Title: Draco Malfoy and the Half-Blood Giant
Author: fojee aka punkbandit
Pairing: none
Summary: Draco discovers something about our resident half-giant.
Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me.
Notes: The idea of Acromantula Silk comes from Rorschach's Blot in "Lord of Caer Azkaban." I got the idea for this while thinking about how the wizarding world works, thanks to JOdel's essays in Red Hen. This is set from the third year to the fourth.
888
Draco Malfoy hated Care of Magical Creatures. The animals were smelly and scary, and their huge, lumbering professor wasn't even human. Granted, he wasn't the only one, but at least Professor Binns had graduated from Hogwarts. And the ghost was sort of human, once upon a time.
The hippogriff incident was the last straw, and Draco railed at his father about the dangers of the subject. Lucius merely looked at him. "You cannot change the curriculum just because of one foolish teacher, Draco. Later, you can drop the subject after your O.W.L.s. The animal will die, of course. But the half-giant will not suffer any consequences. He's beyond our reach."
A pointed glance stopped Draco from further questions.
Beyond our reach. The phrase flickered through Draco's consciousness as he watched Hagrid call the first-years to join him in the boats. It was his fourth year at Hogwarts; the scar on his arm had healed to a pale line, but he never forgot its cause. Harry Potter and his friends had somehow helped the beast escape, the meddling fools.
Sometimes, Draco imagined the hippogriff swooping down on him one morning while he stood outside unawares, and crushing him with its powerful claws and beak. He entertained uneasy thoughts about playing quidditch that year, and was glad that the triwizard tournament gave him a respite.
Why was Hagrid beyond his father's reach? Draco thought to himself. Was it because of Dumbledore's protection? That protection didn't help the half-giant in second year, when the Chamber of Secrets was opened. What had changed since then?
He narrowed his eyes, watching the half-giant's easy smile, and rough hands guide the children into the boats. He will find out the truth somehow.
888
At Knockturn Alley, there was a small shop called Oculus with darkened windows and a barred door. It mostly looked abandoned, but Draco had heard about it from his father, and knew what sort of business was conducted there.
He sent an owl addressed to name of the store. One week later, the owl returned with a contract. Saying goodbye to his holiday money, Draco signed on the parchment. It disappeared and a note replaced it.
Results will arrive as soon as satisfactorily completed. No need to reply.
888
Draco impatiently waited for the reply while he watched Harry Potter get the glory yet again in entering the triwizard tournament. He amused himself by tinkering with the buttons that proclaimed the other boy a cheater, and by spinning fantasies in his head about Potter accidentally dying in one way or another through the tests.
In the meantime, he was wary around the half-giant, as if trying to measure him up. Hagrid continued to ignore him, and seemed excited somehow, more prone to laughter. But a couple of days later, Draco discovered it was because of the dragons coming to the school. He stopped being envious of Harry Potter when he saw them. Let the Boy-Who-Lived risk his nine lives again and again. He had better things to do with his time.
The arrival of the results coincided with the tournament's second task. Draco raised an eyebrow when the nondescript tawny owl arrived that morning. He didn't expect it so quickly. Perhaps the exorbitant price was worth it after all.
He nodded at the owl after grasping the tiny scroll on its leg. A single black ribbon held it close. Draco hurried into his chambers, and while the rest of the school was busy fawning over the contestants, he tugged at the ribbon and watched the scroll grow into a sheaf of parchments.
The parchment on top caught his eye. It detailed the contents of the entire package. Draco sat down on his bed, stunned and fascinated as he started to read.
Rubeus Hagrid
(1926 – present)
Background
Rubeus Hagrid was born in the twenty-seventh of August in the year 1926 to Magical Creature specialist Jebedidah Hagrid, and to a giantess of unknown name from the Isle of Drear at the tip of Scotland before it was made unplottable. His father was researching Quintapeds at that time and fell in with a group of giants. It is not known how he survived intact. The child was named by his father and abandoned by his mother on the same night. Jebedidah Hagrid took him to his home in Inverness and thus ended his career in the field.
He was accepted to Hogwarts in 1936, and his grades showed him an average to above average student up until his second year when his father died. Nobody adopted him, but he was allowed to stay with the groundskeeper during the summer holidays, and was looked after by a couple of teachers, including Albus Dumbledore, a professor at that time. His grades plummeted, and he repeatedly experienced reprimands about the strange animals he smuggled inside the school grounds.
On his third year, he was suspected of opening the so-called Chamber of Secrets and releasing a creature which killed one student. He was discovered by a prefect and expelled, his wand snapped.
In 1992, the chamber was rumored to have been opened again, and when a student disappeared, Hagrid was sent to Azkaban. After the creature inside was revealed—a basilisk—and defeated by Harry Potter, Hagrid was cleared of all charges, except several counts for keeping various dangerous pets, including an Acromantula. He paid his fine and now has all appropriate licenses.
He remained on the grounds after he was expelled, serving as apprentice to the groundskeeper. Last year, after he was cleared, he was given the post of Care of Magical Creatures professor up until the present time.
He was involved in a serious case that same year, when one of the beasts he cared for, a hippogriff, attacked a student under his supervision. The hippogriff was sentenced to be put down, but somehow escaped from beneath the noses of the Ministry, and is still at large. Professor Hagrid did not experience any further recriminations.
List of Assets
Rubeus Hagrid is in possession of the following as of 1994:
A two-hectare property in Inverness containing his childhood home, a working animal farm, a greenhouse, an aviary and an extensive forest with such breeds as jobberknolls and hippogriffs, mokes and runespoors
A two thousand square-mile property at one of the smaller islands near the Isle of Drear containing another working animal farm, with both muggle and magical breeds such as sheep, cows, demiguises, hybrid tebos and thestrals
A vault at Gringgot's with the estimated contained value as two point four million galleons (An exact amount is not available at the moment.)
