Chapter 39: Who Would You Miss Most?
Albus woke up with the bright sunlight shining into his bedroom the next day. He had awoken later than he usually did; his head and feet still very sore from last night, but he was still quite happy from how everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves.
This light-hearted atmosphere continued for the next couple of weeks until the students were back in classes, and worry for the next task was slowly starting to increase again. In his opinion, this Second Task was the most dangerous out of the three… if they messed up just once, someone could drown.
"So, no pressure, huh?" Alastor joked when Albus told him this late one night.
"You're jokes were always so terrible, Alastor," Albus told him politely as he watched him limp down the hallway. "But now tell me, have you been keeping an eye on the Champions?"
"Do you mean all four of them or just Potter?" he asked gruffly.
"All of them," Albus replied simply.
"Yes, yes of course I have!" he barked in annoyance. "Who do you take me for?"
"I don't mean to upset you, Alastor," Albus said patiently. "I merely wish to know if you found out if they discovered the clue within the Golden Eggs."
"Well, I'm pretty sure that Diggory has," Alastor said pulling out his flask and taking a quick gulp. Smacking his lips he went on to say, "Saw the kid looking up the Bubble-Head Charm in the library."
Albus nodded, "That's good, and the others?"
"Can't say for sure about Krum and Delacour," he answered. "But I know that Potter is still having trouble with it."
"I can't say that I'm surprised," Albus said anxiously. "After all, students don't learn about merfork until their fifth year."
"Let alone ways to survive in a lake for an hour," Alastor smirked, as if enjoying a private joke. "Wonder how this is going to work out."
"I wonder indeed," Albus said carefully. "But the first thing that Harry needs to worry about is solving that clue."
He had heard from his spying portraits that Harry was now working on what the clue was—apparently, he started taking the egg out of his trunk every time he went up to the dormitory.
"And what will happen if he can't figure it out?" Alastor asked him.
"I rather not think about it," Albus sighed. He looked back up at him and said, "Keep an eye on him especially, Alastor."
"Naturally," he answered with a rather evil smirk. Albus frowned at him slightly, Alastor did have one strange sense of humor.
*A few days later*
Albus was quickly writing a letter to an old friend, desperately searching for a substitute teacher who would be able to take over for Hagrid for a short time. He just couldn't believe what was happening. That morning he had sat down to breakfast only to receive a letter from Hagrid.
Dear Professor Dumbledore,
If you don't mind, sir, I want to take some time off from work. I don't think that I'll be able to teach the students for awhile, hope that you can find someone else to take over.
Hagrid.
Albus had stared down at it for who knows how long. What had happened? He quickly glanced up to the empty seat at the end of the table that Hagrid was usually occupied in. Now that he thought of it, he had hardly seen Hagrid at all lately since the ball. Just what was going on around here? Was it possible he was ill or was it something more serious?
He continued to wonder as he pulled out the newspaper the owl had delivered for him and had just about to take a bite out of his eggs when what he saw made him drop his fork.
DUMBLEDORE'S GIANT MISTAKE
Albus Dumbledore, eccentric Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has never been afraid to make controversial staff appointments, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. In September of this year, he hired Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, the notoriously jinx-happy ex-Auror, to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, a decision that caused many raised eyebrows at the Ministry of Magic, given Moody's well-known habit of attacking anybody who makes a sudden movement in his presence. Mad-Eye Moody, however, looks responsible and kindly when set beside the part-human Dumbledore employs to teach Care of Magical Creatures.
Rubeus Hagrid, who admits to being expelled from Hogwarts in his third year, has enjoyed the position of gamekeeper at the school ever since a job secured for him by Dumbledore. Last year, however, Hagrid used his mysterious influence over the headmaster to secure the additional post of Care of Magical Creatures teacher, over the heads of many better-qualified candidates.
