A Return to Happiness
I arrived in the familiar entrance hall at what appeared to be lunchtime. There were very few students about, and there was a delicious smell wafting from the Great hall. I decided, as the man I wanted to see was probably eating lunch, I would take a wander out into the grounds for a while. Careful to raise my hood and don some light gloves, I began out of the doors and down to the side of the lake.
It was very frosty, and the grass crunched underfoot. There was a wafer- thin layer of ice gracing the top of the lake, and a large figure had his back to me, apparently breaking this layer for the benefit of the giant Squid.
"Hagrid?"
"Huh?" he spun around, a little suprised to hear my voice, which had gone back to its old ways and was strongly tinted with Romanian pronunciations.
"Rene! It's nice ter see yeh! How've yeh been?"
"I have been fine Hagrid. And yourself?" I cringed at my impeccable aristocratic tones.
"Great! Yeh, life's not so funny wi'out Fates and Marauders runnin' round causin 'avoc, but 'ogwarts is still the best place ter be! Tell me, what yeh doin' here anyway?"
"I've actually come to talk with Dumbledore. I received a letter from The Ministry this evening...well, it would have been this morning here, and I need his help. They have offered me a job."
"Really? An' yeh're not gonna take it? They seldom offer people jobs righ' off, yeh know."
"I know that, Hagrid, and in a way I am very flattered that they wrote to me," I sighed. "But it may not be the most pleasant of jobs, and I want to know I'm doing the right thing by accepting it or turning it down before I give Fudge an answer."
He looked a little puzzled, and then opened his mouth to speak, but shut it again as he thought better of it.
"Are you wondering what this job is?"
He looked shifty and a little embarrassed.
"Well, yeah, but not to worry. I know the Min'stry has a lo' confidential stuff us normal folk ain't to know 'bout. It's alrigh', really. I'll just haf to take yeh word tha' its a difficult choice!" he smiled down at me again, though he looked disappointed that he wasn't going to find out.
"Well, I can tell you, so long as you promise to keep it quiet. I've not been told I can't tell anyone, but by the same token I haven't been told I can tell anyone." He nodded energetically, his interest evident. "They have decided that it's time to employ someone to keep charge of Azkaban, of both the prisoners and the dementors, and I've been offered the job."
He looked horrified.
"How can yeh even think of it? Yeh'll never be happy agen!"
"No Hagrid, that's why they've offered me the job. I'm not affected by the Dementors like pure-bred humans are. I'm barely affected at all, and pure- bred vampires feel nothing in their presence. No one knows why, but that's just the way it is. It would be a pretty morbid and gloomy job, I know, but it's morbid and gloomy in Romania at the moment as well. I think the change of scene will do me good."
He looked dubious, but smiled again.
"Well, I've got ter get back to sortin' out this lake, but thanks a lo' for poppin' out ter see me. Best o' luck, whatever yeh decide!"
"Thank you Hagrid, I hope I see you again soon!" He waved as I walked back up to the castle, then turning to continue freeing the squid. I marched up the steps and into the entrance hall, where it was now change over time. After saying brief hellos to old teachers and a rather lengthy but enjoyable chat with Professor Sambora, I made my way to Dumbledore's office. The walls of the old castle echoed a thousand memories, each connected to a thousand past hopes and dreams. More than once I took a wrong turn on my way to the gargoyle that guarded the entrance, following my heart not my mind.
I arrived in the familiar entrance hall at what appeared to be lunchtime. There were very few students about, and there was a delicious smell wafting from the Great hall. I decided, as the man I wanted to see was probably eating lunch, I would take a wander out into the grounds for a while. Careful to raise my hood and don some light gloves, I began out of the doors and down to the side of the lake.
It was very frosty, and the grass crunched underfoot. There was a wafer- thin layer of ice gracing the top of the lake, and a large figure had his back to me, apparently breaking this layer for the benefit of the giant Squid.
"Hagrid?"
"Huh?" he spun around, a little suprised to hear my voice, which had gone back to its old ways and was strongly tinted with Romanian pronunciations.
"Rene! It's nice ter see yeh! How've yeh been?"
"I have been fine Hagrid. And yourself?" I cringed at my impeccable aristocratic tones.
"Great! Yeh, life's not so funny wi'out Fates and Marauders runnin' round causin 'avoc, but 'ogwarts is still the best place ter be! Tell me, what yeh doin' here anyway?"
"I've actually come to talk with Dumbledore. I received a letter from The Ministry this evening...well, it would have been this morning here, and I need his help. They have offered me a job."
"Really? An' yeh're not gonna take it? They seldom offer people jobs righ' off, yeh know."
"I know that, Hagrid, and in a way I am very flattered that they wrote to me," I sighed. "But it may not be the most pleasant of jobs, and I want to know I'm doing the right thing by accepting it or turning it down before I give Fudge an answer."
He looked a little puzzled, and then opened his mouth to speak, but shut it again as he thought better of it.
"Are you wondering what this job is?"
He looked shifty and a little embarrassed.
"Well, yeah, but not to worry. I know the Min'stry has a lo' confidential stuff us normal folk ain't to know 'bout. It's alrigh', really. I'll just haf to take yeh word tha' its a difficult choice!" he smiled down at me again, though he looked disappointed that he wasn't going to find out.
"Well, I can tell you, so long as you promise to keep it quiet. I've not been told I can't tell anyone, but by the same token I haven't been told I can tell anyone." He nodded energetically, his interest evident. "They have decided that it's time to employ someone to keep charge of Azkaban, of both the prisoners and the dementors, and I've been offered the job."
He looked horrified.
"How can yeh even think of it? Yeh'll never be happy agen!"
"No Hagrid, that's why they've offered me the job. I'm not affected by the Dementors like pure-bred humans are. I'm barely affected at all, and pure- bred vampires feel nothing in their presence. No one knows why, but that's just the way it is. It would be a pretty morbid and gloomy job, I know, but it's morbid and gloomy in Romania at the moment as well. I think the change of scene will do me good."
He looked dubious, but smiled again.
"Well, I've got ter get back to sortin' out this lake, but thanks a lo' for poppin' out ter see me. Best o' luck, whatever yeh decide!"
"Thank you Hagrid, I hope I see you again soon!" He waved as I walked back up to the castle, then turning to continue freeing the squid. I marched up the steps and into the entrance hall, where it was now change over time. After saying brief hellos to old teachers and a rather lengthy but enjoyable chat with Professor Sambora, I made my way to Dumbledore's office. The walls of the old castle echoed a thousand memories, each connected to a thousand past hopes and dreams. More than once I took a wrong turn on my way to the gargoyle that guarded the entrance, following my heart not my mind.