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CHAPTER 6
Why? Why was she wandering into the eerily quiet, shadowed grounds of the Forbidden Forest? She could have said, "No, Hagrid. Thank you, but I'm not keen on visiting your sixteen-foot tall brother today. Maybe another time." But no, she had consented. Hagrid had said Grawp especially wanted to see her. Why? That should have been the incentive she needed to be able to refuse Hagrid's request, but instead it had made her feel obligated to agree to the visit.
Hagrid had already become emotionally attached to his brother. She couldn't bring herself to deny him this small favor. But, small favors for Hagrid usually ended up being life threatening. Harry and Ron didn't look quite as nervous as she, but they didn't look overly enthused either. Ron kept swatting at flies and other forest insects that seemed to be attracted to his arms and red hair. Of course Ron didn't look worried, he'd never met Grawp before. Harry had, however, but he was just quietly walking beside Hagrid. Harry did look a bit confused though.
"Hagrid," Harry began, "This isn't the way we went last year to see Grawp, is it?" Hermione realized that Harry was right; she actually felt like they had walked a bit farther into the forest than before, now that she thought about it.
"No. Dumbledore has foun' 'em a nice lil' cave." Hagrid said happily, carrying the big metal bucket of stew, as he stepped over a fallen branch that Hermione, Ron, and Harry had to help each other over. A little cave? Hermione thought.
"Dumbledore?" Ron said surprised. "He knows you're hiding a…" Hermione thumped Ron hard on the arm. He quickly cleared his throat. "…I mean, he knows about your brother?"
"Oh, Dumbledore's bin' a great help ter my refin'n Grawpy's social skills. He says as long as I can keep 'em away from the centaurs an' other creatures, he can stay as long as 'e likes."
Hermione's stomach gave a sickening lurch. She'd forgotten all about the centaurs. The last time she'd come in contact with them, they'd wanted to kill her and Harry. She glanced around nervously at the stillness of the trees. And, what was Dumbledore thinking? How was Hagrid going to make sure that Grawp never bothered any of the forest creatures? He couldn't even keep him from hurting him, not to mention ripping trees out of the ground. But, Hermione noted, Hagrid didn't have any bruises or new cuts; just a few scars across his face.
As if reading her mind, Ron asked, "So Hagrid, if you've been seeing Grawp regularly, how did you manage to keep your face intact?"
"Oh! It's the bes' thin'; Dumbledore thought of it, o' course! 'Fore I'd venture into tha forest ter see ole Grawpy, Dumbledore would come by tha hut an' put this invis'ble shield 'round me. It would last for 'bout three hours. Ya know…giv'n me time ter talk ter 'im an' visit a bit."
Hermione stopped in her tracks. "But then, Hagrid, do you have a shield on now? I mean…shouldn't we all have one?"
"Oh, no, Hermione. I stop't usin' tha shield 'bout two weeks ago. S'not necessary no more." Hagrid said matter-of-factly. Hermione's brief feeling of hope was flattened. Why would it not be necessary to have a little extra protection from a wild and dim giant?
Hermione resumed her walking; her shoulders now slumped slightly, when Hagrid suddenly stopped. He turned around to smile down at them. Hermione, Ron, and Harry each looked around at their surroundings. There was no cave in sight…just trees and a big hillside that they'd just walked up on. Was the cave on the other side of the hill?
"Grawpy's hom' sweet hom'!" Hagrid announced slapping one hand on the hard rock of the hill behind him.
Hermione had opened her mouth to inquire about the entrance when Hagrid suddenly turned to face the solid hill. Hagrid then took a deep breath and walked straight through the side of the hill with his brother's 'snack' in tow. Just like Platform 9 ¾! Hermione took a few steps back from the 'entrance' to better see the hill, tripping over a fallen limb in the process and falling into Ron, who was behind her. He caught her by the shoulders and righted her.
Hermione didn't have time to enjoy the flutter of her stomach at Ron's touch, however, as a booming deep voice echoed out of the cave.
"HAGGER!"
Hermione suddenly felt as if her knees might buckle. Ron's hands tightened on her shoulders. Turning around and sneaking out of the forest was beginning to sound like a good idea to Hermione, but Harry began walking toward the entrance. Ron's hands left her shoulders, and he passed in front of her to follow Harry. With a groan, Hermione followed.
She watched Harry and Ron disappear into the stone wall before crossing the threshold behind them. As soon as Hermione entered, the warmth of the summer air left her to be replaced with a damp cold. It temporarily took her breath away, but her breath returned as her heart began beating rapidly. The inside of the cave reminded Hermione a bit of the Hogwart's dungeons. The walls were dark grey stone, the rounded ceiling was, at least, thirty feet up, and there were torches lit along the walls. The furnishings were similar to those of Hagrid's hut, a large wooden table with two wooden chairs. One of the chairs was Hagrid's size; the other was much larger. Instead of a stove, however, there was a pile of wood for a fire and instead of a bed there was a huge pile of straw…on which sat a large, round-headed, bracken-haired Grawp.
