One week after the Yule Ball classes had resumed and Emily, Hermione Ron, Harry and I were making our way over to Hagrid's for Care of Magical Creatures. Snow was still thick upon the grounds, and the greenhouse windows were covered in condensation so thick you couldn't see in or out of them.
"Every summer I think, Alice maybe last year you exaggerated how cold it gets at Hogwarts in the winter. Then winter comes and I can't help but think it's three times colder than last year."
"I know the feeling." Harry agreed the chattered teeth.
"Maybe Hagrid will bring back the dragons? At least they can spit warm fire." Emily suggested hopefully. We were all taken by surprise when it wasn't Hagrid standing in front of his hut.
"Hurry up, now, the bell rang five minutes ago," An elderly witch barked at us as we raced through knee deep snow.
"Who're you? Where's Hagrid?" Ron questioned.
"My name is Professor Grubbly-Plank," she replied briskly. "I am your temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher."
"Where's Hagrid?" Harry repeated.
"He is indisposed," Professor Grubbly-Plank answered shortly.
"One of these days," I whispered to Ron, "We'll get a Professor who's actually nice to their students."
"This way, please," Professor Grubbly-Plank, strode off making it clear she was finished with the conversation.
"Keep up you three!" Emily called over her shoulder as she and Hermione trotted along.
"What's wrong with Hagrid?" Harry bellowed, hurrying to catch up with Professor Grubbly-Plank.
"Never you mind," she told him off for his nosiness.
"I do mind, though," Harry replied, his short temper getting the best of him. "What's up with him?" Professor Grubbly-Plank acted as though she couldn't hear him. She led us past the paddock where the huge Beauxbatons horses were, and headed toward a tree on the edge of the forest, where a large and beautiful unicorn was tethered. I couldn't help but "ooh" and "Ah" along with the rest of the class at our first sight of a real unicorn. The unicorn was so brightly white it made the snow all around look gray. It was pawing the ground nervously with its golden hooves and throwing back its horned head.
"Boys keep back!" Professor Grubbly-Plank barked, throwing out an arm and catching Harry hard in the chest. "They prefer the woman's touch, unicorns. Girls to the front, and approach with care, come on, easy does it. ..." She waved us girls forward, and we eagerly complied. I was following along with Professor Grubbly-Plank before I felt someone poke me in the back with a stick.
"Have you read this?" He asked handing me an article from The Daily Prophet. The article was headed by a photo of Hagrid, the titled read "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 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 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."
I stopped reading to scowl angrily at Draco from across the enclosure.
"Keep reading!" Ron urged me.
Hagrid has no intention of ceasing his campaign of intimidation, however. In conversation with a Daily Prophet reporter last month, he admitted breeding creatures he has dubbed "Blast-Ended Skrewts," highly dangerous crosses between manti-cores and fire-crabs. The creation of new breeds of magical creature is, of course, an activity usually closely observed by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Hagrid, however, considers himself to be above such petty restrictions. "I was just having some fun," he says, before hastily changing the subject. As if this were not enough, the Daily Prophet has now unearthed evidence that Hagrid is not - as he has always pretended - a pure-blood wizard. He is not, in fact, even pure human. His mother, we can exclusively reveal, is none other than the giantess Fridwulfa, whose whereabouts are currently and brutal, the giants brought themselves to the point of extinction by warring amongst themselves during the last century. The handful that remained joined the ranks of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and were responsible for some of the worst mass Muggle killings of his reign of terror. While many of the giants who served He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named were killed by Aurors working against the Dark Side, Fridwulfa was not among them. It is possible she escaped to one of the giant communities still existing in foreign mountain ranges. If his antics during Care of Magical Creatures lessons are any guide, however, Frid-wulfa's son appears to have inherited her brutal a bizarre twist, Hagrid is reputed to have developed a close friendship with the boy who brought around You-Know-Who's fall from power - thereby driving Hagrid's own mother, like the rest of You-Know-Who's supporters, into hiding. Perhaps Harry Potter is unaware of the unpleasant truth about his large friend - but Albus Dumbledore surely has a duty to ensure that Harry Potter, along with his fellow students, is warned about the dangers of associating with part-giants.
"How did Rita Skeeta find out? We only learned last night…" Ron whispered. I had over looked that point and was still focused on Draco.
"What do you mean, 'we all hate Hagrid'?" I spat, marching up to him in the snow. "What's this rubbish about him" I pointed at Crabbe. "Getting a bad bite off a flobberworm? They haven't even got teeth!" Crabbe was sniggering, apparently very pleased with himself.
