QLFC: Season 7, Round 4

Montrose Magpies- Chaser 1

Prompt "I don't know how I got stuck under there. It was just a … uh, hilarious chain of events." Impractical Jokers

WC: 3014

A/N: I didn't write out Hagrid's accent due to fear of butchering it beyond recognition.

Foregoing Everything Else

Hagrid reached out and ran his fingers through the light, tawny feathers of the Hippogriff.

"Are you ready, Speckled Dust?"

The Hippogriff looked at Hagrid out of the corner of her eye, cocking her head as though to say, "Do you really have to ask?"

Hagrid patted Speckled Dust's neck. "That's my girl."

He looked her over, studying her eyes and checking her wing joints. He knelt down and felt her knees, checking for any swelling or warmth. When he was satisfied with her condition he stood, brushing his hands off on his pants and looked around him.

He had never imagined himself in the situation he currently found himself in, but circumstances had left him no other options. He was in a forest clearing surrounded by men at least twice his age, each with his own Hippogriff. All of the other Hippogriffs were smaller than Speckled Dust, young adults barely out of puberty.

The men themselves were very rough looking, but that was to be expected in a sport as illegal as Hippogriff racing.

Hagrid hated the way the Hippogriffs were treated. Most of the racers acquired their Hippogriffs young and rode them hard, usually leaving them to die when they had pushed them too hard. There were a few riders who treated their Hippogriffs with care and respect, and Hagrid was one of them.

But his love and care for his Hippogriff wasn't the only thing that made Hagrid stand out. At seven feet tall his size alone set him apart and made him an oddity, but the fact that he was also only fourteen years old had earned him the name Baby Giant among the racers.

"Did you see the new racer, Hagrid?"

A younger man had sidled up to Hagrid and drew his attention to a man dressed in all black leaning next to a rather large Hippogriff. Most riders chose young adults because they were large enough to ride, well muscled, and full of testosterone but yet not big enough to be slowed down by bulk. Hagrid was the only one who chose to ride a full-sized Hippogriff, but it was mainly due to his larger frame.

So, seeing another rider with a Hippogriff as big as Speckled Dust was quite unusual.

"Must be new to the game," Hagrid replied. "Or else he'd know that smaller Griffs are usually faster."

"Must be," the young man said. "I've never seen him around."

The young man's name was Ted Griffith. His family had been in the racing business for generations and he knew everyone worth knowing. Hagrid had befriended him early on due to their closeness in age and their love for the creatures.

Hagrid just grunted in reply. He wasn't too worried about the new racer. New people showed up all the time, most of them thinking they could make a quick sickle, but they often left with less money than they'd come with and they were lucky if they even had a Hippogriff- when all was said and done. Racers didn't just compete for money, they competed for ownership.

This new racer had probably spent a pretty penny on a good looking Griff that had incredible strength and size and been duped by the seller into the thinking it would be a good competitor.

Hagrid snorted. Poor fool.

Hagrid glanced at the other racers but his attention was focused more on the course they would be racing than those who would be running it. It was the most difficult one of the year and also the most dangerous. They would be racing through the heart of the Forbidden Forest.

No one was quite sure how Ted managed to hold an event in the middle of such a forest every year, but he always came through.

This was Hagrid's first year racing and so it was his first year on the Forbidden Forest course. His natural affinity for animals had gotten him this far, but he didn't know if it would take him much further.

"Alright, you sorry lot!" Ted had made his way to the front of the clearing and stood on a crate to address them all. He had a devilish grin plastered on his face, and his usual soft demeanor was replaced by one that was widely respected among the Griff racing community. "Are you all ready to race the event of the year?"

A roar went up from the crowd and fists were pumped as the racers and spectators released their pent up anxiety and excitement that had been building all night.

"Racers, gather at the starting line!"

Hagrid placed his hand gently on Speckled Dust's flank guiding her forward. All of the other racers used harnesses but Hagrid could never bear the thought of putting Speckle in one.

"Come on girl," he said quietly as Speckle walked calmly over to a semi-transparent barrier.

The barrier was put in place in order to assure everyone that no racer was jumping the gun or placing himself in a better position. If a racer were to take off too early, they would find themselves running face first into a very painful wall that felt as though it were made of bricks.

The newcomer that he'd been examining earlier lined up next to him, glancing over at Hagrid and giving a short nod. His face was hidden under a hood so Hagrid couldn't get a good look at him.

"Good luck," Hagrid said.

The man merely nodded again.

"Not a very friendly chap, is he?" Hagrid muttered to Speckle.

Speckle snorted and shook her head, ruffling her feathers.

Hagrid chuckled and flattened her feathers back down.

"Riders, are you ready?"

A mixture of grumbles and grunts were the replies.

"On your mark!"

