Chapter 14 – Stunners

"How come you didn't tell us, you could get something like this done?" Ron asked me in awe.

"Ron, if Granpa got to know about this, he is so going to ground me for the entire summer and give me the most boring chores possible. I don't even know what my parents are going to do." I just told H, Harry and Ron what happened during my career counselling session.

"You really need to get a hold of that anger of yours." H said rather disappointedly.

"I can't help it. Every time, she's around I want to rip my arm off just so I've something to throw at her. She gets my blood boiling." I defended myself.

"She had it coming." Ron said. I smiled at him.

"I agree. Things will start falling apart soon around here. Especially after the stunt Fred and George pulled." Harry said.

"Well, now she's going to make life even more miserable for all of us. Didn't we all agree to not draw attention to ourselves?" H asked.

"H, the way she said all that, she was mocking my family name. She sounded like my family didn't deserve to be where they are today. Old wizarding families are very touchy when it comes to the family name and they'll do almost everything to defend it." Suddenly it made sense to me why Draco reacted the way he did after the article came out. It's ingrained in our heads to always safeguard, defend and protect our family names.

"She's right. That's why I get angry when Malfoy tries to put down my family name." Ron said.

Since this topic was reaching fever pitch, Harry decided it would be best to change the subject to Quidditch.


It was the last Quidditch match of this year. We were playing against Ravenclaw. Since Slytherin lost to Hufflepuff, there was a very tiny possibility of us winning the cup. Of course, nobody wanted to believe that could happen because of our keeper. Ron really tries but somehow he is not good enough. Okay, I'll be honest, after watching Oliver Wood keep for Gryffindor so long, it's a sore sight to watch Ron keep. I can't tell him that. Nobody tells him that. Maybe, next year he can try out for another position.

That reminds me of the petition I gave Dumbledore some time back. I've been pestering Dumbledore to introduce other sports in Hogwarts for the past two years. You see, in Quidditch, each team has only seven players. So, out of the entire school only twenty-eight students have some sort of a physical activity. If there are other sports introduced in the school then there's an option to play something else. I would love it if football were introduced. I love that game.

While, I was thinking of how football would be at Hogwarts, I saw Hagrid trying to squeeze through the crowd to reach us.

"Would yeh three come with me?" Hagrid whispered.

"Can't we wait until the match is over?" Harry asked.

"No. It's better now. Everyone's watchin the match." He said. I so don't like this suspense.

We decided to go with him. The match was dismal anyways. I really don't want to see Ravenclaw score again. We followed Hagrid. When we were closer to his home, we instinctively turned towards it.

"No, we're going towards the forest today." Hagrid told us. We followed him quietly. He picked up his crossbow at the edge of the forest. He normally doesn't take one with him.

"Hagrid, what's that for?" I asked suspiciously.

"Jus a precaution. Now let's go quickly." He said.

Occasionally we asked him questions but he refused to answer. He said we'd find the answers soon. I've never been to this part of the forest before. And I'm beginning to get a little afraid despite possessing a wand. Harry was always hovering. He was nearby when my robe got stuck in the thorns of the small bushes. He even held my hand in particularly tricky parts of the forests.

Then, Hagrid faced us. "I tink, there's a good chance I'm goin' to be sacked any day." Hagrid began.

"That's not true. You've lasted this long." Hermione said kindly.

"We don't know for sure. I need a favour from yeh three. And also Ron if he'll help."

"Of course, we'll help, Hagrid." Harry spoke a second too fast.

"I know, yeh'd agree. Now, let's go there quietly." Hagrid said. We went into a clearing. It was not actually a clearing. It looked the trees around had been ripped from their roots. The ripped trees were haphazardly placed like a fence.

"Who is he?" Hermione asked.

He? I don't see anybody. What is she talking about? Then I realised that the huge boulders in the clearing was supposed to be a person. From the conversation that Hermione and Hagrid were having I figured that 'the who' is Hagrid's little stepbrother, Grawp.

"What exactly do you want us to do, Hagrid?" I'm not curious to know the answer.

"You know, keep him some company once in a while. He needs ter know that he's wanted. Maybe, yeh could teach him English as well."

"Right! Piece of a cake." I glared at Harry for promising so quickly.

My sarcasm seemed to bounce off of him. "I knew, yeh would do it. I knew, I cold turn ter yeh, three. Now, I'll go and wake him up and introduce you to him."

We protested but he had already the poked Grawp with one of the short tree trunks. He roared and looked who disturbed him. He grunted at Hagrid in what I supposes was recognition.

Hagrid cheerfully said, "Grawp, this is Harry, Hermione." He turned to H and said, "Is it all right if he calls you Hermy. It's be a lot easier for him."

