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Chapter Fifteen: Hagrid
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THE GROUNDS
Harry trudged down to Hagrid's hut that evening. He needed help. Ron fancied Hermione, and Hermione fancied Harry, but Harry wasn't sure about his feelings for Hermione. He was fully aware of the fact that most couples that go steady in sixth and seventh year usually end up married after Hogwarts. If Ron loved her enough to take an Avada Kedavra for her, he deserved to be with Hermione.
The trouble was, what if Hermione didn't feel the same way as Ron? What if Harry and Hermione really were meant to be, but Harry had just been too thick to notice? What if, by breaking it off, Harry was really losing the love of his life?
"'Ello there, 'Arry," said the half giant. The spade on which he was leaning was slowly bending under his weight.
"Hi Hagrid," said Harry. "I need to talk to you about something."
"Go on ahead."
"It's - er - a bit - personal. Can we go inside?"
*****
HAGRID'S HUT
Hagrid set a pot of tea on the table. "So, 'Arry - what's so wrong that you can't talk in front of Ron and 'Ermione?"
"Well, it's about them, really," sighed Harry.
"Oh . . ." A knowing look covered the visible part of Hagrid's face. "This 'as to do with you and 'Ermione."
"Er-"
"And you've somehow found out that Ron likes 'Ermione."
"Er-"
"First of all, tell me about what 'appened in the Forest this mornin'. No- one tells me nothin' any more."
"Right," said Harry in a defeated voice. "Hermione and I were taking a walk along the lake. Then you called me over, and when I went back, Hermione was gone. I could hear screams from the Forest, so I followed them. Some Slytherins-"
"Which ones?" asked Hagrid sharply.
"Malfoy, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle-"
"Sounds like a roll of Death Eaters," groaned Hagrid.
"They had two girls with them - Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode, but I think they just followed the boys. Anyway, they were about to kill Hermione when I arrived."
"No!"
"Yes. Malfoy was halfway through the curse." A look of utmost shock and disgust appeared on Hagrid's face.
"When I get my 'ands on them . . ."
"There's nothing you can do, Hagrid," said Harry, shaking his head, "and there was nothing I could do, either. I cursed a few of them before Malfoy put the Full Body Bind on me. Nothing I could do. He said the curse, and I saw the green light leave his wand, then Ron rushed in and blocked the curse with his body. Hermione managed to get free and took the curse off me, but there was nothing we could do for Ron. You saw us going to the Hospital Wing with him."
Harry paused. A question had, for the first time, risen in Harry's mind. "Hagrid, how did Ron know where we were?"
Hagrid gave a faint smile. "'E came ter see me. 'E saw you and 'Ermione in the Common Room last night. An' I'm guessin' that's what you came ter talk ter me about."
Harry nodded weakly. "Yeah." Hagrid got up to pour some more tea. "Hagrid," he said suddenly, "do you mean to say that Ron saw us?"
"Came downstairs to see where you'd got to," said Hagrid, twisting round slightly. "Got a bit more information than 'e wanted."
"Oh no," groaned Harry.
"It's all right," said Hagrid. "'E's known about you two for ages. I just don't think 'e wanted to believe it."
"Us two?" Harry repeated, "For ages? Hagrid, he's got it all wrong. Hermione and I only started going out last night!"
"It's not as simple as that," sighed Hagrid. "Ron's always felt like the stupid one in your little group. You're 'Arry Potter an' all that, 'Ermione is the smartest in the school - 'e was always jus' your tall redheaded friend. Jus' that Weasley kid. 'E was always trying to measure up to his brothers - well, not Percy - but he had a lot to live up to. Four in the Order, and like 'im or not, Percy 'as a good job. I'm waitin' fer Percy ter come crawlin' back ter 'is family now."
"He always seemed okay with that stuff," said Harry, as if talking to himself. "It was only that time in Fourth Year that it got to him."
"True, 'Arry, very true," agreed Hagrid. "I'm amazed 'e put up with it fer so long till then. It's not easy fer 'im. But gettin' back ter your situation, Ron's fancied 'Ermione since at least then. Did yeh never wonder why 'e 'ated Krum so much?"
"He broke his Krum doll after the Yule Ball," Harry remembered.
"Then Ron 'ad the bad luck of seeing that 'Ermione wasn't interested in 'im - she fancied you, 'Arry."
"S-she did?"
"Course! I'm surprised yeh didn't notice it. I 'ad a talk with 'er one day about it. Anyway, what exactly was yer problem?"
"It's Ron," Harry sighed. "I know he likes Hermione, even if Hermione doesn't seem to feel the same. It wouldn't be fair for me to go out with her - he's my best friend. But at the same time, when I'm with Hermione it's different from when I was with Cho. Something just seems to click - it's more comfortable or something."
"And you're afraid of what you could be missing if you dumped 'Ermione for Ron's sake," finished Hagrid.
"Yeah," said Harry lamely.
"'Arry," said Hagrid, leaning over the table, "this is goin' ter sound stupid, but trust me: do what yeh feel best doin'. Follow yer 'eart. If it don't work out, at least you know that much. If it does, at least yeh know yeh tried. It's like my ol' dad used to say: 'What'll be'll be.'"