An alarmingly large and ferocious-looking man, Hagrid has been using his newfound authority to terrify the students in his care with a succession of horrific creatures. While Dumbledore turns a blind eye, Hagrid has maimed several pupils during a series of lessons that many admit to being "very frightening." 'I was attacked by a hippogriff, and my friend Vincent Crabbe got a bad bite off a flobberworm," says Draco Malfoy, a fourth-year student. "We all hate Hagrid, but we're just too scared to say anything."
Albus couldn't bring himself to read the rest. So this was the reason. He didn't need to look at the name to know who was behind all this. Once again, he felt anger boiling in the pit of his stomach at the thought of Rita Skeeter. How could she have discovered this?
He had no idea what to do this time, so this was the reason why Hagrid hadn't wanted to come to meals anymore. And so here he was now asking another friend, Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank to take over until Hagrid was ready to return to work.
"They all hate Hagrid?" Dilys demanded when Albus had re-entered his office later that day. "I overheard that boy Malfoy talking about it. Did she even bother to interview anyone outside of Slytherin?"
"What I want to know is how she found out about this," Albus said softly. "Rita is banned from the grounds and I know that Hagrid would never tell anyone else about this."
"She must've snuck in somehow," Dexter declared angrily. "And overheard Hagrid talking about it."
"Who on earth would he tell about his mother?" Phineas called brutally. "His mother was a giant! I would be ashamed of her to…"
"Phineas," Albus warned wearily, sealing up his letter and handing over to Fawkes. "Please hurry," he told him. Fawkes took the letter in his long talons and disappeared just as Albus leaned back in his seat and shut his eyes, feeling angry and desperate at the same time. It was just one thing after another since this year began…
At that moment, there was a loud rustle of feathers and hooting as well as sharp taps on the window. He opened his eyes to see a large flock of owls now sitting outside his window, trying to get in. If there was any doubt in his mind up to this point, here was the final proof as he raised his wand and the window slid open… this tournament wasn't worth this much trouble.
*Later that evening*
Albus had gone down to Hagrid's hut later that evening and knocked—only to be answered by Fang's booming barks as he always did whenever he visited. However, Hagrid didn't answer right away as he usually did.
"Hagrid!" he called through the door. "It's me. Please, open the door. We need to talk."
For a few minutes, he thought that Hagrid still wasn't going to answer, but at last he could hear his huge footsteps behind the door and it opened to reveal a very disheveled gamekeeper. His hair was a tangled mess, eyes were red and swollen, and there was a distinct smell around him.
He smiled gently at him and said soothingly, "Hagrid… it's good to see you."
"P-professor Dumbledore, sir," he sniffed and stood back to let him in. Albus settled himself at the table as Fang came over and sat down next to him, asking to be petted. Albus smiled at him and scratched behind his ears for a minute before he raised his wand and caused a steaming hot pot of tea to appear.
"We need to talk for a moment, Hagrid," he said calmly, as he poured himself a cup.
Hagrid sniffled again and asked in a scared tone, "T-talk sir? About what?"
"Yes, Hagrid," Albus replied calmly. "I read the article, Hagrid and I can't tell you how sorry I am that this has happened."
Hagrid waved his hand away, "It was me fault, professor," he said miserably. "Ya warned me not ter talk ter that woman and I didn' listen."
"Regardless, I can't tell you how sorry I am that she would sink so low to get a story," Albus said softly. "But if you think that I'm here to fire you Hagrid, I'm afraid you're mistaken."
Hagrid looked up at him as Albus pulled out the thick wad of envelopes and handed them to him. "Letters from students who remember you from their own school days, Hagrid," he said smiling. "And each one of them says the same thing. That they would have a few choice words said to me if I think, even for a second, about firing you."
Hagrid stared at them as Albus asked, "I've been in contact with Wilhelmina and she has kindly agreed to take over your class for a few days should you chose to take a break. But really Hagrid if you think that I would ever fire you then you honestly don't know me as well as I had hoped."
Hagrid suddenly burst out into tears as Albus sat there and tried to comfort him. But as he went back up to the castle, he knew that it was going to take a lot more than just one meeting for Hagrid to get his confidence back.