"Well, I think this should put an end to the oaf's teaching career," said Malfoy, his eyes glistening. "Half-giant. . . and there was me thinking he'd just swallowed a bottle of Skele-Gro when he was young. ... None of the mummies and daddies are going to like this at all. ... They'll be worried he'll eat their kids!"
"You evil little troll!"
"Are you paying attention over there?" Profressor Grubbly-Plank called from the side of the Unicorn. Draco and I set aside our rivalry as we were forced to turn our attention back to the lesson. I stepped over with the rest of the girls who were now stroking the unicorn. We finished out the lesson neither Harry nor I paying much attention.
"That was a really good lesson," Hermione commented as she met up with us. "I didn't know half the things Professor Grubbly-Plank told us about uni -"
"Look at this!" Harry snarled, and he shoved the Daily Prophet article under Hermione's 's mouth fell open as she read.
"How did that horrible Skeeter woman find out? You don't think Hagrid told her?"
"No," Harry answered . "He never even told us, did he? I reckon she was so mad he wouldn't give her loads of horrible stuff about me, she went ferreting around to get him back."
"Maybe she heard him telling Madame Maxime at the ball," Hermione suggested.
"We'd have seen her in the garden!" Ron disagreed. "Anyway, she's not supposed to come into school anymore, Hagrid said Dumbledore banned her. . . ."
"Maybe she's got an Invisibility Cloak," I thought out loud. "Sort of thing she'd do, isn't it, hide in bushes listening to people."
"Like you and the boys did, you mean?" said Hermione.
"We weren't trying to hear him!" Ron defended. "We didn't have any choice!"
"We've got to go and see him," Harry interjected. "This evening, after Divination. Tell him we want him back." That's how Ron, Harry, Hermione and I found ourselves frozen and huddled under a pair of invisibility cloaks.
"Why didn't I think to charm my pants so they'd stay dry in the snow?" mumbled as we trudged through the knee deep blankets again.
"Oh Alice shhh! There's no point in complaining." Hermione scolded. There was a loud invisible bang to our left as Harry knocked on the door.
"Hagrid, it's us!" Harry shouted, pounding on the door. "Open up!" But for the first time in four years, Hagrid didn't open the door for Harry. We could hear Fang scratching at the door, whining, but it didn't open. We collectively pounded on the door for ten minute before realizing that no matter how hard we pounded, Hagrid would not answer.
"What's he avoiding us for?" Hermione asked several weeks later when Hagrid had still not emerged from his hiding. "He surely doesn't think we'd care about him being half-giant?"
"Would he be hiding from us if he didn't?" Emily reasoned. We were on our way to Hogsmeade excited for a trip that would take our minds off the usual trouble. I flung my arms out dramatically.
"Wait, is that Krum swimming in the lake?"
"He's mad! It must be freezing, it's January!" Harry commented.
"It's a lot colder where he comes from, I suppose it feels quite warm to him." Hermione pointed out.
"Yeah, but there's still the giant squid," Ron added sounding almost hopeful. As if he was hoping Krum would be swallowed up by the Giant Squid that very second.
"He's really nice, you know," Hermione defended. "He's not at all like you'd think, coming from Durmstrang. He likes it much better here, he told me." Ron however didn't say anything. He hadn't mentioned Viktor Krum to any of us since the Ball.
"Come on let's try and catch the next coach!" Emily chirped as she took Ron's hand and pulled him away from the lake.
"You know," Harry began as we climbed in a carriage. "Maybe we'll be able to catch Hagrid at Three Broomsticks. He usually always volunteers to supervise the pub during trips."
"It's a long shot." Hermione told him.
"Yeah Hagrid doesn't even come to meals anymore Harry. I doubt he'll be at the Three Broomsticks in the middle of Hogsmead." Despite our doubts, Harry still dragged us to the Three Broomsticks as soon as our carriage pulled into Hogsmead. Humoring him we searched the pub for several minutes, and even asked Rosmerta if she had seen Hagrid. When she confirmed that she hadn't seen him in weeks we decided to take five butterbeers to a table near the door. That what where we found ourselves when twenty minutes later Rita Skeeter entered. She was wearing banana yellow robe, her long nails were painted a shocking shade of pink. She was accompanied by her portly photographer as they made their way to a nearby table. Even from a great distance away we could hear most of what she was saying.