Chapter Fifteen: Hagrid
::::::--------------
THE GROUNDS
Harry trudged down to Hagrid's hut that evening. He needed help. Ron fancied Hermione, and Hermione fancied Harry, but Harry wasn't sure about his feelings for Hermione. He was fully aware of the fact that most couples that go steady in sixth and seventh year usually end up married after Hogwarts. If Ron loved her enough to take an Avada Kedavra for her, he deserved to be with Hermione.
The trouble was, what if Hermione didn't feel the same way as Ron? What if Harry and Hermione really were meant to be, but Harry had just been too thick to notice? What if, by breaking it off, Harry was really losing the love of his life?
"'Ello there, 'Arry," said the half giant. The spade on which he was leaning was slowly bending under his weight.
"Hi Hagrid," said Harry. "I need to talk to you about something."
"Go on ahead."
"It's - er - a bit - personal. Can we go inside?"
*****
HAGRID'S HUT
Hagrid set a pot of tea on the table. "So, 'Arry - what's so wrong that you can't talk in front of Ron and 'Ermione?"
"Well, it's about them, really," sighed Harry.
"Oh . . ." A knowing look covered the visible part of Hagrid's face. "This 'as to do with you and 'Ermione."
"Er-"
"And you've somehow found out that Ron likes 'Ermione."
"Er-"
"First of all, tell me about what 'appened in the Forest this mornin'. No- one tells me nothin' any more."
"Right," said Harry in a defeated voice. "Hermione and I were taking a walk along the lake. Then you called me over, and when I went back, Hermione was gone. I could hear screams from the Forest, so I followed them. Some Slytherins-"
"Which ones?" asked Hagrid sharply.
"Malfoy, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle-"
"Sounds like a roll of Death Eaters," groaned Hagrid.
"They had two girls with them - Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode, but I think they just followed the boys. Anyway, they were about to kill Hermione when I arrived."
"No!"
"Yes. Malfoy was halfway through the curse." A look of utmost shock and disgust appeared on Hagrid's face.
"When I get my 'ands on them . . ."
"There's nothing you can do, Hagrid," said Harry, shaking his head, "and there was nothing I could do, either. I cursed a few of them before Malfoy put the Full Body Bind on me. Nothing I could do. He said the curse, and I saw the green light leave his wand, then Ron rushed in and blocked the curse with his body. Hermione managed to get free and took the curse off me, but there was nothing we could do for Ron. You saw us going to the Hospital Wing with him."
Harry paused. A question had, for the first time, risen in Harry's mind. "Hagrid, how did Ron know where we were?"
Hagrid gave a faint smile. "'E came ter see me. 'E saw you and 'Ermione in the Common Room last night. An' I'm guessin' that's what you came ter talk ter me about."
Harry nodded weakly. "Yeah." Hagrid got up to pour some more tea. "Hagrid," he said suddenly, "do you mean to say that Ron saw us?"
"Came downstairs to see where you'd got to," said Hagrid, twisting round slightly. "Got a bit more information than 'e wanted."
"Oh no," groaned Harry.
"It's all right," said Hagrid. "'E's known about you two for ages. I just don't think 'e wanted to believe it."
"Us two?" Harry repeated, "For ages? Hagrid, he's got it all wrong. Hermione and I only started going out last night!"
"It's not as simple as that," sighed Hagrid. "Ron's always felt like the stupid one in your little group. You're 'Arry Potter an' all that, 'Ermione is the smartest in the school - 'e was always jus' your tall redheaded friend. Jus' that Weasley kid. 'E was always trying to measure up to his brothers - well, not Percy - but he had a lot to live up to. Four in the Order, and like 'im or not, Percy 'as a good job. I'm waitin' fer Percy ter come crawlin' back ter 'is family now."
"He always seemed okay with that stuff," said Harry, as if talking to himself. "It was only that time in Fourth Year that it got to him."
"True, 'Arry, very true," agreed Hagrid. "I'm amazed 'e put up with it fer so long till then. It's not easy fer 'im. But gettin' back ter your situation, Ron's fancied 'Ermione since at least then. Did yeh never wonder why 'e 'ated Krum so much?"
"He broke his Krum doll after the Yule Ball," Harry remembered.
"Then Ron 'ad the bad luck of seeing that 'Ermione wasn't interested in 'im - she fancied you, 'Arry."
"S-she did?"
"Course! I'm surprised yeh didn't notice it. I 'ad a talk with 'er one day about it. Anyway, what exactly was yer problem?"
"It's Ron," Harry sighed. "I know he likes Hermione, even if Hermione doesn't seem to feel the same. It wouldn't be fair for me to go out with her - he's my best friend. But at the same time, when I'm with Hermione it's different from when I was with Cho. Something just seems to click - it's more comfortable or something."
"And you're afraid of what you could be missing if you dumped 'Ermione for Ron's sake," finished Hagrid.
"Yeah," said Harry lamely.
"'Arry," said Hagrid, leaning over the table, "this is goin' ter sound stupid, but trust me: do what yeh feel best doin'. Follow yer 'eart. If it don't work out, at least you know that much. If it does, at least yeh know yeh tried. It's like my ol' dad used to say: 'What'll be'll be.'"