*About a week later*
Hagrid still refused to come to class or even return to the hall for meals for the next week. Wilhelmina had taken over and so the student's education wasn't being neglected, but Hagrid was refusing even to talk to anyone except for himself.
Albus decided to take advantage of the Hogsmeade visit to go down and try to talk some more sense into his gamekeeper. But before he went down to the hut he received some very good news.
"Harry figured out the clue?" Albus asked pleasantly surprised.
"He told Miss Granger just this morning as they were leaving," Everard explained.
"Well, that is good to hear," Albus said with relief. "Of course, that's just part of the battle. He still has to figure out how to perform the task as well as actually going through with it. However, he still has time to figure something out…"
He pulled on his cloak and headed outside onto the grounds, glad for some fresh air despite the miserable weather. But as he passed the lake, he looked up to see Viktor Krum was practicing laps around the ship. Either he was practicing for the next task, or was part penguin to be swimming in a half frozen lake.
So… now at least three of the four Champions knew about the task, though he was also certain that Fleur knew as well by now. This was good news indeed… though that didn't make the task any less dangerous… at least they still have time to prepare themselves.
He sat there with Hagrid for almost an hour, trying to reason with him but halfway through, Fang suddenly started barking at the door; which was suddenly followed by loud pounding, almost as if someone was trying to break it down. "Hagrid!" screamed the familiar voice of Hermione Granger. "Hagrid, that's enough! We know you're in there! Nobody cares if your mum was a giantess, Hagrid! You can't let that foul Skeeter woman do this to you!"
Fighting the urge to laugh at the startled look on Hagrid's face, he quickly got up and strolled over to the door. "Hagrid, get out here, you're just being -"
He pulled it open at that moment to see the trio all standing there. "About t-!" Hermione began but stopped dead when she saw him. Harry and Ron were standing right behind Hermione who had suddenly turned red and her fist was still raised, midway through another knock.
"Good afternoon," he said pleasantly, smiling down at them.
Whatever anger Hermione had been in seemed to have given way to embarrassment and spoke meekly, "We-er-we wanted to see Hagrid."
His eyes twinkled as he smiled at her. "Yes, I surmised as much," he said and she turned even redder. "Why don't you come in?"
It looked to him as if she wanted to refuse, but finally, "Oh… um… okay."
He stood back and let them in and Fang came running up happily, looking for some affection. Harry fended off Fang and looked around and saw Hagrid sitting there. He watched as the boy frowned at how obviously terrible he looked and said, "Hi, Hagrid."
Albus looked up at Hagrid, maybe this was what Hagrid need… some real proof that they want him back—and he said in his tired voice, "'Lo."
He smiled little wider; nothing brought you out of depression better than when you have friends around. "More tea, I think," he said as he shut the door and pulled out his wand. Once everyone was seated and had their tea, he asked, as if nothing happened, "Did you by any chance hear what Miss Granger was shouting, Hagrid?"
Hermione went pink and looked down at her feet as if hoping to disappear. He just gave her a gentle smile and finished, "Hermione, Harry, and Ron still seem to want to know you, judging by the way they were attempting to break down the door."
At once Harry looked up and said, "Of course we still want to know you!" he was staring at Hagrid as if he couldn't believe otherwise. "You don't think anything that Skeeter cow - sorry, Professor," he added quickly, looking back at him.
Albus began to twiddle his thumbs and stared up at the ceiling. To be honest, he quite agreed with where Harry's train of thought was going. "I have gone temporarily deaf and haven't any idea what you said, Harry."
"Er-right," he heard Harry's humble voice say before he went on, "I just meant - Hagrid, how could you think we'd care what that-woman-wrote about you?"
Not looking down he said, "Living proof of what I've been telling you, Hagrid. I have shown you the letters from the countless parents who remember you from their own days here, telling me in no uncertain terms that if I sacked you, they would have something to say about it -"
"Not all of 'em," said Hagrid interrupted wretchedly. "Not all of 'em wan me ter stay."
