Chapter 23: Grawp
"Now, can anyone tell me why we're here for our apparition lesson?" asked Professor McGonagall. The whole Transfiguration class had been carried out in Hogsmeade that day.
Hermione's hand shot up in the air almost immediately. "Please Professor, Hogwarts had been protected by an ancient spell such that no apparating would be possible on its grounds," she said cleverly.
"Very good," said McGonagall, "ten points to Gryffindor. Now, apparating is no simple feat. It may look very easy but many things had gone awry before if they were not done properly. When you've become really good at it, you do not need a wand to disapparate. In fact, you do not even need an incantation. However, since this is your first time, I would like you to start with your wand. At the count of three, point your wand at yourself and say 'Apprenish', while thinking of the place you wished to be at. For now, we'll just meet at the end of this street."
Harry held his wand high above his hand, its tips directing at him.
"One… Two… Three!"
"Apprenish," Harry said. He felt an electric current shot through his whole body and in an instant he appeared in the clearing behind Hogsmeade. What the, he thought. He was sure he had pictured the entrance of The Three Broomsticks, which was at the end of the street his class had been asked to apparate. How he had ended up in this clearing, he had no idea.
"Harry Potter," drawled a voice. He narrowed his eyes as Narcissa Malfoy, Draco's mother, stepped into view. He still had his wands in his hand and he was standing in a duel position.
"No need for that, young Potter," she said, "Look, no wands." She raised her hands to show that she had no wand with her. Harry lowered his wand but his fingers still clenched tightly around the thin wooden rod for comfort.
"What do you want?" Harry asked coldly. He was sure this meeting had been no coincidence.
"Nothing," she sniffed, "just thought I would warn you about your precious girlfriend, Janieve Walker."
"Well thank you," Harry replied icily, although he was bristling. How dare she speak of my Janny with her filthy mouth? "I think I should know her better than you do."
"Or do you?" Narcissa challenged.
Harry's mind wheeled. What was this all about? He was almost sure that Narcissa Malfoy was trying to sow discord between him and Janieve. That was what the Dark Wizards and Witches were good at. Harry was determined not to be another weak minded victim of hers.
"She had been working for the Dark Lord," Narcissa told him.
Harry laughed. "And why would you want to tell me that if it's the truth? You work for him too."
Now it was Narcissa's turn to laugh. "Well, let's just say, thanks to her, the Lestranges had gained a more favourable position with the Dark Lord compared to the Malfoys."
Harry shook his head, not quite sure what she was playing at, yet determined not to fall for her trap.
"I've told you what you need to know, it's up to you to believe it," she said and with that, she vanished into thin air with a loud crack.
Harry was bridled. He should know better than anyone that the Death Eater's words could not be trusted. But he could not help but found himself wondering about Janieve's mysterious disappearance over the past month. Harry had noticed it but he had not voiced his concerns. He himself had been too preoccupied with his other commitments and Ron that he felt it would be unfair to question her about her whereabouts. It was after all, Harry, who had neglected her first. That was about to change, Harry decided.
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"I told you, Ron, but you had refused to accept it," Hermione was saying, "or perhaps that thick head of yours was simply impenetratable."
Most of the seventh years were lazing around in the common room, either trying to catch up on unfinished homework, or playing exploding snaps. It was a Saturday night and most of them had spent the entire day lying on the hearth rug by the fireplace because the day was too foggy for Quidditch.
"You should have dropped Divination with me in the fourth year," she continued relentlessly. "You didn't and now you're still going to take NEWTS. I can't believe you!"
"It was different. You dropped it because Trelawney was a sham. Now we have Firenze. A centaur is an expert at predictions!" Ron argued.
"I did not drop because of that bogus," Hermione stated, "I dropped because divination is a useless subject. Have you ever considered what career path you'll be taking when you leave school? Unless you plan to become a seer, which to my knowledge, is only born not made, Divination is just rubbish."