Hagrid was pouring the contents of his bucket into a larger bucket with a huge handle; Hermione guessed the larger bucket was a Grawp-sized mug. Grawp was watching Hagrid intently and…patiently? Hermione realized that she had never really paid much attention to Grawp's face since she'd never seen him when he wasn't doing something that made her fear for her and her friend's lives. He had small greenish-brown eyes and a stubby, shapeless nose, and he was wearing a brown, rather dirty sheet in toga fashion.
Ron was staring at him with his mouth open. He looked a bit more worried now, Hermione thought. She heard a slurping sound and turned to see Grawp drinking his stew from the handled bucket, bits of food and broth were dripping onto his toga. She, Ron, and Harry were all just watching in silent trepidation for Grawp to finish his snack. Hagrid had taken a seat in the smaller of the two chairs at the table. The table was actually much too large for Hagrid's chair.
Suddenly Grawp sat his 'mug' down on the stone floor with a loud clank. He wiped his mouth roughly with the back of his entire arm and then his boulder-like head turned slowly in the trio's direction. Hermione's stomach cramped up and she began shivering slightly as Grawp's widened eyes came to rest on her.
"HERMY!" He roared causing Ron to grab hold of her wrist and a wad of the back of Harry's shirt. Grawp's face twisted into an unsightly lopsided grin, revealing his yellow, uneven teeth.
"Yes, Grawpy! I'n tha' nice of 'em to stop by?" Hagrid said jovially, as if talking to a small child. "Now, 'member how I taught ya ter greet visitors?"
Hermione grabbed hold of Ron's arm with her free hand and dug her fingernails into his skin as her breath caught in her throat. Grawp smiled dumbly at Hagrid and nodded his head, which was odd-looking since he didn't have much of a neck. Grawp set both of his hands on the stone floor and hoisted himself up from the ground with such force that some bits of dust and rock fell from the walls.
Ron made some sort of a whining noise as he saw the full height of Grawp for the first time. Hermione had either forgotten just how gigantic Grawp was, or being in a thirty-foot tall cave, that he was half the size of, really put him into perspective.
Then, to Hermione's horror the giant took two steps forward, bringing him just six feet from them. He then squatted down so that his face was almost level with Ron, whose grip on Hermione's wrist was becoming slightly painful. Grawp took one umbrella-sized hand and pointed his foot-long finger right at her, Ron, and Harry. Hermione had a cold sweat dripping down her nose and her heart felt as if it were skipping every other beat.
"Jus' grab a hol' of his finger ther,' yew three!" Hagrid said from behind Grawp's enormous, kneeling form. "He's sayin' hello!"
Why couldn't he just say hello from his bed of straw, Hermione thought… Harry was the first to obey. He pried Ron's fingers from the back of his shirt and walked slowly up to Grawp's outstretched finger. "Um…how do you do?" Harry asked timidly, grabbing a hold of the end of Grawp's finger. His hand couldn't fit around the circumference of it, but Grawp smiled broadly and gave a deep chuckle, that actually sounded like 'hub-hub.'
Harry turned to Ron and Hermione, with his hand still clutching Grawp's finger, and jerked his head slightly toward Grawp. Hermione felt Ron's grip on her wrist loosen a bit, so she did him the same courtesy by releasing her hold on his arm. Ron looked at Hermione with an apprehensive frown before dragging her forward and placing his free hand next to Harry's. Hermione slowly reached up to place her shaking hand gently on the giant's finger, as well, which felt like rough leather.
As soon as Hermione touched him, the giant turned his humongous head to look at her with his biggest lopsided grin yet. "Hermy…" Grawp muttered softly, in a deep rumble. Ron's grip on her wrist tightened again.
Hermione coughed a bit, as Grawp's rank breath filled her nostrils, but then she managed to swallow and whisper, "H-h-hello."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione removed their hands from the giant. Hermione let out a long breath as Grawp straightened and took two weighty steps back to his straw, where he plopped down causing the ground to shudder.
"He's not all that bad, really." Ron whispered shakily. Harry scoffed at him and Hermione, for some reason, laughed a soft, shaky laugh that she had no control over. No, she guessed he wasn't all that bad today. But Ron hadn't seen Grawp last term, tearing down trees, bloodying Hagrid's nose, and dumping bird's nests over their heads. Had Hagrid actually managed to tame this giant? Grawp had almost seemed gentle as he'd said her name. Well…not her name, but 'Hermy'…which actually had a fairly nice ring to it.
