"Not your fault"

With a huge smile on her face, Minerva walked away from the examination table.

Augusta rolled her eyes. She could identify with being happy that the exam was over, but she could bet that her friend actually enjoyed taking the tests themselves. Apparently missing her disapproving look, Minerva approached the old tree that Augusta was leaning against. Without a word, she sat down next to her.

"So?" asked Augusta, shifting in her spot in order to see Minerva properly. "How did it go?"

"Good, I think," said the dark-haired witch as she stretched her muscles. "You?"

Usually, Augusta disliked talking about the exams once she was done with them. Having to listen to Minerva knowing all the answers was getting annoying real fast. However, the O.W.L.s were the most important tests she'd taken in her life. Her entire future depended on today's performance. The witch couldn't help but be curious if she passed.

"Please tell me that there was only one Matagot in the litter," she said pleadingly.

Matagots were a kind of magical beasts that resembled large black cats. Harmless until provoked, they were difficult to deal with due to their high resistance to most offensive spells. From appearance, young specimens were practically indistinguishable from ordinary kittens. However, during examination, students were allowed to use their wands.

"Yes, there was," replied Minerva in a reassuring tone. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Augusta give a weak grimace while she was nursing her burnt finger. "Had some troubles identifying a fire slug, I see?"

The girl cursed under her breath.

"I was so sure it was a poisonous slug! Until that little shit breathed fire on me, that is."

Her friend chuckled, amused by the passion in which Augusta spoke about multiple ways she would prepare deep fried banana slugs. Starring the magical slugs that Kettleburn provided for today's practical.

"Well, if that's all the injuries you've got, then you should pass no problem," interrupted Minerva when the witch made a pause to take a breath. She hoped Augusta would get the hint and stop talking, at least for the time being. The conversation was tiring her.

"I hope you're right. It would be a waste of holidays if I had to retake my O.W.L.s."

Realizing that her friend was not going to respond, Augusta glanced around the Forbidden Forest. She counted the students that were still waiting for their turn. "So, ten more people and I can finally go to the beach!" she happily exclaimed.

Minerva's brows furrowed.

"I thought you still have Charms…?"

The other girl waved her hand dismissively.

"Yeah, but I don't have to exceed expectations on every subject, now, do I? Besides," she continued in a lowered voice," it wasn't my idea to postpone the exams until the first week of July. Technically, my holidays began a week ago, and I'm going to use them as intended. Care to join me at the lake?"

Judging from Minerva's expression, the offer was very tempting. After such a stressful and eventful school year, her body had been begging her to slow down for weeks. Still, no matter how much she'd love to say yes to her friend's offer, she simply couldn't afford to lose an evening. In her book, studies always came before pleasure.

"I… I can't, sorry. I have Arithmancy tomorrow, and I have yet to open the book."

Augusta's eyes widened. It usually took her weeks to prepare for a single subject. How could the ever-responsible Minerva be so reckless?

"You plan to learn all the material in less than a day?!"

Minerva shrugged, unimpressed.

"What else can I do?" At Augusta's incredulous expression, she elaborated. "I couldn't have learnt this earlier, not with eleven subjects in total. In truth, I'm lucky that none of the exams overlap, and I don't have to run from one classroom to another."

"Then why won't you just−"

Augusta's speech was interrupted half-sentence by Minerva's raised hand. She put a finger on her mouth, became completely still, and looked around quickly, suddenly fully focused and alert.

"What?" asked Augusta, alarmed by her friend's actions.

"I think I've heard something," Minerva said, though a little unsure. She was exhausted from learning overnight, but she found it hard to believe that this would cause delusions.

Both girls searched for the possible source of the noise. They glimpsed something between the bushes, but it turned out to be a small bird.

The next crack and rustling was accompanied by moving branches.

With their wands out, the girls went to investigate. Slowly, they approached the suspicious clump of oaks. Holding her breath, Minerva reached out for the leaves to move them out of her line of sight.

Her voice died in her throat, and the girl's heart almost jumped out of her chest. Augusta had to cover her mouth in order not to scream.

"Hagrid?!" Minerva's loud whisper sounded like a rumble.

The witch couldn't believe her own eyes. She would be less shocked if she saw a two-headed unicorn grazing the grass. Yet, there he was, a boy she was never to meet again, standing before her in his casual oversized robes. Last time Minerva got a glimpse of Hagrid, his wand had just been snapped by the Ministry official, and he was being escorted out of the school.

"Shhh! Keep yeh voice down, will yeh?" The wizard waved his hands hurriedly to quiet the girls down.

"What are you doing here?" asked Minerva through gritted teeth.

Hagrid gave a non-committal shrug.

