series of loud thuds made by the Pegasus' hooves.

"Olympe!" Hagrid said, hurrying over to her, "Good ter see yeh, m'lady." Hagrid took Madame Maxime's hand and kissed it, than proceeded to help her down.

Madame Maxime gave a soft giggle, "Likewise, 'Agrid m'dear."

Madame Maxime was, like Hagrid, a half giant. Larger in height and width than a normal human, but not quite full giant size. One parent was human, the other, a giant. The two of them walked over to Hagrid's hut. Dumbledore smiled a pleasant, welcoming smile.

"Madame Maxime, it is a pleasure!" Dumbledore bowed.

"Oh, Dumbly-dorr! 'Ow good it tiz to see you again!" she said in a heavy French accent.

Hagrid went inside his hut, gathered a couple of bags off his bed, then proceeded back outside. Hagrid set his things down on the ground, then headed around the back of his porch. He returned a short while later, leading a pure white hippogriff on a leash.

Madame Maxime awed. "Oh, 'Agrid! It tiz zee most beautiful creature I 'ave ever seen!" Her pegesus' pawed the ground.

"The name's Snowflake. I figured she would be the best hippogriff fer the job," said Hagrid, slightly puffing up his chest. He gathered up all his things, then proceeded to tie them to the back of the hippogriff. Madame Maxime went over to her Pegasus's and untied some bags she had on the back of the one that she did not ride on.

After all their things were tied on to Snowflake's back, Hagrid tied her to one of the Pegasus's. He and Madame Maxime both turned to face Dumbledore.

"Well, Professor, I s'pose we'd best be off then," said Hagrid.

"With out saying goodbye to us?" said another voice from off in the shadows.

Two women came walking up. One with glasses and black hair pulled into a tight bun, and another who was slightly stocky with brown hair. A tall man with black, greasy hair followed them.

"Professor McGonagall! Madame Pomfrey! I almos' forgot!" said Hagrid. He then looked at the man with a look of surprise on his face. "Professor Snape? I never knew yeh cared!"

"Well, this mission affects us all. It is for the well being of the greater good. I figured that I might as well come and be a part of the sendoff. After all, I'm a part of this, too," said Snape, trying to sound serious and like he didn't care.

Hagrid's eyes were twinkling. "Oh, come'ere, yeh big lug!" which was a very odd thing to say, considering that Hagrid was much larger than Snape. Hagrid gave Snape a very tight hug. Everyone laughed. Snape was not too pleased.

Hagrid then hugged Madame Pomfrey. Professor McGonagall sniffled.

"Minerva, are you all right?" asked Dumbledore.

"Yes, I'm fine," replied McGonagall. She took off her glasses, which were getting foggy from her tears. When Hagrid came to give her a hug, she looked at him and said, "You don't mind if I loose my composure, do you?"

"Not at all, m'dear! Not at all!" Hagrid and McGonagall hugged.

Hagrid was getting misty eyed, too. "I figured you three'd be off enjoyin' the summer already! Its so nice fer yeh ter come back and say goodbye!"

"Oh, it was nothing, Hagrid," said Madame Pomfrey.

"Yes, nothing. This is a very brave and dangerous thing that you are doing here. Who knows how long you will be gone?" added McGonagall. Snape rolled his eyes.

Hagrid then turned to Dumbledore. They shook hands.

"This is a very brave thing you are doing, Hagrid. You may save us all." Dumbledore smiled, and then a tear ran down Hagrid's cheek. Hagrid hugged Dumbledore.

"You will take good care o' Fang fer me?" asked Hagrid.

"I will treat him like he was my own pet," replied Dumbledore.

Madame Maxime came up and gave Dumbledore a big hug. "Zis is goodbye then, Dumbly-dorr!" she said. She then turned to Professor McGonagall, Madame Pomfrey, and Professor Snape and curtsied. "Sir, ladies."

"Madame," they said together while bowing and curtsying.

Hagrid and Madame Maxime turned and started walking toward the Pegasus'. Suddenly, there was a loud whining behind them.

"Oh, Fang!" said Hagrid, "I hoped ter be gone before yeh woke up!"

Fang came running out to Hagrid. "No, boy. I can' take yeh with me. It's too dangerous. But yeh got Dumbledore ter watch after yeh." Fang whined some more. Hagrid hugged him. "Goodbye, m'boy." Hagrid then turned and walked over to the Pegasus's and mounted the one tied to the hippogriff. Madame Maxime had already mounted hers.

"Goodbye!" they said together. They waved. Fang whined some more, and Professor McGonagall blew her nose in a hanky. Then, with a loud whooshing sound and a gust of wind, they were off. Heading off toward the sunrise.

"Are you sure the brute can handle this big of a task?" asked Snape.

"I'm not sure. As a matter of fact, I'm positive," Dumbledore smiled.

Snape frowned.