Disclaimer : Clearly everything in the Harry Potter Universe belongs to J K Rowling and not me. I'm just playing with her fantastic creations...

Author's Note: This one-shot was written before the release of Half-Blood Prince and so is now AU. I've been 'sitting on it' until now as I used the basic idea for a chapter in my novel-length fiction and didn't want to spoil that. But Christmas seems as good as time as any to release this.

They said the late Albus Dumbledore was the only wizard 'You Know Who' was afraid of. So what will save Wizard kind now?

Hagrid's Army

"Hagrid, please come inside the castle, you don't have to stay out here alone", implored Harry slipping out from under his father's invisibility cloak.

"'Arry, what are you doin'? Taint safe fer you 'ere, get back in the castle." Hagrid replied with a start. "They'll be 'ere any minute now. Don't you worry bout me I'm not alone 'cause I've got Grawp and a few friends around."

Hagrid looked towards his hut as he spoke, behind which Harry could see Grawp tethered to a large oak tree. There was a lot of whimpering coming from inside the hut; Harry supposed that Fang the Boarhound was not too keen on Grawp.

"But Hagrid, we can fight them off so much better from inside the castle. You don't have to stay out here, it's … it's not safe," stammered Harry

"But I do 'ave to stay 'ere 'Arry," whispered Hagrid, "Do you remember what my job title is here?"

"Gamekeeper? But this is ridiculous Hagrid, I know you like your chickens but you can't surely expect to keep them safe from Voldemort's army."

"No 'Arry, I'm the Keeper of Keys 'ere at 'Ogwarts. That means I'm the secret keeper, why do you think I bring the firs' years 'cross the lake every year? People can only find 'Ogwarts if I shows 'em where it is. An' you must've learned in charms that the secret keeper can't 'ide in the secret itself." Hagrid explained, "an' I'll tell yer this, them bloody Durmstrang death eaters ain't getting into the castle while I'm 'ere!"

"No Hagrid, it's suicide, you can't fight them. They'll just kill you and break the secret that way. Go on hide somewhere, anywhere," pleaded Harry desperately.

"Dumbledore told me last week before 'e left fer 'Ogsmeade, 'E said 'You've always known I'd trust you with my life 'Agrid. Just remember I'm trusting you with everyone's life.' So yer see Harry I 'ave ter stay. I owe it to 'im". With this Hagrid's voice cracked and he started to weep. "Bloody good fellow Dumbledore, best wizard that ever was …"

Harry looked away as Hagrid wept, his mind brought back to the sharp reality of the events that occurred during last weekends Hogsmeade visit. The students had been attacked as they waited for the Thestral driven coaches to return them to Hogwarts, first by Dementors and then by about 100 Death Eaters. While it was Harry's 'Prongs' which had driven the Dementors back it was the shield that Dumbledore had cast around the students which had ensured that none of them had been killed in the attack. However it was the act of maintaining the shield around the student body, which had left Dumbledore exposed to Lucius Malfoy's lethal Avada Kedavra curse.

Harry was dragged away from his memories by Hagrid's hut door slamming. He hadn't noticed Hagrid slip away. The hut door opened again and Hagrid returned with a cowering whimpering Fang, on a lead. Hagrid whispered, "Could yer take Fang for me back to the castle, 'e's a bit scared. Quick under yer cloak now, 'ere comes Headmistress McGonagall."

Harry had no choice other than to the house common room, where all the Gryffindors were holed up. He sneaked back into the Castle with Fang under his cloak, past the professor's who were having a war conference in the great hall. Harry continued past Crookshanks, Hermione's Bow-legged Cat, who was busy 'pawing' at something from underneath a broom closet.

Once in Gryffindor Tower Harry headed up to his dormitory to hide fang and motioned Ron and Hermione to follow. Once Fang was safely hidden in the bathroom Harry relayed all that Hagrid had told him. It was a measure of Hermione's fondness for Hagrid, that she did not berate Harry for sneaking out when a Death Eater attack was imminent.

A loud crashing noise made them to rush to the window, however there were no Death Eaters outside; it was only Grawp felling the huge oak. Free from his bindings, Grawp ambled over to Hagrid's pumpkin patch and picked up a particularly large pumpkin. After chewing on it for a few seconds Grawp decided it apparently it wasn't to his taste so he lobbed it high over the forbidden forest. This must have been more fun, for Grawp bent down and picked another pumpkin, before sending it deep into the forest.

"I don't think Grawp will be a lot of use protecting Hagrid. He probably won't know they're dark wizards until they've killed him," worried Hermione.

"Oh I think he'll be ok," said Ron, "I spent that detention with Hagrid the other day teaching Grawp how to recognise a Death Eater."

Instead of replying Hermione gave a startled "oh" and pointed to the edge of the forest. From out of nowhere at least a hundred wizards had apparated. All wearing identical, dark cloaks and masks. Several of the wizards at the end of the line appeared to be distracted and were casting spells into the forest. A load bang followed by a puff of smoke indicated that someone had been unfortunate enough to apparatus next to … a Blast Ended Screwt.

The commotion that followed as the Screwt was killed distracted Grawp who sent his next pumpkin soaring through the roof of Greenhouse Three when he caught sight of the Death Eaters.