Hagrid motioned for them to come sit with him and Grawp. So, Hermione, Ron, and Harry made their way over to Hagrid's chair and sat down around it on the cold stone floor. Hermione noticed that Ron sat unusually close to her. Hagrid was beaming at Grawp, apparently proud of his brother for being so well behaved. Grawp, on the other hand, had begun staring at Ron with awe.
"Fire?" Grawp asked suddenly. He then reached up to his own head, yanked out one of his curly, greenish hairs, and put it up close to his eyes, squinting at the coarse strand.
"No, Grawpy. Not fire…hair." Hagrid said in a serious tone, pronouncing each word slowly. "Ron's hair." Hermione put a hand to her mouth to stifle her giggle as Ron's face and ears turned pink.
Grawp laid his strand of hair back on top of his head before looking at Hagrid and then back at Ron. "Fire hair." He said slowly.
"Yeh, well…ginger hair…" Hagrid began. "An' Grawpy's hair is green." Grawp looked at Hagrid for a moment before grinning and chuckling a few more of his 'hub-hubs.'
"Hagrid?" Harry asked suddenly. "Does Grawp have to stay inside this cave all the time?" Hermione sadlywondered if Harry were remembering what it felt like to be in the Dursley's cupboard under the stairs.
"Oh, he's 'llowed ter go outside tha entrance an' no more'n fifty feet from tha hill. Dumbledore put up a barrier charm at firs', but now Grawpy knows 'is boundaries. There's a small pond down a ways where 'e can get water." Hagrid replied.
"FISH!" Grawp roared proudly.
"Yeh…an' fish." Hagrid added casually.
"So…" Harry began slowly, "You said something last term about finding him a lady friend." Hagrid opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by Grawp.
"Hermy…" Grawp said in that same low rumble as he turned to look at her with a silly grin. Ron scooted a bit closer to Hermione.
"Yeh, well…ever' time I mention it, 'e jus' says tha'…" Hagrid replied with a small grin at Hermione. Ron began coughing, Harry chuckled, and Hermione smiled, despite the uneasy feeling she got from being fancied by a giant.
By the time Ron, Hermione, and Harry had returned from their visit with Grawp, it was time for dinner. Over the meal, Hermione and Harry had emphasized to Ron that Grawp had changed tremendously since last term. He must have…because Ron didn't think the giant appeared to have any inclination of hurting any of them. In fact, after the shock of the mere size of Grawp had worn off, the time in the enchanted cave had been almost enjoyable...almost.
Grawp showed them a basket that he had been weaving. Hagrid thought it would be good for Grawp to learn how to be gentler with things that were more fragile than he. Like, the pliable willow branches he was using to make the basket. Ron could definitely see how the beach umbrella sized bundle of intercrossed branches resembled a basket, although, there were many jagged ends sticking out from the weaves where Grawp had apparently broken some of the branches off accidentally. And, Ron could have sworn that one of the willow branches tucked in the weave looked a bit like a deer's hind leg.
Nonetheless, Hagrid's brother appeared to be harmless. Ron had become a little nervous as they were saying their goodbyes, however. They had all grabbed a hold of the giant's finger as they had when greeting him, but this time Grawp had gotten the urge to pat Hermione on the head with the index finger of his other humongous hand. Hermione had looked ready to faint, but Grawp somehow managed to be gentle. Hermione's head had only bobbed slightly. Apparently the basket weaving was working. However, Ron wanted to make sure Hermione never visited the giant without him with her…just in case.
That night Ron slept much better than he had the previous two nights at Hogwarts. His idea of visiting Hagrid to cheer up his two best friends had also managed to clear Ron's mind of the worries that had piled up over the last few days. Instead, he thought about the next day's Quidditch tryouts. Ron felt that he and Harry needed Quidditch. Especially Harry.
Quidditch practices would give them something to look forward to every week. Amidst the N.E.W.T. classes, the prophecy, the mysterious new school, Harry's dream, and anything else they might worry about…they would still have the best sport in the world.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, first I want to thank everyone for the awesome reviews. They really are helpful and inspiring. Second, I want to apologize for the brevity of this chapter. I really prefer each chapter to be at least 3000 words, but I didn't quite hit the mark. Thirdly, in regards to the comment on whether or not we would see more Dumbledore and Fred/George...yes. They do have some fairly important roles not too long after the snow begins to fall. I love these characters, as well, unfortunately, Dumbledore won't be in my story as much as he would be if it were told from Harry's point of view since Harry deals much more with the headmaster than Ron and Hermione. And lastly, please continue to read and review! ...Seventh chapter coming up!