Harry and I looked at Hermione. She was pale in fright. She managed to nod slowly.

"So, this is Harry, Hermy and Nat." Hagrid told Grawp. He looked at us curiously. "I..er…have ter go away fer a while. But Harry, Hermy and Nat will keep yeh company when I'm gone. NO, GRAWP NO!"

Out of nowhere Grawp's hand came to seize H but Harry managed to pull both of us behind a tree quickly.

"BAD GRAWP! YOU DON'T GRAB ANYBODY." Hagrid shouted, "Ouch!"

We poked our heads out from our hiding place and we saw that Hagrid was the ground holding his nose. Grawp lost interest and went to pull a tree from the ground.

"Guess, that's enuf fer today." Hagrid said. We nodded and quickly started walking out of the clearing before Hagrid could change his mind. Nobody spoke. I was imagining teaching Grawp English. H says 'A for apple' and Grawp grunts in response. This is going to be tough. I kept imagining various scenarios when Hagrid once again called for our attention.

"Hold it." He said and raised his crossbow. A few minutes later, a small herd of centaurs was in standing front of us.

"We warned you and yet you're here." One of the centaurs said. I assumed he was the leader of the herd.

"Hello, Magorian." Hagrid said like he wasn't facing some angry centaurs.

The centaurs and Hagrid argued about him being the forest. Hagrid said he could be here if he wanted. The centaurs said they would punish him the next time he was here. They only let him go 'cause we were with them. It's against centaur rules to hurt 'foals'. Hagrid was about to say something more but H asked him to calm down and take us out of the forest.

When we got out of the forest, I felt so good. I was not scared anymore. We saw people leaving the quidditch pitch. We bid Hagrid goodbye and joined the crowd. When I heard 'Weasley is our King', I knew for sure that we'd lost the match. I was feeling really bad. But then Harry told us to listen to the words carefully.

'Weasley is our King, Weasley is our King, He didn't let the Quaffle in, Weasley is our King.'

Then we saw it was people in red and gold singing the song. By some miracle, Gryffindor had won the match and the cup. We saw Ron come towards us waving the silver quidditch cup at us, "We did it! We won!" He exclaimed.

We decided to tell him about our trip to the forest later on.


Ron just wouldn't stop talking about the match. Yes, I agree it was nothing short of miracle we won but I don't want to hear the story of he took a chance and moved to the left goalhoop to save his first goal and then the rest of the match. We desperately wanted to tell him about Grawp. We decided to go down to the lake and tell him but he didn't look so excited to leave the common room. He was basking in the glory of the match. He enjoyed receiving praise from fellow Gryffindors. This was his moment. And stealing it from him felt like a crime.

When we finally got to tell him, he was really shocked at first. Then he declared that Hagrid has lost his mind to bring 'one' back with him even if he was his stepbrother. He was not overjoyed by the prospect of teaching the grunting giant some English.


Before we knew it, the O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s were about to begin. H looked like she was possessed. She kept muttering notes under breath. She was making Harry, Ron and I very nervous. We even tried to tell her this but she in turn told us we were not serious enough about the exams. When I was in the common room or library, I normally studied with Andy. After all, he scored 'O' in all the subjects he appeared. When I'm not studying with him, I'm pulling all nighters with Draco in the Room of Requirement. Turns out that, this is the only room, which doesn't appear on the Marauders' Map.

Surprisingly, I've been doing well in the exams. I won't say the exams have been easy but they've not been as difficult as I thought they would be. The written exams were in the morning and the practical exams were in the afternoon after lunch. For obvious reasons, Astronomy practical exam was the night. The first half of the exam went without a hitch. Hogwarts is bathed in moonlight tonight. I could see some figures moving on the ground. Who could be out there now? 'I have an exam going on now. I should concentrate on this.' I told myself.

A few minutes later, I heard a dog bark. It has to be Fang. I saw the lights being turned on in Hagrid's cabin. There was a commotion. Now everyone including the examiners had abandoned the exam and watched what was happening. I knew, the toad was there along with six other people. A fight broke out between the six people and Hagrid. Stunners shot by the six people, I think they are aurors, bounced off of Hagrid. I've never seen Hagrid being so violent.

Minutes later, we saw, Prof. McGonagall come out the castle and go towards Hagrid's cabin. She tried to gain their attention and four aurors shot stunners at her, at the same time. She didn't get up after the stunners made contact with her. I felt scared. I hope she's not dead. The examiners started calling the aurors cowards. Of course, they couldn't hear the examiners. Hagrid kept fighting them valiantly. When he got the chance, he picked Fang up and ran towards the gates. Once out of the gates, he disappeared.