Speckle lifted her left wing, angling it so Hagrid would have an easier time mounting.

"Get set!"

She stepped one leg back, bending at the knee and priming her muscles for a quick take off.

Hagrid heard a thump but didn't look over. From the sound of it, someone down the line had jumped the gun and were probably laying sprawled on an unconscious Griff.

"Go!"

Hagrid's heart leapt in his chest as Speckle took off running and Hagrid quick stepped alongside her until he jumped to swing his leg over her back.

His leg swung up just enough for him to straddle her without needing to pull on her neck. It was the closest thing to a perfect mount that he'd ever performed.

All of the other racers, besides the newcomer next to him, had already taken off into the skies. Hagrid and Speckle we're always the last ones to leave the ground due to both of their added size and weight. But Speckle was strong and she pushed off the ground, spreading her wings to catch the night wind.

The clearing had been just big enough for the Griff's to get a good running start and get into the air, but the takeoff was so tight that Speckle's talons clipped the tops of the trees as she beat get wings to gain altitude.

And then they were above the treetops and Hagrid almost forgot he was racing. The wind tickled his face and the stars shone brightly over the expanse of the forest, illuminating clearings far below.

Hagrid's preoccupation with the view had almost caused him to miss the next clearing he was supposed to be dipping down into.

He squeezed his right knee gently into her side and tilted his body at the same time so she knew that he wanted to dip down and to the right.

Speckle responded instantly and they followed the other riders down into the dark of the forest.

Hagrid and the other riders had been given a map to study one week before the race. There were markers along the path as well, but where the forest became too dense it was up to the racer to remember where to go.

Speckle landed hard but took off running through the trees, spreading her wings and gliding where she could.

This is where Speckle gained ground in a race. Her footwork was unmatched among the Griff's and her timing of the glides were impeccable. She overtook a racer and pushed herself back into the air at the next clearing.

With the racers taking to the air again it was easier for Hagrid to gauge his position. He had four riders still in front of him, but the ones behind him were losing ground. Except for the newcomer. He and his Griff were right behind Hagrid and Speckle and didn't look to be tiring.

Hagrid looked back in front of him just in time to see an arrow shoot straight up in the air, narrowly missing Speckle's head.

"What in bloody blazes!" Hagrid yelled as another arrow lodged itself in his foot.

He looked down below him and could see Centaurs running along underneath them shooting fast and rather accurately up at the racers.

"Blasted Centaurs," Hagrid muttered as he zig and zagged to avoid the incoming projectiles. A Griff and rider tumbled out of the sky in front of him as an arrow impacted against the wing bone, breaking the bone and sending the Griff to the forest floor.

The next clearing they were supposed to drop into was still fifty meters away.

"Come on Speckle," Hagrid urged. "Almost there."

His encouragement was punctuated by a piercing scream as an arrow found its mark, burying itself in Speckle's left flank.

Speckle dove down into the clearing and landed roughly, barely keeping her footing and managing to run along with a bad limp.

Hagrid wanted to stop her and take the time to pull the arrow out and dress the wound, but there was no telling how close the Centaurs were and he couldn't risk it. Instead, he reached down the best he could while keeping his grip with his legs and attempted to pull the arrow out. It was made all the more difficult by the fact that it was lodged at an upward angle. He strained, stretching as far as he could until the arrow finally ripped free. Speckle stumbled but caught herself as she was finally able to run unimpeded.

Hagrid had no idea how he was positioned in the race at this point. Speckle's strength on the ground was diminished with the wound to her side.

But by Hagrid's calculation, they would soon be at the section of the race he'd been waiting for.

Now, Hagrid was a very honorable person; his father had raised him to be one, but when it came to the outcome of these races he was willing to resort to some underhanded tactics in order to win. And in this race, he had an advantage that no one else did—Aragog.

Hagrid had first thought of the plan when he'd noticed that a section of the race went straight through the part of the forest Aragog had chosen for his home.

And now it was time to put that plan into action.

The section of forest that Aragog had made his home was sparsely lit. The moon shone through the branches casting shadows upon the forest floor. Hagrid knew this area well. He had come and visited Aragog on a number of occasions after having to leave Hogwarts.

He began to make a clicking sound followed by a few short clacks. He could see a few riders in front of him.

And then there were loud clicking and clacking sounds echoing through the trees. Hagrid smiled at the familiar sound.

All of a sudden one of the riders in front of him let out a scream and disappeared off his Griff's back. With no one guiding it, the Griff raced off into the forest and away from the terrifying sounds.

He heard a few more screams and then they were through the trees and into another clearing, taking off again.

When Speckle had flown high enough for Hagrid to look around he smiled as he saw clear skies ahead of him. Unless there were riders too far ahead to see he was safely in first.

He glanced behind him and to his dismay, the new rider was still right on his heels. The rider may be new to the area but he knew what he was doing.

