Chapter one The Forgotten Child

It was a normal day at Hogwarts. Well, as normal as Hogwarts could ever be. There wasn't dark wizards trying to kill everyone, there wasn't any rough children, there wasn't any bad papers. That didn't mean however anything good happened. Nothing really happened and the whole entire day seemed quite dull.

The sun rose and settled. It wasn't until late that night that something every odd did appear. This was not however the appearance of that night. The sky was dark and there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. This was completely normal for the summer air. The air wasn't too thick or thin. The grass wasn't to green or brown. The forest wasn't too loud or too quite. The only thing that was peculiar this night was the man who was walking on the edge of the woods.

This wasn't an abnormal thing for this man, Hagrid, to do. He would often go out into the woods. He did often have a bad tendency to bring trouble. He had always meant well, but that heart of his would always go to his head. This time it brought more trouble than he would have ever imagined. He did know, however, that what he was doing was by far the most dangerous he had ever done.

Hagrid was quickly walking towards the safety of his hut. He glanced carefully side to side when he reached his door. Hagrid's black eyes watched carefully making sure that he didn't miss any one who would be watching. Once he realized that his actions had not been seen by any living soul he entered his home. He let out a breath once he shut the door behind him and he pulled out something from under his coat.

He held the thing in his arms carefully making sure to take extra care for its head. It was covered in brown rages and fit snug in his palm. He looked down at the creature and gave it a sad smile. He had a strong love for magical creature. This one was different however. This creature wasn't magical.

In his arms was a baby; a muggle baby. Her skin was a pale white and her black hair was growing in small tuffs on her head. She was watching the giant of the man in wonder. Bright blue eyes filled with wonder. She gave him a toothless grin and he brought his hand up to touch her face. She giggled and tried to grab at the large finger in her little hands.

"No one is going to hurt you now, little one." He said softly to the baby.

He very gently laid the little girl down on a pillow. Her eyes never removed themselves from Hagrid. Fang moved gingerly towards the baby and looked at it. He glanced at his owner and he looked back towards the baby. There was an unspoken word that this was not anything that he was allowed to chew up. Fang moved his nose and sniffed the small baby. The little girl let out a small little scream; a scream of laughter and small little giggles. Hagrid smiled at them both.

"Hagrid, what have you done." McGonagall said behind him.

Hagrid quickly turned to face the headmistress. Her lips where thin and there was a visible sign of sadness in her eyes. Her hair was a pale white as her face. Age had begun to catch up with her, but in her green eyes there was a sign of life that could not be ignored. She had known that Hagrid was in to getting in trouble, but she would never imagine him taking a baby.

"Head Mistress let me explain." Hagrid began.

McGonagall made her way to look at the baby. The baby, enjoying the company giggled happily to see the old woman's face. McGonagall looked towards Hagrid in concern.

"Hagrid you better have a good reason for this. She's a muggle baby Hagrid, not a magical pet."

McGonagall warned, her voice making the baby stop giggling.

The baby seemed to sense the threat in the woman's voice. She wasn't happy about the woman snapping at the nice man. Instantly the baby had begun to cry. Tears streaming down her face and her small hands reached for man. Hagrid instantly noticed and picked up the baby. The baby quieted down, but her eyes remained fixed on McGonagall.

"I was in Knockturn Alley, buying some flesh eating slug repellant. When I found her in one of the cages in the back, they where planning on killing her." Hagrid said.

"Hagrid we must return her to her parents," McGonagall said moving towards the baby.

"No, she has no parents and she has been cursed." Hagrid said.

McGonagall face changed and she moved to look down at baby. She lightly touched the babies face. The babies face had changed from that moment. Her pale skin began to glow. She squirmed from McGonagall touch. Sliver lines began to light up her face. There were small snakes that merged around her ears and a large snake touching her eyes. Her eyes shown like stars and she let out a dreadful scream.

McGonagall moved her hand quickly away from the child. McGonagall held her hands and looked at the child in shock. The sliver light vanished but that didn't stop the baby screaming in pain. She moved closer to Hagrid trying to find some sort of comfort which he willingly granted. He cooed and whispered softly towards the baby. After a while she was silent and fell into a deep sleep. Hagrid however never stopped carefully bounced the baby in his arm.

Fang who was clearly upset at the noise watched the baby. He stood close to his master and never let his droopy eye leave the small little bundle.

"In all my years I have never seen a cures quite like that," McGonagall said shaken by the image in fount of her.

"I had no choice Head Mistress; I couldn't stand there and look at this poor thing. Her form completely made up of stone." Hagrid began and he laid the baby down onto a chair.

Fang noticing that Hagrid set the baby down moved towards her. He watched her carefully making sure that she wouldn't return to crying again.

"Stone?" she asked moving to look at the child.

The markings had vanished completely and there wasn't even a trace of them every being there.

"That is another reason why the child cannot be taken away. If she is a mile away from me she will be turned to stone until I awaken her." Hagrid said darkly.

"Who did you buy her from; surely he could lift the curse from this poor creature." McGonagall said turning to him this time.

"He can't, she was given to him on his door step. He had the counter cures so that she could be traded by wizards, but to remove the cures entirely is not possible." Hagrid muttered his face darkening.

"The perfect slave," McGonagall said her eyes becoming distant, "she could never run could she?"

McGonagall turned from Hagrid and moved towards the fire. She set herself down and looked back at the baby. Hagrid watched her carefully seeing what idea she was come up with.

"No one, especially the Potter family is to know about this," McGonagall said after she got a hold of herself." Hagrid she isn't some mythical animal. She is a muggle, and this is everything that we stand against. In this situation however I see that you had no choice."

"But Head Mistress-"Hagrid began, but one sharp look from McGonagall stopped him.

"No buts Hagrid, if anyone finds out that she is here they will send you away and it will be the death of her."

Hagrid nodded and put a kettle on the fire place. Tea was defiantly needed at the moment. McGonagall looked at him; her face was sad and heartbroken for the giant. What he had done was foolish, but his heart was so kind that it killed her to see him in such a way. He placed the cup of tea in front of her.

"Find a safe spot in the forest where she could live during the day. At night and in the summer she can live with you in this hut. I am sorry that I have to be stern about this, but I don't believe the others would understand Hagrid."

He nodded, but the silence and the large tear that was rolling down the side of his face was enough to break a heart. He understood, but that didn't stop him from hurting.

"What do you plan on naming her Hagrid?" she asked, a forgotten sweetness coming into her voice.

"Bell, her name is Bell."