Finally, he looked back down to Hagrid's face and said seriously, "Really, Hagrid, if you are holding out for universal popularity, I'm afraid you will be in this cabin for a very long time."
He was letting a few bad letters change everything. Albus, himself, was too old to let a few bad complaints bother him, and he wanted Hagrid to do that as well because they're not worth it. "Not a week has passed since I became headmaster of this school when I haven't had at least one owl complaining about the way I run it. But what should I do? Barricade myself in my study and refuse to talk to anybody?"
He just shook his head and gave a very sad argument, "Yeh - yeh're not half-giant!"
"Hagrid," Harry suddenly said in an angry voice. "Look what I've got for relatives! Look at the Dursleys!"
Albus once more felt a terrible pain enter his heart at those words but he tried his best to ignore it and said, "An excellent point."
Trying to lighten the mood he spoke of his brother, but he wasn't so that Hagrid had been listening. What really did it was when Hermione said in a quiet voice, "Come back and teach, Hagrid. Please come back, we really miss you."
When he didn't say anything, Albus finally had enough. He stood up and they all looked up at him. He said calmly, but firmly, so that Hagrid couldn't say no, "I refuse to accept your resignation, Hagrid, and I expect you back at work on Monday. You will join me for breakfast at eight-thirty in the Great Hall. No excuses."
He then turned to the other three and said more lightly, "Good afternoon to you all."
Knowing that Hagrid needed his friends now more than ever, he left—stopping for a second to scratch Fangs ears and when he shut the door behind him, he could hear sobbing from inside.
He smiled, glad that they finally seemed to have gotten through to him, he went up to the castle. If there was one thing he learned in this world it was that there will always be people who don't agree and say cruel things to you, and sometimes their minds just can't change… but there are many more out there who don't judge on how you look, how much money you have, or even who your parents were…
And it's those people whose words truly matter.
*The next day*
The next day, Albus had a meeting with the other judges and Heads of schools so they could discuss the Second Task. Most were already seated around the table; Karkaroff and Madame Maxime were there as well as Percy Weasley who was sitting their smugly as if he couldn't believe his luck.
Albus glanced over at him before he asked politely, "While we wait for Ludo, I understand that Barty couldn't be with us today? Such a pity—after all he worked just as hard as anyone to try and make the tournament a success."
"No, Headmaster," he answered formerly. "No, Mr. Crouch couldn't make it. He is still sending in detailed statements every day on how to keep things from falling apart, but he still says that he is too ill to join us."
Albus nodded, but he knew better. Something wasn't right about this at all… but he had to ignore that for a moment as Bagman entered the room.
"Ah, Ludo," he said nodding to him and gestured towards the only remaining empty seat. "Welcome, please, have a seat."
"Dumbledore," he boomed happily, and he bowed low to the other judges before he sat himself between Madame Maxime and Karkaroff.
"As we all know, in two weeks time," he said to the rest of the judges, "The Second Task will be held. Which means, it's about time for us to select who the hostages will be for the merfolk to take. Now, each hostage needs to mean something important to his or her Champion—such as a friend or family member for example—to provide a little extra motivation. Of course, the hostages will be put into an enchanted sleep by me so that they are perfectly safe until they are brought back up to the surface." He then turned to Madame Maxime and asked, "What about Miss Delacour? I noticed that she went with Mr. Davies to the ball… unless you have anyone else in mind Madame Maxime?"
She held her hand up imperiously and said deeply, "I do not theenk so. Fleur ees a very difficult girl to charm. She 'ardly stays wiz a boy for long unless zere ees somezing special en 'im. She wishes to find someone who will love 'er and not just 'cause of 'er looks. You understand monsieur?"
"Wholeheartedly, my dear," he agreed smiling and bowing his head slightly. "And I am right in guessing that our Mr. Davies didn't impress her?"