Four percent in shares of the Diagon Alley apothecary
Five percent in shares of the Hogsmeade apothecary
One point seven percent in shares of the Rumanian Dragon Preserve Consortium
A thriving business in exportation of animal and plant based ingredients, with contacts in France, Spain, and Germany (Particularly Acromantula silk and venom, unicorn hair, and recently a limited amount of Basilisk scales and venom. He also deals with rare seeds, roots and leaves harvested from his properties and presumably from the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts.)
He is a silent partner in Geneticus, a recently formed Consortium based in London composed of magical creature breeders and specialists engaging in experimentation
He is a silent partner in the family owned Hebridean Black Preserve in the Hebrides, and is highly respected by the MacFusty clan
He is also one of the main suppliers of Ollivanders and other wand-makers in Europe, both for the cores and the wand-woods as well as of the Spinners and Weavers Association which supplies special fabrics to Madame Malkin and other stores
He has in possession a special license from the Ministry of Magic to keep rare beasts of all classifications as long as they are in protective and supervised environments
Further Notes
Professor Hagrid has recently donated three thousand galleons to the Ministry of Magic's Magizoology department. As a result, the search for the hippogriff called "Buckbeak" has been unofficially called off.
While he is often a silent partner in the businesses he is involved in, Hagrid is considered an essential and irreplaceable member, and is highly respected by other wizards and witches in his field. His numerous farms are supervised by loyal stewards, distantly related to him through his father. He also employs local men. The farms deal with endangered as well as more common species, but Hagrid himself deals with the rarest and most dangerous of creatures, including the Acromantula, the Griphorn, etc.
Hagrid's personal loyalties are attached to the current headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore. It is rumored that the war efforts of the so-called Order of the Phoenix under Dumbledore's leadership was financed by Rubeus Hagrid.
He also has strained and uncertain ties to the giants in Drear Isle and around the northern part of Scotland, and he often visits them every summer. Whether they welcome him or not we are unable to confirm.
Despite being hampered by the lack of wand, Rubeus Hagrid is a dangerous man to cross. His giant heritage gives him greater magic to draw upon, with an element of unpredictability as to what he can do. It is also rumored that he could have been given another wand after he was cleared, but he did not make the request. It is assumed that he can use magic without it.
Hagrid himself seems to be an open and generous creature. At Hog's Head and other pubs, he is seen to buy pints for many other people and is thus often well-liked or taken advantage of. Aside from official donations to orphanages, preserves, and privately-owned magizoos and gardens, he also lends money to many of his friends and acquaintances, and does not seem to expect them to pay him back. Thus his list of assets is incomplete. And his importance to the wizarding society is guaranteed.
His last will and testament names Albus Dumbledore as his principal heir followed by Harry James Potter.
He is currently unmarried, but recent rumors linked him with the French Headmistress of Beaubaxtons.
Please contact us for further questions or clarifications. It has been a pleasure to work with you.
888
Rubeus Hagrid was surprised at what greeted him one early morning when he opened his door.
Draco Malfoy stood outside, his pale face blank. "May I come in?"
Hagrid's eyebrows rose up as he gestured for him to enter. He looked around his cottage and dusted off a small chair. "Would you like to have some breakfast?" He asked the child.
The boy shook his head, his blond hair whipping around his face. "Just tea please."
Hagrid busied himself with the kettle, while an awkward silence reigned.
He handed the boy a small cup, and sat down across from him watching his visitor.
Draco took a sip, both hands covering the cup of tea, before starting. "I would like to apologize about last year," he looked into Hagrid's face and tried his best to sound sincere. "I made a mistake and I blamed the hippogriff for it. I-I guess I was a little scared. I'm not used to animals."
Hagrid's face softened. "It wasn't your fault. I was supposed to supervise you, and maybe the hippogriff was a little too much for third years."
Draco took a deep breath. So far so good. "I've contacted my father, and he wrote to the ministry to call off the search officially. I hope he returns soon," he tried on the pitiful expression he had practiced last night. "Do you think he would ever forgive me? I'd love to try again."
Hagrid fidgeted, thinking about where Buckbeak was. "I dunno. Hippogriffs have long memories and all." He saw Draco's expression turn to disappointment. "But there are other animals I can show you. If you'd like." He turned the last word into a question.
Draco nodded. "Maybe I can help you with the animals. I would like to make it up to you."
"You'd help me clean them up?" Hagrid asked dubiously.
Draco smiled. "You can call it punishment if you want. Like I'm serving detention or something. I think I will learn a lot from you."
Hagrid smiled down at the boy. He had a good heart in him after all.
Epilogue
"What is wrong with Malfoy?" Ron Weasley asked Hermione as they watched the blond-haired boy follow Hagrid to the pens. He was dressed in gloves and an apron, and was carrying a small sack of feed. He was dressed exactly like the half-giant.
Hermione shrugged. "Maybe he's sorry about Buckbeak. The paper said he was allowed to go free. Something to do with the endangered species or whatever. Malfoy had to have approved that."
They watched in astonishment as the half-giant ruffled Draco's blond hair and the other boy smiled up at him. Ron scoffed, dismissing Hermione's theory with a wave. "He's up to something sneaky, I just know it. Don't you think so, Harry?"
Harry looked away from the sight of Cho Chang giggling with her Ravenclaw friends. "Huh?"
Finit.