Ron slid into the seat next to Hermione at dinner and looked at her
expectantly.
"What?"
"Are you really going to go see Grawp tonight?"
"Sure, why not?"
"Because he might smash you to pieces-- Hermy."
"Don't be silly. Hagrid says he's doing way better over the past few months." Ron's jaw dropped as he looked at her. Hermione looked to Harry, but he looked similarly doubtful.
"Look," she sighed. "Ever since. you know. well, I just feel so strange. I have all these worries and I can't concentrate on anything properly. I feel like I need a jumpstart- something to wake me up. I mean, I can't help them, but I've got to do something!"
Harry nodded at this. He understood the helplessness she was feeling. "Kind of reckless," he mumbled. Hermione shot him a look, but then realized he wasn't lecturing, he was sympathizing.
"Right."
But Ron was determined. "What about the centaurs? Don't you remember how they were going to kill you and Harry a few months ago?"
"Oh, Dumbledore smoothed that over ages ago, Ron. We couldn't very well have a games keeper who couldn't enter the forest, could we? But Ron still looked doubtful.
He leaned forward to her. "Do you want me and Harry to come too? I mean I know Hagrid'll look after you, but you know. It couldn't hurt to have a few more hands around."
"You just don't want to do your homework without me there."
"No, that's not it."
"Hermione," said Harry reasonably, "Grawp is almost certainly still dangerous, despite what Hagrid says, so we're coming with you. We have all weekend to do our homework." She looked as though she was going to argue, but Harry cut her off. "I swear we'll have time."
So the three of them set off underneath Harry's invisibility cloak that night toward Hagrid's cabin.
"How deep into the forest is he?" asked Ron, who had never been out to meet Grawp. "I mean, is he out where Aragog lives?"
Harry glanced over with a grin. Ron was terrified of the giant spider. "No, it's a different direction."
When they reached Hagrid's front door, they removed the cloak and Hermione knocked three times. Fang, Hagrid's boarhound, barked from within.
Hagrid swung the door open. "Yeh ready?" he asked with a grin.
They set off with Hagrid and Fang into the forest. Although it was a clear, starry night with a nearly full moon, it was pitch black in the forest.
"Lumos." Three wands lit the way ahead of them.
After a few minutes of walking, the group left the trail. They moved slower off the trail since Hermione, Ron, and Harry kept getting caught in the brambles. But finally they came to a clearing. A large bonfire was burning in the center, and staring into it was Hagrid's half brother, the giant known as Grawp.
"Blimey!" exclaimed Ron. Hermione stepped on his foot. "Shh. Don't offend him." Ron looked at her like she was nuts.
Hagrid moved forward into the clearing. "Hi, Grawpy," he said.
Grawp turned to reveal himself in the firelight. Hermione gasped. Grawp did indeed look much more civilized. He was cleaner, for one thing, and was wearing what looked like homemade, giant-sized clothes. He was sitting with his hands folded neatly in his lap. Despite his huge stature (Grawp stood about sixteen feet), and disproportionately large head, hands, and feet, Grawp certainly looked much more like a human than he had during their last meeting.
Harry and Hermione looked at each other in disbelief as Grawp smiled and waved, "Hullo, Hagger. Hower yee?"
"I'm fine, Grawpy. I brought some friends. D'yeh remember Harry n' Hermione? And tha's Ron." Hagrid gestured to the trio still standing on the edge of the clearing.
"Hermy!" Grawp yelled. He stood up and stepped toward them with frightful speed and agility. The ground trembled with each step he took. Within two seconds he was standing before them, his hand outstretched as though he were going to grab Hermione.
Ron jumped in front of her, and Grawp straightened back up, as though remembering himself. He looked at Hagrid, and with a startling imitation of his half-brother's voice, he said, "Grawpy, don' grab."
Hagrid chuckled as he walked back to the group. "Tha's righ', Grawp." Then he added in an undertone, "See? Doin' great."
Hermione and Harry smiled back at him. In comparison to before, Hagrid had quite civilized his half-brother. Ron, however, was still eyeing Grawp uncertainly, ready to whip out his wand should Grawp move to grab Hermione again.
The visit was pretty short, but it went very well. Grawp learned Harry and Ron's names too, and was able to speak in simple sentences in English, although he tended to exaggerate Hagrid's accent. He seemed to be very happy in the forest now, and he was no longer violent to Hagrid or anyone else, from Hagrid's report.
Hermione was in better spirits on the way back to the castle. She had been right. She did need to be shaken up a bit. Plus, she though confidently, if Hagrid could do that well with Grawp, surely the healers at St. Mungo's could help her parents.