As soon as Hagrid thought this the rider drew level with him and drew his wand.

Hagrid stared open-mouthed, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. Wands were forbidden in the races. The man twirled his wrist and Hagrid had no time to react. Luckily, Speckle had been watching out of the corner of her eye and she rose quickly to dodge the curse that was sent their way. Speckle's quick movement jarred Hagrid out of his stupor.

"Thanks, girl," Hagrid said with a sigh of relief.

But no sooner had the words left his mouth then the new rider came shooting up from underneath to allow his Griff to attack Speckle's underbelly.

Hagrid steered Speckle out of the way but the new rider kept at them.

Back and forth they both flew, Hagrid desperately dodging the attacks while Speckle grew more and more tired with the loss of blood from the arrow wound.

Hagrid versed sharply to the right, trying to get off the course in hopes that the other riders would leave him alone once Hagrid was no longer in the lead. But the new rider stayed right on him.

Suddenly, Hagrid saw lights ahead and the large turrets of Hogwarts came into view. Hagrid didn't know what to feel at that point. His initial feeling was relief because Hogwarts had been his home for so long, but that feeling was soon followed by sadness at the thought that it never would be again.

All the events foregoing this one had led him to where he was now, but at the same time, it had brought him back to where it had all began.

Hagrid shook his head. He didn't have time for those kinds of thoughts, he had to worry about making it out of the race safely.

Hogwarts drew closer and Hagrid pulled up slightly on Speckle's neck so that she was rising straight in line with where he knew the enchantments around the castle began.

The new rider hadn't pulled up at all and flew straight into the barrier.

Hagrid looked down at the rider and Griff where they were sprawled on the ground below. He let out a sigh of relief, but his relief was short lived.

Speckle was tiring and the flap of her wings began to grow weak until she had no strength left to even keep herself in the air.

She hung in the sky for a moment longer before beginning to plummet down to the ground. Hagrid acted quickly, maneuvering himself around so he was in front of her. He wrapped his arms and legs around her to protect her from the worst of the fall and barely had time to think, This is going to hurt, before crashing into the ground.

When Hagrid came to he was looking the face of an older wizard with half-moon spectacles perched on the end of his nose.

"Professor Dumbledore?" Hagrid mumbled.

"My dearest Hagrid, what on earth are you doing?"

"Umm, just some night flying, Professor," Hagrid mumbled, unable to meet Dumbledore's eyes.

Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling.

Hagrid sat up suddenly and managed to hit his head rather hard against what appeared to be the bottom of a stone wall. He grunted but managed to wriggle himself out of a hole in the ground that seemed to have been freshly dug.

"Where's Speckle?" Hagrid looked around fearfully, becoming anxious when he couldn't see his Hippogriff.

Dumbledore stood up from his kneeling position. "Do you mean your Hippogriff? Professor Kettleburn took her to his classroom to treat her. He assures me that she will be alright after a few weeks rest." Dumbledore gazed down at Hagrid. "He says you saved her life by breaking her fall. You were lucky you didn't die in the process."

Hagrid hurt all over and thought that he would have much-rathered die than stay feeling the way he was.

Dumbledore looked over his spectacles at Hagrid. "How did you find yourself in this predicament exactly? Stuck under a wall that is?"

Hagrid looked down at the hole that he now saw had been dug with his own body as he'd slammed into the ground. No wonder he felt horrible. "I don't know exactly how I got stuck under there. It was just a … uh, hilarious chain of events."

"Not too hilarious by the looks of it," Dumbledore said as he took in all of Hagrid's wounds. "Why don't you come up so Madam Pomfrey can have a look at you?"

Hagrid went to shuffle his feet and winced when he moved his leg. "I didn't think I was welcome at Hogwarts."

Dumbledore placed his arm around Hagrid's shoulder the best he could with the boy being as tall as he was and guided him toward the castle. "Yes, about that. What would you say if I told you that we might have a place for you here at Hogwarts?"

"I would say you're completely mad!" Hagrid bellowed. "No disrespect of course."

"None taken," Dumbledore said as he chuckled. "None taken at all."

"It's just that I didn't leave here under the best of circumstances and I don't think the Headmaster would take too kindly to me being here."

"Well, you know what they say about truth and the appearance of truth being opposites."

"No, actually, I don't," Hagrid said as he limped along.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that's about all they say. But I know the truth Hagrid and I think I can convince Headmaster Dippet to see the sense of what I just said."

"Well, if anyone can, you can, sir."

Dumbledore patted his back. "Thank you, Hagrid. Your confidence in me means more than I can say."

Optional Prompts

[word] Foregoing

[creature] Hippogriff

[quote] 'You know what they say about truth and the appearance of truth being opposites.' — The Power, Naomi Alderman