Note to self – Never make Hagrid angry.

"Uh…Five minutes, everyone." One of the examiners shouted.

I didn't even check my star charts before handing them to the examiners. I kept picturing the moment when the four stunners hit Prof. McGonagall again and again. I looked at Draco. I really need him now. He nodded discreetly. It's amazing how he understands me so well. I hid in one of the dark corners on the tower. H, Harry and Ron were so dazed that they even notice I was not behind them.

I stepped out of the corners and moved towards the parapet. I was so lost in thought that I didn't hear Draco come back. He stood next to me and put his hand on mine.

"That was horrible." I declared.

"I know."

"It keeps replaying in my mind. When Prof. McGanagall got hit." My eyes were filling up with tears.

I could tell he didn't know what to say. He hugged me and I started crying. He rubbed my back in circles and said soothing things in my ear.

"Please don't do anything. I don't want anything to happen to you." He whispered to me.


The last exam is History of Magic. Turns out, listening to a history lesson is as boring as writing a history exam. I felt sleepy while writing the exam. I was not the only one. Harry was already asleep. I'm so tempted to sleep. H was many rows ahead of me, so I couldn't see her. Ron looked like he was deciding which question to attempt. Draco was way ahead too, so I couldn't see him.

Suddenly, Harry started shouting and fell out of his chair. One of the examiners took him out of the Great hall cum exam hall. Ron and I exchanged nervous glances. I was wide-awake now. I wrote whatever gibberish I could until we were asked to stop. After submitting our answer sheets, H, Ron and I raced out of the hall. We met him at the top of the marble staircase.

"Harry? Are you okay?" I asked him. Instinctively my hand went to his.

"Did something happen?" H asked.

"You look so pale." Ron said.

"Not here!" He took us to an empty classroom and closed the door. "Voldemort's got Sirius." He told us seriously.

"How?" H asked.

"What…?" Ron asked.

"I just saw it when I fell asleep during the exam."

"I don't think so, Harry." I told him.

"HE HAS SIRIUS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF MYSTERIES AND HE IS TORTURING HIM, RIGHT NOW. HE WILL KILL HIM IF WE DON'T DO ANYTHING."

"Don't take that tone with me, Harry." I told him dangerously.

"Harry, How can Voldemort be in the Department of Mysteries? How can Voldemort just walk-in in broad day light?" H tried to reason with him.

"And how on earth would he have gotten a hold of Sirius? His house has the strongest charms around it." I told him angrily.

"It doesn't matter how he got him. We have to go and rescue him." Harry said this with urgency.

"And we've known that Sirius is been trying to get out for a while now. Wait…did you say go and rescue him?" Ron looked confused.

"Yes." He told us like we were imbeciles.

"Harry, we can't go and rescue him." H said cautiously, afraid he was going to start shouting again.

"THERE'S NO ONE FROM THE ORDER HERE. THERE'S NO ONE HERE THAT WE CAN INFORM. MCGONAGALL WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL IN THE MORNING." Harry shouted again.

"We could go to Prof. Snape. I'm sure he'll know how to communicate with someone without being traced." I suggested.

"Are you out of your mind? Harry was outraged.

"For all we know he was the one who handed Sirius over to You-Know-Who." Ron said. I didn't know he believed this.

"Harry, let's just find out if this is for real." H said calmly.

"There's no time." Harry said desperately.

Ginny and Luna came in. "What happened? We could hear you?"

"You both don't have to bother yourself with this." Harry ordered them.

"Wait." H said. "I'm sure they can help. They can keep a look out for us. We can sneak into Umbridge's office and use the fireplace. Ron will go and cause a distraction for us."

"I'll tell her Peeves is thrashing the Transfiguration Department. Maybe, I can get him to really do it." Ron said rather quickly.

"Nat, you can help Ginny and Luna keep a look out."

"I'm not taking a part in this madness. I'll believe anything you say Harry but this is not possible. I've a feeling that something's horribly wrong."

"You have a feeling? I saw Sirius being tortured in front of me." Harry was in my face now.

"You think Voldemort wouldn't have realised that he shared this link with you? You mean to say that there's not even a small possibility that this can be a trick?"

"I'm not willing to take that chance with Sirius." Harry and I kept staring at each other.

H put her hand on mine and said, "Nat, please do this for all of us. You know, we'll need all the help we can."

"Fine. When you'll see that Sirius is safe in Grimmauld Place maybe you'll learn to listen to others sometimes, Harry." I told him angrily.


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Enjoy! Neepa :-)