"What?"
"Are you really going to go see Grawp tonight?"
"Sure, why not?"
"Because he might smash you to pieces-- Hermy."
"Don't be silly. Hagrid says he's doing way better over the past few months." Ron's jaw dropped as he looked at her. Hermione looked to Harry, but he looked similarly doubtful.
"Look," she sighed. "Ever since. you know. well, I just feel so strange. I have all these worries and I can't concentrate on anything properly. I feel like I need a jumpstart- something to wake me up. I mean, I can't help them, but I've got to do something!"
Harry nodded at this. He understood the helplessness she was feeling. "Kind of reckless," he mumbled. Hermione shot him a look, but then realized he wasn't lecturing, he was sympathizing.
"Right."
But Ron was determined. "What about the centaurs? Don't you remember how they were going to kill you and Harry a few months ago?"
"Oh, Dumbledore smoothed that over ages ago, Ron. We couldn't very well have a games keeper who couldn't enter the forest, could we? But Ron still looked doubtful.
He leaned forward to her. "Do you want me and Harry to come too? I mean I know Hagrid'll look after you, but you know. It couldn't hurt to have a few more hands around."
"You just don't want to do your homework without me there."
"No, that's not it."
"Hermione," said Harry reasonably, "Grawp is almost certainly still dangerous, despite what Hagrid says, so we're coming with you. We have all weekend to do our homework." She looked as though she was going to argue, but Harry cut her off. "I swear we'll have time."
So the three of them set off underneath Harry's invisibility cloak that night toward Hagrid's cabin.
"How deep into the forest is he?" asked Ron, who had never been out to meet Grawp. "I mean, is he out where Aragog lives?"
Harry glanced over with a grin. Ron was terrified of the giant spider. "No, it's a different direction."
When they reached Hagrid's front door, they removed the cloak and Hermione knocked three times. Fang, Hagrid's boarhound, barked from within.
Hagrid swung the door open. "Yeh ready?" he asked with a grin.
They set off with Hagrid and Fang into the forest. Although it was a clear, starry night with a nearly full moon, it was pitch black in the forest.
"Lumos." Three wands lit the way ahead of them.
After a few minutes of walking, the group left the trail. They moved slower off the trail since Hermione, Ron, and Harry kept getting caught in the brambles. But finally they came to a clearing. A large bonfire was burning in the center, and staring into it was Hagrid's half brother, the giant known as Grawp.
"Blimey!" exclaimed Ron. Hermione stepped on his foot. "Shh. Don't offend him." Ron looked at her like she was nuts.
Hagrid moved forward into the clearing. "Hi, Grawpy," he said.
Grawp turned to reveal himself in the firelight. Hermione gasped. Grawp did indeed look much more civilized. He was cleaner, for one thing, and was wearing what looked like homemade, giant-sized clothes. He was sitting with his hands folded neatly in his lap. Despite his huge stature (Grawp stood about sixteen feet), and disproportionately large head, hands, and feet, Grawp certainly looked much more like a human than he had during their last meeting.
Harry and Hermione looked at each other in disbelief as Grawp smiled and waved, "Hullo, Hagger. Hower yee?"
"I'm fine, Grawpy. I brought some friends. D'yeh remember Harry n' Hermione? And tha's Ron." Hagrid gestured to the trio still standing on the edge of the clearing.
"Hermy!" Grawp yelled. He stood up and stepped toward them with frightful speed and agility. The ground trembled with each step he took. Within two seconds he was standing before them, his hand outstretched as though he were going to grab Hermione.
Ron jumped in front of her, and Grawp straightened back up, as though remembering himself. He looked at Hagrid, and with a startling imitation of his half-brother's voice, he said, "Grawpy, don' grab."
Hagrid chuckled as he walked back to the group. "Tha's righ', Grawp." Then he added in an undertone, "See? Doin' great."
Hermione and Harry smiled back at him. In comparison to before, Hagrid had quite civilized his half-brother. Ron, however, was still eyeing Grawp uncertainly, ready to whip out his wand should Grawp move to grab Hermione again.
The visit was pretty short, but it went very well. Grawp learned Harry and Ron's names too, and was able to speak in simple sentences in English, although he tended to exaggerate Hagrid's accent. He seemed to be very happy in the forest now, and he was no longer violent to Hagrid or anyone else, from Hagrid's report.
Hermione was in better spirits on the way back to the castle. She had been right. She did need to be shaken up a bit. Plus, she though confidently, if Hagrid could do that well with Grawp, surely the healers at St. Mungo's could help her parents.