"Right, and History is important," said Ron sarcastically, "or did you only take that because it's boring Viktor Krum's favourite subject?"
"Ronald Weasley, how many times must we go through this? I could not possibly told Viktor not to come during New Year. It would have sounded rude!" Hermione flared.
"I wasn't even talking about that," Ron shot back.
"You were," said Hermione, "at least you were thinking about it."
Ron opened his mouth to protest but Harry cut them in.
"Enough of your bickering already! I've had enough! Can't you two just shut up for a minute?" he said angrily. His scar was throbbing painfully and all he wanted was to finish up his stupid Divination essay and go back to sleep.
Ron clamped his mouth shut while Hermione just crossed her arms across her chest, a frown on her face.
"That's it, I'm going to bed," she said. She stormed up to the Gryffindor dorm with Ron and Janieve gaping after her.
"What is up with her?" Ron asked to no one in particular.
"Well, I actually think she has a point," spoke Janieve, "you wouldn't be trying so hard to finish your Divination homework if you had dropped that useless subject."
"But I… She…." Ron was at a loss for words. "Harry, help me out here!"
Great, now he's resuming the banter with Janny and he just dragged me into it, Harry thought dryly.
"You know, it would help if you just keep your mouth shut and actually try to write something," Harry said.
Ron looked at Harry incredulously. "I'll do them tomorrow when there's no distraction," he said finally, "I'm hitting the pillow too."
"Goodnight Ron," Harry said curtly. The Gryffindor common room was emptying fast. Soon, there were only Harry and Janieve.
"You okay?" she asked.
Harry gave her a sheepish grin, "I am, now. Finally some alone time with you."
Janieve swat at him but he ducked.
"Honestly Janny, I missed you," he said. He began massaging her back.
"Harry I can't," she said as she shrugged his hands off.
"Why not? You weren't even doing anything. You were just reading. Surely you were waiting for me?" Harry asked.
"Harry, what about your Divination?"
"That can wait," he said and it was the truth. He still had tomorrow to finish them but he had not been so near Janieve all alone for weeks. He needed to know that she had missed him too.
"We could go up to my dorm," he suggested, "I just want to sleep with you in my arms." He was almost begging now. The meeting with Narcissa had left him quite insecure.
"Harry I'm tired," she said apologetically. Harry studied her. She did not look like she was lying. In fact, she really looked like she needed sleep. Dark circles were visible under her eyes and her complexion had lost the usual lustre he knew was there when he had first met her.
"We'll just sleep. I promise," he said.
"You know we won't," she replied tiredly and Harry knew she was right. Who could blame him? He was sixteen, quickly growing into a man, and he missed his girlfriend. But when he spoke, he spoke in the interest of Janieve again.
"Alright then. But I really missed you."
"I know, Harry. I do too."
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Janieve felt bad for lying to Harry. It has to be done, she told herself the eighth time that night. She had snuck out of the Gryffindor tower after Harry had gone to bed and she was walking quickly out of Hogwarts castle and towards Hagrid's hut.
"Hagrid!" she rapped softly on Hagrid's wooden door. She heard Fang's bark and Hagrid's shushing and then the door clicked open.
"Janieve!" he exclaimed quietly in surprise. "I swear Harry's rules breakin' nature is rubbin' off on you!"
Janieve smiled. She sat down on one of Hagrid's stool as he poured her a warm mug of tea.
"Hagrid, have you been visiting Grawp?" she asked.
"Hell no, Janieve! Dumbledore said he would kick me out of Hogwarts if I does an' I thin' this time he meant business," he answered. "Great man, he is, tha' Dumbledore, but he can get a lil protective."
"Like Harry," said Janieve softly.
"Like Harry," he repeated. "I missed Grawp though," he said sadly, "wonder if he's doing fine."
"Hagrid, I want to visit him," Janieve said. Hagrid looked at her, his face suddenly angry.
