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Grief

Feeling a pair of eyes on him, Hagrid woke groggily from the impromptu nap that he had taken while rocking the one year old to sleep. Opening his eyes tiredly he jumped with shock at seeing golden-amber eyes staring into his so intensely. If that wasn't enough the fact that the red and golden phoenix was perched on the back of his chair looking over his head, beak upside down, would have seemed quite funny if the atmosphere hadn't been rife with much tension.

Harry, already in an uneasy sleep, had woken at the jarring the shock had caused, and had started to whimper and fuss again. Hagrid's patting and rocking did nothing to calm the little boy, and it seemed that with every step in Hagrid's pacing the young infant seemed to grow more and more inconsolable.

Seeing that his stare-victim was now awake, the magical bird hopped off the back of the chair and coasted to land lightly on the table in front of the pacing half-giant. Disregarding the chaos that he had unwittingly caused, he proudly held out a talon, and the scroll within it.

Moving quickly, Hagrid took the scroll with his free left hand and with much creative manoeuvring he managed to unroll the parchment and read the message within.

Hold on to Fawkes Hagrid.

Albus.

Letting the little scroll unroll itself, Hagrid took a confused and fatigued look at his clock (4am), and then another perplexed and frustrated look at the Phoenix. In return, the majestic creature flapped his wings gently and glided into the air before him. Shrugging his large shoulders, the gamekeeper pulled the wailing child closer to him and reaching out his large fingers grasped Fawkes tail. He could feel nothing more but a faint prickle in his fingers before the scene before him changed from his modest quarters in his hut to the rather impressive and sizeable room that was the Headmaster's office.

Releasing his hold on Fawkes tail, he turned around to see the only other occupant of the room.

"Headmaster, sir," he almost shouted in relief.

The respected and in many ways revered wizard, came forth, arms outstretched, and took the little bundle gently out of the discouraged man's hands. Rocking him lightly, the elder wizard crooned and hummed, mumbling little words of encouragement to the little boy.

Having calmed the boy down to some extent, Hagrid looked on as Dumbledore summoned a house-elf and requested a bottle of milk for young Harry. Still rocking and soothing the young infant, Dumbledore, without looking up, dismissed Hagrid.

"I am afraid you will be in need of your sleep Hagrid. I will need you tonight to deliver young Harry here to Lily's sister's home in Surrey. So get as much sleep as you can. I will look after Harry for now."

Nodding, Hagrid said goodnight to the Wizard and without looking back, he opened the office door and went down the revolving staircase.

Had he looked behind him as he left, he would have seen the headmaster sitting in his huge chair, tenderly bottle feeding the infant saviour of the Wizarding world, one chubby youthful hand gripping an aged finger rather tightly as if his life depended on it.

As Dumbledore fed, bathed and changed baby Harry, downstairs Hagrid was making his way slowly but purposefully towards his home, and his bed. He looked like a man with a lot of his mind, yet with absolutely no energy to figure it out. Every now and then he would come across one of the castle's many ghosts, yet for one of the first times since he first came to Hogwarts, he avoided returning any of their greetings.

Sighing in relief as he neared the Entrance to the courtyard, he picked up a bit more speed, and as he came around the corner, and almost walked over the transfiguration professor.

"Ahhh," he uttered in dismay, "really sorry abou' tha' Perfessor McGonagall." Face falling apologetically, he reached out a hand to help steady the curiously puffy eyed, and pale professor.

"It's alright Hagrid," she said placatingly, trying unsuccessfully to dodge the giant's huge hands. "But next time, please try not run around corners."

Hagrid nodded contritely, and then giving a half-smile proceeded to step around the Professor and resume his journey towards his bed. He barely took two steps before McGonagall stopped him.

"Where did you just come from Hagrid?" she asked enquiringly, and in an off-handed tone of voice, mind still on the nights revelations.

"Perfessor Dumbledore's Office, was droppin' off Young 'Arry," he said dejectedly, not realising that he wasn't supposed to say anything about Harry being there.

"Harry?" the usually strict professor said brow wrinkled in bewildered contemplation.

"Yeh, 'Arry. Poor thin' cryin' fer 'is Mummy. An' pro'bly 'is Daddy to mind. Poor Lily an' James…"

Trailing off and finishing with a large and loud sniffle, Hagrid continued his walk towards his Hut. He was almost halfway across the courtyard when the shocked (and even more pale) Minerva McGonagall stopped him with a strangled and hoarse, "Harry's at Hogwarts!"

"O' course!" he said matter of factly, "The 'eadmaster sen' me to pick 'im up. Im sup'osed to drop 'im off ter 'is Aunts 'ouse lat'r tonigh'."

Minerva's eyes widened on the last before spinning around in a flurry of robes she practically ran through the entrance way, leaving the Hogwarts game-keeper staring after her in puzzlement.

"E'rythin' so strange," he said with a confused shake of the head, lumbering on towards his bed, and towards his elusive rest.

Minerva was becoming mighty irritated. She had been standing in front of the bloody Gargoyle for almost 10 minutes throwing password after password at it, but it still would not open, which meant that Albus had changed the password, and had not thought to inform anyone of it. Even the emergency trigger for the gargoyle refused to work.

"Lemon-drops." Nope.

"Candy fizzes." Wrong again.

"Acid Drops." Nothing.

"Lemon Boomerangs." Still Nothing.

She was now at the end of her tether, the nights events were finally going to put her over the edge and all because the entrance to the Headmaster's office wouldn't open. Bowing her head in grief and frustration, she put one unsteady hand over her mouth to stifle her cries. Leaning against the rather hideous gargoyle, her shoulders shook as the tears she thought she had already cried when she had been first notified by Albus, came again. Shoulder's shaking in desperation; she could only weep as memory after memory assailed her of her time with the deceased Gryffindors. It could have been 10 minutes or 20, but time was lost on the Gryffindor Head of House as the nights pain overwhelmed her. When she did finally calm down, it was to a mind desperate to see the child prized by two of her former students.

'I will just have to find where Lily's sister lives,' she thought confidently to herself, 'after all, what is the use of having former students as Unspeakables if I cannot use them to my advantage.'

Two hours later a triumphant Minerva McGonagall settled down to a long days wait on a wall outside a Muggle residence, complete with four paws, whiskers, cat ears, fur and a tail.

Back at Hogwarts, the saddened form of the most powerful Light Wizard in the world, settled himself into his chair for a few hours rest; young Harry's newly transfigured cot right beside him. Memories chased him into his light oblivion, especially the recent one of a grieving deputy Head-mistress.

My Hagrid is tragic, bear with me. If you can write better, let me know, and I'll kindly tell you where you can shove it.

Cheers.

Thank you for Reading and reviewing.