"... didn't seem very keen to talk to us, did he, Bozo? Now, why would that be, do you think? And what's he doing with a pack of goblins in tow anyway? Showing them the sights . .. what nonsense ... he was always a bad liar. Reckon something's up? Think we should do a bit of digging? 'Disgraced Ex-Head of Magical Games and Sports, Ludo Bagman . . .' Snappy start to a sentence, Bozo - we just need to find a story to fit it -"
"Trying to ruin someone else's life?" Harry called loudly from our table. Emily and I exchanged a worried look as we watched Rita Skeeter's eyes widen.
"Harry!" she said, beaming. "How lovely! Why don't you come and join- ?"
"I wouldn't come near you with a ten-foot broomstick," He spat back. "What did you do that to Hagrid for, eh?"Rita Skeeter raised her heavily penciled eyebrows in response.
"Our readers have a right to the truth, Harry. I am merely doing my-"
"Who cares if he's half-giant? There's nothing wrong with him!" Harry counter attacked. The whole pub had gone very quiet. Rosmerta was staring over from behind the bar,apparently oblivious to the fact that the tankard she was filling with mead was overflowing. Rita Skeeter's smile faultered for a second before she snapped open her crocodile-skin handbag and pulled out her Quick-Quotes Quill.
"How about giving me an interview about the Hagrid you know. Harry? The man behind the muscles? Your unlikely friendship and the reasons behind it. Would you call him a father substitute?" Hermione stood up very abruptly, her butterbeer clutched in her hand as if she had no greater desire than to toss it in Rita Skeeter's face.
"You horrible woman," she said through gritted teeth, "you don't care, do you, anything for a story, and anyone will do, won't they? Even Ludo Bagman -"
"Sit down, you silly little girl, and don't talk about things you don't understand," said Rita Skeeter coldly, her eyes hardening as they fell on Hermione. "I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl... not that it needs it -" she added, eyeing Hermione's bushy hair.
"Let's just go Hermione. She's not worth it honestly. Hermione held her position for several very long seconds before slamming her glass on the table and walking out. I briefly thought of cursing Skeeter on my way to the door, but I know that would be more trouble than it was worth.
"She'll be after you next, Hermione," Ron told her in a worried voice as we walked quickly back up the street.
"Let her try!" Hermione snapped back angrily. "I'll show her! Silly little girl, am I? Oh, I'll get her back for this. First Alice, then Hagrid ..."
"You don't want to go upsetting Rita Skeeter, I'm serious, Hermione, she'll dig up something on you -" Ron warned.
"My parents don't read the Daily Prophet. She can't scare me into hiding! And Hagrid isn't hiding anymore! He should never have let that excuse for a human being upset him! Come on!" breaking into a run, Hermione led the way to carriages. We rode in silence back to Hogwarts none of us clear on Hermione's plan to get Hagrid out of hiding. The curtains were still drawn as she raced down to Hagrid's hut. Once she reached the front door, Hermione took to pounding on it and shouting.
"Hagrid! 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! Hagrid, get out here, you're just being -" The door opened and the four of us were ready to cheer, until we realized it was Professor Dumbledore and not Hagrid who had answered the door.
"Good afternoon," he said pleasantly smiling.
"We-er-we wanted to see Hagrid," Ron interjected.
"Yes, I surmised as much, why don't you come in?" Dumbledore answered with a twinkle in his eye. We entered the cabin while he held the door open for us. Hagrid was sitting at his table, where there were two large mugs of tea. He was a mess. His face was blotchy, his eyes swollen, and his hair now looked like a wig of tangled wire.
"Hi, Hagrid," Harry said casually. This caused Hagrid to look up.
"Hello." he said in a very hoarse voice.
"More tea, I think," Dumbledore suggested. He pulled out his wand and summoned a tea tray and a plate of cakes. Once everything was settled on the table, Dumbledore turned back to Hagrid.
"Did you by any chance hear what Miss Granger was shouting, Hagrid?" When Hagrid didn't reply, he continued on. "Hermione, Harry, Alice, Emily and Ron still seem to want to know you, judging by the way they were attempting to break down the door."
"Of course we still want to know you!" Harry chimed in. "You don't think anything that Skeeter cow - sorry, Professor," he added quickly, looking at Dumbledore.
"I have gone temporarily deaf and haven't any idea what you said. Harry," said Dumbledore, twiddling his thumbs and staring at the ceiling.
"Er-right, I just meant-Hagrid, how could you think we'd care what that-woman-wrote about you?" Two fat tears leaked out of Hagrid's eyes slowly falling into his tangled beard.
"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. Not all of 'em wan me ter stay." Hagrid pointed out.
"Really, Hagrid, if you are holding out for universal popularity, I'm afraid you will be in this cabin for a very long time," Dumbledore spoke, now peering sternly over his half-moon spectacles. "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?"