"No Janny," he said, "I made a mis'ake once and tha' almost cost Harry his life. I'm not lettin' you do somethin' like tha'."
"But I am the most suitable person to enter the forbidden forest now. I can go in my Killet form and the Centaurs would not stop me. Not that they can, I would be too fast for them," Janieve reasoned.
"No Janny, for Merlin's sake, no!" Hagrid was yelling now. Then in a calmer voice, he spoke, "So wha' if you gets to Grawp unharmed? How is you goin' to talk to him? He does not knows you. He is goin' to attack you!"
"Hagrid, it worth a try," she said.
"Janieve, no and I mean no. 'hat's that. No more buts. Now, I thin' it's better if you leave," Hagrid said in an I-mean-business tone. He got up and opened the hut's door for Janieve.
Janieve got up and left Hagrid's. She might not have been able to persuade Hagrid to agree with her, but it had not meant she was going to just let it go. She had every intention of going into the Forbidden Forest whether he liked it or not.
She pretended to walk up to the castle but quickly slipped into the Forbidden Forest when she was sure Hagrid was not looking. Harry had once told her that Dumbledore had tried to make Giants their ally but had failed to do so. If there was any hope at all, Grawp was the one and Janieve was adamant about that. She knew that she had to communicate with Grawp, not only for the sake of that, but also to fulfil a promise she had made to her fellow kind.
She changed into her Killet form and plunged deeper into the forest. She had no idea where Grawp was for she had never ever been to the forest before. But her night vision was a great asset to her advantage. She could see clearly every movement amongst the trees, even clearer than most of her fellow wizards and witches could in the daylight.
She thought she had people talking in hushed tones as she jumped over a huge protruding root. She paused and listened. There were indeed whisperings. She darted her eyes around for any sign of life but forest was completely still except for the occasional rustle of wind against leaves. But the whispering was unmistakeable and they seemed to have got louder. Janieve concentrated hard.
No, it can't be, she thought, the trees can't be talking. But that seemed like the most probable explanation despite the absurdity of the possibility. The trees were talking to each other in low, odd, rasping sounds. Janieve had never heard trees talked before and she realised in amazement that even the organic creatures had a tongue of their own.
She listened on curiously as she continued her search for the Giant even though she could not understand a single word of it. If they even could be considered words. Janieve stopped abruptly before an odd looking boulder. Her gaze flickered upwards and she realised to her horror that the odd looking boulder was actually the toes of who Janieve believed to be Grawp.
Janieve immediately transformed into human form. It did little to reduce the relative size of Grawp's compared to hers. She had a sudden urge to run back the way she had came from but she stood rooted to the ground, be it from fear or from determination.
"Hi Grawp," she yelled up at him, her voice quivering slightly. The Giant let out a thunderous growl. Janieve hoped desperately that Grawp had already been fed.
"I'm Hagrid's friend," she said.
"Hagger!" Grawp roared again, his low rumbling voice shook the earth beneath them. Janieve staggered backwards at the quake but she forced herself to speak again.
"I'm Janny." She figured that Janny would be an easier name than Janieve.
"Grawp anger! Grawp want Hagger!"
"Sorry Grawp, but Hagrid would not be able to visit you. The centaurs will attack him," Janieve said shakily. She wondered if Grawp would be able to understand what she had just told him.
Grawp bent over, his hands outstretched towards Janieve. Janieve considered running but Grawp caught her easily in his plum hand before she could make her decision. He moved her towards his face and paused just in front of his mouth.
Janieve was really frightened now. She tried to writhe out of his grip but it was impossible. The Giant had such a firm hold on her, Janieve was sure he was going to crush her ribs. Grawp opened his mouth and Janieve closed her eyes, a silent prayer escaped her lips. Oh Lord, please don't eat me!
"Hi Janny."
Janieve felt a gust of wind, which carried a foul stench, hit her face. However, they smell like relief to her. She snapped her eyes open and heaved a sigh.
