Chapter 9: All Things Great And Small
"So what was inside the bag?"
"I didn't ask."
"What do you mean you didn't ask?" Ron exclaimed, earning a disapproving look from Hermione.
"I really don't think it's any of our business," Hermione said. "The twins probably wanted some help with another of their inventions."
"Why ask her?" Ron retorted. "If they needed help with potions they could just ask…well…"
Hermione raised a questioning eyebrow at him slightly smugly. Ron scowled.
"So why didn't you ask Kera?" Ron asked Harry, ignoring Hermione.
"She was arguing with someone." Harry replied. "I didn't want to interrupt."
"Arguing about what?"
"About Snape I think. Something about him causing someone's death."
"With who?" Ron asked.
"I don't know."
"You don't know? Were they arguing by floo?"
"Yeah," Harry lied. Somehow he felt Kera wouldn't be very happy about him telling them about the other dragon.
Ron sat back into his favourite armchair by the fireplace with an exaggerated sigh.
"If you really want to know, why don't you go ask her?" Hermione said, bending to pick up her knitting, only to find that Kendra and Crookshanks were happily unravelling her ball of yarn.
"Kendra?" a voice called out from upstairs.
"She's over here," Hermione replied, as she tried to persuade the two felines to give up their new toy.
There was a soft swish of robes and the sound of footfalls on the stone as Kera made her way down to the Gryffindor Common Room.
"What a mess." Kera murmured in amusement as her cat looked up at her from among the tangled strands, and set about helping Hermione. The boys exchanged amused glances.
"And you call yourselves witches." Ron said dryly.
"Oh, right!" Hermione exclaimed sheepishly. "Disintortum!"
With a wave of her wand, the yarn began to twist lazily like charmed snakes, freeing the two felines and slowly rolling itself back to a respectable ball.
"Thank you," Kera said a little stiffly.
"You're welcome," Hermione replied civilly.
An awkward silence followed.
"Erm…so how come she's got eyes like yours?" Ron asked suddenly in an attempt to break the tension. Though the two girls always made an effort to be polite to each other now, they weren't exactly on good terms yet.
"A cousin found it amusing to blind her," Kera said, curling her mouth with distaste. "I healed her eyes."
"Does she see through your eyes?" Hermione asked curiously.
"No she doesn't." Kera said, amused. "But I can see through hers sometimes."
Was that why you knew she was near last year? Harry wondered.
"Where's your cousin then? Here?" Ron asked.
"Beaubaxtons." Kera said, shaking her head. "And I think there're some in the China."
Then there was the loud crack of someone apparating into the room, and Harry was attacked by a little multicoloured whirlwind.
"Harry Potter!" the colourful blur squealed in delight.
"Er, yes, Happy Christmas, Dobby." Harry said, trying to make the enthusiastic house-elf let go of his knees.
"Yours?" Kera asked.
"Dobby is a free elf, Miss, but Harry Potter has been very good to Dobby." The elf explained with a smile, finally letting go of Harry.
"Dobby." Kera repeated slowly as if remembering something. "Dinky's cousin?"
"Yes, Dinky is Dobby's cousin! Does Dinky belong to you, Miss?"
"You have house-elves?" Hermione asked, her tone and expression dangerous as Kera nodded.
"Uh-oh." Ron muttered.
"And I suppose your house-elves are made to wear those hideous rags while they slave about, trying to fulfil the every whim of everyone in your house?" Hermione asked angrily. Kera's face hardened at Hermione's tone.
"And what if they do, Granger?" She asked coldly. "Is it any of your business how I treat my servants?"
"Your slaves, you mean!"
"Dobby hears that Dinky is very happy, Miss Hermy-onee!" Dobby said frantically in an attempt to placate the two girls.
"Hear that, Granger?" Kera asked, sounding an awful lot like Malfoy.
"Dinky is not happy!" Hermione said angrily. "She's being exploited and abused, and she only says she is happy because if she said otherwise you would make her iron her fingers!"
"House-elves live to serve, Granger. That's what they exist for." Kera replied, her brow furrowed with annoyance.
"They are living, breathing, thinking creatures! They have rights!" Hermione insisted, her voice climbing up a few decibels. The two boys winced.
Before Kera had had a chance to retort, they were interrupted by a knock on the portrait door.
"Ready ter go?" Hagrid bellowed hopefully from the other side.
"Yes!" the boys replied, rushing to get their cloaks and scarves.
"Anything to get out of there," Ron said fervently to Harry. "Even a giant's Christmas tea party!"
*~*~~*~**~*~*~~*
Harry found himself wishing a little that he had stayed in the Gryffindor common room after all. Hagrid, being Hagrid, had insisted they take the shortcut through the Forbidden Forest. In the dim afternoon light of winter, the trees in the Forbidden Forest cast twisted into strange shapes in the dull shadows reminiscent of the last time they had been there, and more than once Harry had an eerie prickling feeling along his nape, as if he was being watched by hidden eyes. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Ron's strangely pinched look, and Hermione (still fuming) with her wand out in case of any danger.
"Don' yer all worry yerselves out now," Hagrid told them, noticing their tensed looks when a distinct scattering sound was heard not far from them. "That's just Aragog's grandchildren lookin' out fer us."