"Yeh - yeh're not half-giant!" Hagrid croaked.
"Hagrid, look what Alice and I've got for relatives! Look at the Dursleys!" Harry added.
"An excellent point,"Dumbledore complimented. "My own brother, Aberforth, was prosecuted for practicing inappropriate charms on a goat. It was all over the papers, but did Aberforth hide? No, he did not! He held his head high and went about his business as usual! Of course, I'm not entirely sure he can read, so that may not have been bravery. . .."
"Come back and teach, Hagrid," Emily asked quietly. "Please come back, we really miss you."Hagrid gulped. More tears leaked out down his cheeks and into his tangled beard. At this point Professor Dumbledore stood up.
"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. Good afternoon to you all." Dumbledore left the cabin, pausing only to scratch Fangs ears. When the door had shut behind him, Hagrid began to sob into his large hands. "Great man, Dumbledore . . . great man . .." He whispered through his sobs.
"Ar, he's righ', o' course - yeh're all righ' . . .I bin stupid . .. my ol' dad woulda bin ashamed o' the way I've bin behavin'..." More tears leaked out, but he wiped them away more forcefully, and said, "Never shown you a picture of my old dad, have I? Here..." Hagrid got up, went over to his dresser, opened a drawer, and pulled out a picture of a short wizard with Hagrid's crinkled black eyes, beaming as he sat on top of Hagrid's shoulder. Hagrid was a good seven or eight feet tall, judging by the apple tree beside him, but his face was beardless, young, round, and smooth - he looked hardly older than eleven. "Tha was taken jus' after I got inter Hogwarts. Dad was dead chuffed ... thought I migh' not be a wizard, see, 'cos me mum ... well, anyway. 'Course, I never was great shakes at magic, really... but at least he never saw me expelled. Died, see, in me second year. . . .Dumbledore was the one who stuck up for me after Dad went. Got me the gamekeeper job . trusts people, he does. Gives 'em second chances ... tha's what sets him apar' from other heads, see. He'll accept anyone at Hogwarts, s'long as they've got the talent. Knows people can turn out okay even if their families weren' ... well... all tha' respectable. But some don understand that. There's some who'd always hold it against yeh . . . there's some who'd even pretend they just had big bones rather than stand up an' say - I am what I am, an' I'm not ashamed. 'Never be ashamed,' my ol' dad used ter say, 'there's some who'll hold it against you, but they're not worth botherin' with.' An' he was right. I've bin an idiot. I'm not botherin' with her no more, I promise yeh that. Big bones . . . I'll give her big bones."Yeh know wha, Harry?" he said, looking up from the photograph of his father, his eyes very bright, "when I firs' met you, you reminded me o' me a bit. Mum an' Dad gone, an' you was feelin' like yeh wouldn' fit in at Hogwarts, remember? Not sure yeh were really up to it... an' now look at yeh, Harry! You're the best quidditch player in centuries! And Alice, you're a Hogwarts Champion!" He started between Harry and I very seriously for a second.
"Yeh know what I'd ? I'd love yeh ter win, I really would. It'd show 'em all... yeh don' have ter be pureblood ter do it. Yeh don have ter be ashamed of what yeh are. It'd show 'em Dumbledore's the one who's got it righ', lettin' anyone in as long as they can do magic. How you doin' with that egg?"
"Great," I answered, nodding positively. "Really great, almost solved it." Hagrid's miserable face broke into a wide, watery smile.
"You show 'em, Alice, you show 'em. Beat 'em all." Lying to Hagrid wasn't quite like lying to anyone else. He was gentle and sweet, even if it made him a bit naïve. We left Hagrid's several hours later, but only after he promised to go back to teaching classes on Monday.
"I've got to get started on that egg." I told Hermione, Emily, Ron and Harry as we made our way up to the castle.
"You haven't even started it yet?" Hermione glared at me.
"Hey I've been busy! Kind of…" I told her as she looked on with disapproval.
"I'm sure Alice can figure it out in no time!" Ron said waving it off.
"Well I sort of know where to start." I dropped my voiced down low so that the students passing us in the Entrance Hall wouldn't hear. "Cedric gave me a hint at the Yule Ball. I'm going to look into it." I answered confidently.
"You better start now, because you've told Hagrid that you have it almost solved. He knows how smart you are, and he'll be expecting you to be prepared." I was surprised this time to receive the scolding from Harry. We usually stayed out of each other's business, so his scolding only made me feel guiltier for lying to Hagrid.
"Relax you guys, I'll take care if it alright?" I stormed off to my dorm in search of the ridiculous golden egg.