"Fleur return to ze carriage no different zan normal za night," she said at once. "While she did 'ave fun at ze ball wiz Davies, she doesn't feel anyzing special for 'im."
"Then do you know who is very close to her?" Albus asked her.
She thought it over for a moment before she said, "Ah! 'Er little sister Gabrielle! She cares for 'er very dearly. Fleur would face anyzing for little Gabrielle."
"Yes…" Albus said thinking it over, "Older siblings tend to be very protective of their brothers and sister. But do you think that Gabrielle will agree to it?"
"She won't be ze one een danger," Madame Maxime said carefully, "So I don't see ze 'arm."
"Well," Ludo said happily, clapping his hands together "That shouldn't be too difficult. We just need permission from her parents and bring her over the night before the task."
"Very well," Albus said nodding. "I'll be sure to write a letter to them tonight. Now then," he looked up at Karkaroff and asked, "And what of Mr. Krum, Igor? Do you have any suggestions for who should be the captive for him? Such as one of his classmates or…?"
Karkaroff wrinkled his nose in disgust and said gruffly, "Normally, I vould suggest one of his friends… but lately all he talks about is that Granger girl vith vhom he is so captivated vith. He talks how he spent veeks trying to vork up the courage to talk to her."
"Excellent. Now that only leaves the Hogwarts champions," Albus said carefully, thinking it over. "And I admit that I do not know Cedric as well as most of my students, however I happened to have noticed that he was with Miss Chang at the ball and they've been together since then?"
"Ah, young love," Ludo said and he chuckled.
"Yes, I quite agree," Albus said smiling. "So I would suggest Miss Chang for Cedric's hostage. Which means that only leaves… Harry Potter."
"Vhy not the girl he vos vith at the ball as vell?" Igor asked impatiently, obviously wanting to get this over with.
"No," Albus said slowly, "I don't think that'll work. I frankly don't think that he has any… unique feelings for her. And to be honest, I don't think that his relatives would work either."
His guilt once more reared its ugly head, but he fought it as he turned to Percy. "As Hermione is already one of the hostages, I believe the best choice would be his best friend Ron Weasley."
"I'm sorry?" Percy asked, looking up at him startled. Albus understood his concern… it's one thing to talk about a complete stranger being put into an enchanted sleep and taken to the bottom of the lake, but it's quite another for it to be someone you know and care for. Ludo on the other hand was thinking it over. "The redhead right? Well, I say that should work just fine if they're best friends…"
"So long as ve get this meeting over vith," Igor said ill-temperedly.
Percy, on the other hand turned back to him and said as respectfully as he could, "But surely Harry has other friends that would be more suited doesn't he? I mean, why don't you choose one of them?"
"That may be true," Albus told to him gently, "But we can't use just anyone for this task. It has to be someone that the Champions will be willing to risk their lives for. Besides, Harry trusts Ronald Weasley and Miss Granger more than anyone else in the school. You know as well as any of us how close they are."
No one, not even Percy, said anything to that—obviously trying to think of another way out of this. Finally, Karkaroff breaks the silence by clearing his throat. "May ve get this over vith?"
Albus ignored him and said sincerely to Percy, "I promise that your little brother will be perfectly safe. He will be asleep the whole time while being in the lake and will awaken as soon as he is brought back to the surface. And if, by some chance, Harry fails to rescue him he will be brought right up by the merfolk anyway and still awaken with no ill effects."
After another minute, Percy nodded in agreement. They talked for a few more minutes, working out the little details. Albus had spoken to the merfolk and agreed to have them all keep an eye on all the Champions, and should something happen, they will bring them back to the surface—as well as returning the hostages should they fail to be rescued. Finally, once everything was thought out through, they all got up and left.
But before they left, he turned to Ludo and asked him quietly as everyone else shuffled out of the room, "Ludo, while you are here, I have to ask, have you heard anything about Bertha Jorkins?"