It didn't make Harry feel any better, considering Aragog had given them his permission to eat them in their second year. Ron turned visibly paler.
With Hagrid leading the way, they soon reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest, the old hut Sirius and Remus had been living in looking more tattered and rundown than it had been last year, making Harry comment that it was like magic that hadn't collapsed yet, until Hermione reminded him that it probably was. The boulders that littered the foot of the mountain also seemed to have piled up, and a sign had been put up that said 'Warning: Avalanche-Prone Zone'.
"Hagrid, are you sure this is safe?" Harry asked.
"Safe as riding on Buckbeak!" Hagrid said in what they hoped was supposed to be a reassurance, already starting up the mountain.
For more than an hour they struggled up the mountain on the steep, winding, and stony path they had once took in their fourth year Sirius and Buckbeak had been hiding in the caves. The journey was made even harder by the freezing winds and slippery snow and ice, and Ron had to reach out a long arm to steady Hermione every so often. Then there were the tremors that would shake the mountainside as the giants stomped above, sending a shower of debris and the occasional large rock flying down. Luckily for them, the rocks seemed to have been charmed and would bounce harmlessly off an invisible air barrier above their heads to land with a resounding crash below.
By the time they finally reached the huge oak door set in the middle of the mountain, Harry's fingers had been frozen numb under his gloves and his muscles were aching despite years of Quidditch. Hermione had turned ashen from trying to catch her breath.
"Mom!" Hagrid called as he pounded on the door with his fist. "I've brought Harry an' his friends for tea!"
The mountain shook again as they felt the footsteps of someone hurrying towards the door, and in a few moments, the oak slab swung open.
"Good afternoon." Fridwulfa greeted them. "Come in and take a seat."
Too out of breath and too tired to reply, the three Gryffindors nodded politely and slumped into a huge armchair near the fireplace to recover.
The chair was covered with fur and wild hide, much like the other chairs in the room, and by tilting his head back, Harry could see a great domed ceiling above them. He leant forward curiously too peer out from behind the arm-rests, and saw a maze of passage-ways to his left and right, presumably leading deeper within the recesses of the mountain.
"Professor Dumbledore carved out the interior of this mountain for Mom," Hagrid said. "Great man, Dumbledore."
"Indeed." Fridwulfa agreed, carrying a tray and setting it gently on the table before them. She picked up a teacup and frowned, realising they were more like sinks to the Gryffindors.
"Oh, I brought some mugs for 'em little 'uns," Hagrid told his mother, searching through the numerous pockets in his enormous coat, and finally fishing out three chipped blue mugs.
Picking up a teapot that was easily the size of the Dursleys' 49 inch TV set, Fridwulfa carefully filled the tiny mugs, a scene that was absurdly funny and sent Ron into fits of slightly hysterical laughter he tried to hide by coughing loudly.
But the mugs of hot tea were heaven after the chilly trip up the mountain, though the trio hadn't quite dared to try the strange misshapen lumps of pastry their giantess host had provided.
"Well go on. Don't be shy!" Hagrid beamed, breaking off a piece and handing one to each of them. "Mom made them just fer you."
Harry bit into one and choked.
"Now we know where Hagrid gets his taste for rock cakes and talon stew." Harry wheezed as Ron thumped his back.
"Where is your other friend?" Fridwulfa asked them in her deep booming voice. "The one with the fair hair."
"Malfoy? He's not our friend." Ron answered. "He's just a nosey little ferret who happened to tag along."
"Ferret?" She asked in puzzlement.
"Er…Long story." Harry said.
"Dragons." Someone said behind them.
"Pardon?" Harry asked, turning around to find himself staring into the huge wrinkled face of an old giant.
"What is he doing here?" Fridwulfa asked with displeasure. "Get Grawp to take him away from our guests."
The giant ignored her and stood up from his crouching position from behind the huge chair the trio had been sitting in. Bent with age, he wore little more than a loincloth despite the harsh cold, exposing a body creased like old elephant skin. His head was bald in patches as if he had pulled out chunks of his hair at some point of time, and whatever was left of it was long, wispy and white, and hung wildly in front of his face.
"Your number is short of one," the old giant stated gleefully, leering at Harry with his rheumy eyes. The Gryffindor shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.
"What do you mean short of one?" Harry asked.
The giant ignored his question, attention flickering for a moment – then he began to mutter to himself under his breath.
"Don't yer all mind him now," Hagrid whispered. "He's always sayin' things like that, gone a bit soft now."
"Why?" Ron asked, still staring fearfully at the mad giant.
But before Hagrid could answer him, the giant let out a slow chuckle that sent shivers down Harry's back.
"Now within the heart of the Forest lies a great treasure, ensnared by the webs of the past." The giant said, looking at Harry but seeming to see through him as if he was not there.
"Best be looking out for dragons now." He whispered, before walking off back into the depths of the cave.
[A/N: Sorry! I was really swamped with homework and choir practice… looks like each chapter will take about one semester to write at the rate I'm going ^^ But I think the next chapter will be up before Christmas, since I'm on holiday now.
Have you lot watched the Azkaban trailer? Bloody brilliant, it is – I can't wait for June 4th!]