"Jus' wanted ter check how yer exam went, 's all." His face momentarily fell, as if he realized something. "It's not like I'll ever get to take my Owls, an' I was a lil' curious."

Actually, there was much more to his situation than that, the witch remembered. In the Muggle world, one could never finish school and still live a perfectly normal life. Get a job, proper education, have family and friends. In the Wizarding World, however, a wandless wizard was an outcast. Every single job − paid job − required the use of magic. As did almost every single element of a daily routine: meal preparation, means of transport, house cleaning, wound mending. Witches and wizards that could not perform spells were not disabled in a physical sense, and yet it appeared as if a vital part of them was missing. And they were not full wizards without it.

Feeling sorry for the boy, Minerva shifted her tone.

"But why are you even here, at the school grounds?"

Hagrid opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. It was obvious that the girls were apprehensive around him, and it made him feel uneasy. Unable to explain himself, the boy turned to look behind. It wasn't until then that Augusta and Minerva saw the caretaker watch them from a certain distance. They nodded to greet him.

"Are you with Mr. Ogg, Hagrid?" inquired Augusta, discretely pointing in the man's direction.

A moment later, the boy's face brightened, as the pieces of a single puzzle fell into place.

"Oh! Yeh didn' know that, did yeh? Abou' where I've bin?"

The girls looked at each other, as Hagrid rushed with an explanation.

"Great man, Dumbledore! Nobody didn' think much about me, a little bloke with no parents, no money, an' no place ter go. Tha's when our dear head stood out fer me. Helped me, he did, get outa Hogwarts fer some days. Ter stay put, yer see, until everyone leaves fer their holidays. Then I come back an' he got me a job! A real job, 'ere, at good ol' Hogwarts! And Professor says I can stay long as I like."

A warm feeling of pride filled Minerva at the sound of her favourite teacher being praised. She heard from the wizard himself that he would do everything he could to help Hagrid get back on his feet. Still, the girl had no idea that this help would include staying at the grounds as the gatekeeper's apprentice. All the special treatment that Hagrid received made her feel jealous and left out. She hated herself for this almost immediately.

"Wait a moment. You were expelled from the school for killing a student, and they actually let you stay here?" Augusta found it hard to believe.

Hagrid glanced from one girl to another. He was close to panic.

"This wasn' me! Yer do believe me when I say this, righ'?" he said questioningly, although his voice was pleading. "Yer 'ave to know that I didn'. I wouldn'! I could ne'er…"

Judging from Augusta's frown, he didn't convince her in the slightest. But Minerva was having doubts. She always believed Professor Dumbledore when he told her that Hagrid wouldn't hurt anyone on purpose. She wasn't sure about accidentally, though. Yet, looking at the young wizard's hopeful face, remembering her teacher's words, and then glancing at good old Mr. Ogg, she had to admit that she wanted to believe in Hagrid, too.

"C'mon, Minerva! Yeh know me, don' yeh? Do yeh think I could kill someone?"

All the eyes were at her. Minerva had to think her words carefully.

"You got punished," she stated with a solemn face. "But it doesn't mean this was your fault."

Hagrid beamed at her. But Augusta wasn't so easily swayed.

"Are you out of your mind?!" she said as loud as it was possible without drawing unwanted attention. "This kid kept a dangerous spider − an illegal spider, mind you − as his pet. With or without his consent, I don't care, this monster attacked a dozen of people. People you know, your colleagues, your teachers, your friends. And you're saying this is not his fault?"

"Acromantulas don't petrify," said Minerva, also raising her voice.

"Pardon me?"

"Their venom," the girl continued, "petrifies the victims only if it enters their bloodstream. That's what Professor Kettleburn had been telling us. And the victims didn't have the bite marks. Not a single one of them."

Augusta remained silent, her mouth half-open. She meant to keep arguing, but Minerva's revelations gave her something to think about.

"This doesn't add up," the witch announced, visibly irritated. "If anyone had doubts about Hagrid's guilt, why did they break his wand?"

Her friend spread her hands helplessly. "Your guess is as good as mine."

There was some commotion in the distance. It seemed that the practical exam was about to end.

"We should go back," said Augusta. But Minerva ignored her. She'd just realized something important, and she believed that Hagrid should know this, as well.

"Wait. Hagrid, do you want to know what happened to Myrtle Warren? The girl who died?"

"Wha−?" said the boy distractedly. Apparently, the fact that he might've been convicted without solid evidence was a heavy blow to him. "Oh, yeah, 'course I do."

"She haunts Olive Hornby, the girl that used to tease her about her glasses." Hagrid's expression was blank. He did not understand. "Don't you see what I'm getting at? She doesn't blame you for what had happened to her. And I'm sure she's not the only one."