Taken aback, Ludo admitted, "No. Sorry, it's just that you're the second person to ask me that in the last couple days."
"And…?" Albus pressed on.
"No," he admitted with a frown. "I've got people looking, of course…"
'Finally,' Albus thought privately; though they should've started looking months ago.
"But so far nothing's turned up," Ludo went on. "I mean… she was in Albania for a short time and then she went south to visit some family and that's where the trail goes cold. The last time anyone saw her was at an old inn and apparently left with some man. After that… it's like she just disappeared."
Albus frowned. "Who was the man?"
"No idea," Ludo exclaimed. "I have people looking into it, but so far nothing's come up.
Albus frowned. "I see," he said slowly. Ludo left after that, and Albus was feeling drained again. A young woman was missing and no one seemed the slightest bit concerned of her. She stops by an inn and leaves that night with a stranger that no one knows about… nothing good could come from this.
"Dumbledore?" asked a familiar voice from behind him.
Glad for a bit of sanity, he stopped and waited for Minerva to catch up to him.
"Minerva," he said with relief as they headed down to the great hall for dinner and stepped onto the spiral staircase.
"So tell me," he asked her , "Are you looking forward to viewing the Second Task, Professor McGonagall?"
"Yes and no," she said, but hesitantly. "I know that they'll be safe, you set up so many safety measures after all, but I mean… who knows what could happen down there? And we won't be able to help them if something goes wrong… suppose they get hurt or lost or who knows what else could happen down there?"
"I understand your concern, Minerva," he reassured her. Those had been some of the first things he thought of when this task was decided. "But no one will drown… neither the Champions nor the hostages will die if I can help it."
"How?" she asked him worriedly.
"I've stationed the merfolk throughout the lake to keep hidden and keep a close watch on them all," he told her. "Should anything happen to any of them, they'll rescue them and bring them straight back up to the surface. Otherwise, they'll stay hidden in the shadows—no one knows the lake better than they do after all. I've also told them to help only if the Champion is visibly struggling to breathe. They won't let any of them drown on their watch."
She still didn't look happy, but she didn't say anything. He reached out and patted her shoulder. "I know," he sympathized with her. "I'm not any happier about this than you are. I'm regretting ever suggesting hosting the tournament. Had I known that it'd be this difficult and nerve racking…" he trailed off and she sighed.
"Well," she said grimly, "I can't ever recall looking forward to the end of the year more than this one."
"I hear you," he sighed. Sadness must've appeared on his face because she looked at him in concern. "Dumbledore?"
"I'm fine," he said with a forced smile. "Just tired," he answered.
"Yes, I can see why," she answered. "So… you decided who the hostages would be?"
"Yes," he informed her. "We had to decide who each of them would miss the most."
"And?" she asked, preparing for the worst.
"Misses Granger and Chang as well as Mr. Ronald Weasley, and Fleur's younger sister Gabrielle," he said, knowing that she wasn't going to be happy about this and sure enough.
"Albus," she hissed. "It's bad enough that two of our students are going into the lake in just two weeks time, do we really have to send more in?"
"They will be perfectly safe until they're brought back to the surface, Minerva," he promised her. "We both know that…"
She just gave him a dirty look as if it was all his fault and looked forward, as if she didn't want to look at him anymore. He left her alone until they reached the hall and she suddenly asked a question he never thought of.
"If it had been you," she asked slowly. "What would it be?"
"What?" he asked her lightly.
"Just thinking out loud," she said shaking her head. "I was just wondering who I would miss the most if it had been me."
Albus blinked before he looked took his usual seat but suddenly was no longer hungry. He hadn't thought of it like that before. Who would he miss the most had it been him? There were countless people that he cared for and would miss of course… but the one person he would miss the most?
"I wish I knew," he whispered to himself and just decided to dig in.
(Ah… sweet huh? The stress of the tournament is really starting to take their tolls on everyone, especially Dumbledore. Next chapter is the Second Task! What is going through his mind as he watched the champions dive straight into the water?)