At the sound of the breaking glass, Hagrid's front door opened and he emerged with his crossbow and a very scared looking three-headed dog. "Fluffy," breathed Harry relieved. Hagrid looked at the greenhouse and started to berate Grawp before he noticed that Fluffy had apparently regained his courage and was now straining at his leash with all three heads barking at the death eaters, three of them were now advancing on him.

The drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy carried up to Gryffindor Tower, "So if it isn't that great Oaf Hagrid. It would appear that, that Muggle loving fool Dumbledore has left his pet gamekeeper to protect his precious school."

The grunt like, slow guffaw's coming from the other two Death Eaters was instantly recognisable to Harry, as Crabbe and Goyle's parents. They seemed to be as equally dim as their children.

Fluffy's barking appeared to have attracted Grawp, as he ambled over. "Hagger," he said pointing at Hagrid.

"Oh you've taught him to speak, the freak," taunted Goyle to Hagrid. "I didn't think you'd mastered talking, yourself yet, halfbreed."

Grawp pointed at Goyle. "Wanker!" he announced in his slow loud voice. Up in the boys' dormitory in Gryffindor Tower, Ron fell to the floor laughing.

"Ron!" shrieked Hermione, "So that's what you were teaching him last week. How could you set such an example, you're … you're head boy. You …" But whatever else she was going to say was lost as Crookshanks chose this moment to appear and vomit all over Ron's bed.

Harry shook his head at the squabbling pair and returned to looking out of the window. His initial appraisal of Crabbe and Goyle Seniors' intelligence was proved correct, as Goyle launched a killing curse at Grawp forgetting that Giant skin is impermeable to spells. Grawp picked up Goyle and considered him for a few seconds.

Meanwhile Crabbe had attempted to cast the reductor curse at one of Fluffy's heads. Anyone who has faced a three-headed dog will know that casting 'Reducio' and destroying one head, is going to leave two rather irritable and fully functioning ones.

Lucius Malfoy could only look on in amazement at the stupidity of his colleagues, as Goyle soared high over the forbidden forest while Fluffy's remaining heads gored Crabbe. He was temporarily brought back to his senses when an arrow pierced his heart. As he collapsed he was just able to notice Hagrid disappearing into his hut.

Another hooded figure had rushed forward by now. "Cast the killing curse at the dog, you fools and aim straight at the giant's heart. Bellatrix kill that gamekeeper we need him dead, then the others will see the castle," commanded Lord Voldemort.

A flash of green light whistled through the air, and Fluffy fell to the ground, silent. Grawp must have taken a liking to Fluffy, as he emitted a bellow of rage that caused the entire castle to shake, before charging at the advancing Death Eaters. Harry and Hermione had to duck as a death eater came soaring towards their tower, crashing into the wall just below their window. Several others landed in the Herbology greenhouses and at least a dozen disappeared high over the forbidden forest. Grawp even managed to step on three before the combined force of about twenty killing curses felled him.

By now Bellatrix LeStrange had blasted Hagrid's front door down. As they waited for the dust to disappear to give them a clear view, Harry, Hermione and Ron (having finally stopped arguing over Grawps' English lessons and Crookshanks vomit) heard a terrified scream followed by a loud clicking. Ron froze, as out of Hagrid's hut emerged a massive spider. Aragog held a terrified Bellatrix about 10 feet off the ground, and was swiftly cocooning her up in thread, pincers clicking furiously.

Hagrid followed Aragog out of his hut and came face to face with the remaining eighty or so Death Eaters. Each had their wand out pointing directly at Hagrid's heart. Hermione buried her head in Harry's shoulder and as he turned to comfort her he caught sight of something very big jumping off the top of the tall astronomy tower.

The killing curse, died on the Death Eaters' lips when the air around them erupted in orange flames as the giant Norwegian Ridgeback landed gracefully in front of Hagrid. "Norbert," he cried delighted.

Faced with a fire breathing dragon and a still furiously clicking twenty foot spider, the Death Eaters started to question what terror Hagrid would release upon them next, and deciding discretion was the better part of valour they retreated towards the edge of the forest, where they could apparate to safety.

"Come back you fools," cried Voldemort. "A strong shield charm will protect you from fire. Come …" But the words died in his throat as out of the forest emerged Aragog's family. At least a hundred of the overgrown spiders had been summoned by the pincer-clicking signal of their chief that could only mean dinnertime.

Voldemort backed away quietly, as he saw his Death Eater army consumed by giant spiders and a dragon. He kept retreating until he felt something hard and wooden behind his back. Voldemort's last thought was one of relief as he turned and saw that it was only a tree, failing to notice the heavy bough of the whomping willow as it crushed his skull.

…

Harry, Hermione and Ron returned to the Tower along with their fellow Gryffindors, they had all been helping Hagrid these last few days to dig a grave big enough for Grawp.

"I need to take Crookshanks to Madam Pomfrey, there is something wrong with him, he hasn't eaten for days," said Hermione, checking out her ill looking cat.

"Well at least he can't throw up in my bed again, if he's not eating," commented Ron angrily.

Hermione missed dinner and didn't re-appear all evening. Just as Harry and Ron were getting ready to go to bed, the portrait opened and Hermione emerged carrying a bandaged Crookshanks.

"What's the matter with him?" asked Harry anxiously.

"Oh he ate something really nasty which got stuck in his stomach," said Hermione offhandedly. "Madam Pomfrey has removed it now and he'll be fine," she added, dropping a small silver paw on the table.