It was Saturday, a week later, that Opal accosted her in the Great Hall over lunch. "Where have you been, Frisk? I've been looking for you all morning," she said crossly.

"With Steven," Frisk replied, nodding over to the Slytherin table. "We got... less than stellar marks on a recent potion," she said guiltily. "We badgered Professor Snape to let us use our free time this morning to practice with it some more."

Opal gave an amused snort. "Only you could get away with something like that with Snape. What potion was it, anyway?"

"Gnomedraught," Frisk said, even more guiltily, "Hagrid wanted some for his garden, anyway." None of that was, strictly speaking, a lie, but it wasn't completely true, either. Steven had just gone to deliver a bottle of Snape-approved gnomedraught to Hagrid, as requested, anyway.

"Well, fine. Lucky you. Getting to deal with more Snape on a weekend. Shall we go for a run after lunch, then maybe do some more Quidditch practice?"

"Please," Frisk said. "That sounds much more fun. I don't really want to see any more of a classroom today."

"Actually..." said a voice from over Frisk's shoulder. She turned to see Hermoine standing over her. "Hagrid has asked if you, and your siblings, were available to go see him this afternoon."

"Oh," Frisk said. She looked up to the staff table. As normal during the weekend, many of the staff weren't present. Missing specifically was Ms. Umbridge. This told Frisk all she needed to know.

"...and by the way," Hermione added, "Hagrid suggested you might want to bring some extra sandwiches."

"Excellent," Frisk said. "Want to come with us, Opal?"

"I'll race you there," Opal told her, grinning.

Her siblings, Dubran, and Steven were all waiting for them as the troop arrived at Firenze's hut, which sat between Hagrid's and the Dark Forest. It had only been the second time they'd seen the centaur this term. "How're you doing, Asriel, Frisk, everyone?" the centaur asked, grinning widely. There were dark clouds on the horizon, but for the moment, the late fall sun warmed the air appreciably.

"We're doing alright," Opal said. "It is good to see you again, Dubran."

"And it's good to see you as well, Opal," he said grinning. "Are those for us?" he asked.

Frisk smiled, handing over some sandwiches to Dubran and Firenzie.

They ate while making small talk. "Things are going well," Dubran told them. "My father has begun teaching me about the forest, and the inhabitants we share it with. We went to the edge of the acromantula's territory yesterday, however. This is not somewhere I wish to go again."

Chara shuddered. "I was there with Hagrid last year, when we were looking for you. I... think I was only safe because I was with him. I don't want to go near there ever again either."

Frisk was perplexed. "What's an acromantula?" she asked.

"It is a spider, the size of which would put the largest centaur to shame," Firenzie explained. "And intelligent enough to speak the common tongue. They are carnivores, and will eat just about anything that wanders into their lair, living or otherwise. They will even, given the chance, consume their own dead."

Frisk felt like she was about to be sick. She was so glad she had asked.

"We have the afternoon ahead of us," Dubran said, eager to change the subject. "Why don't we start with more archery? I brought the bows again," he said. "And these," he continued, placing cylindrical pieces of leather on the table.

Steven picked one up curiously, turning it over in his hands.

"Archery bracers," the young centaur said. "It will help with the stinging in your wrists." He grinned. "Would you like to try them?"

Opal and Chara answered yes pretty much simultaneously, and they went out to try out Dubran's bows again. It still wasn't Frisk's favorite activity, but the others seemed to enjoy it. And they were all improving. Frisk actually hit the target on consecutive attempts. Of the new archers, and to no one's great surprise, Opal was the best shot. Chara also did well enough to be commended by Firenzie. Practice, however, was cut short by Firenzie hustling them all inside, just as the first drips of rain approached the edge of the castle's grounds.

They switched to card games at that point. Opal had happened to bring her exploding snap deck, and taught the game to Firenzie and Dubran. Then there was time for a couple of hands of Dominion. They talked about classes, professors, and the new soul magic club. Rain began to patter down on Firenzie's roof.

"There is one thing I would like to say before you go," Firenzie said, as the clouds began to seriously darken, and heralded an approaching storm. "A message from Dubran's father. He would like your help in... encouraging Hagrid to remove the creature he brought with him into the Dark Forest. He has asked me not to go to the headmaster – yet – as he doesn't wish to see him in trouble with the ministry."

"What type of creature?" Asriel asked.

"A giant," Dubran told them. "I have no idea where Hagrid found him. It's causing a lot of damage, stomping about all over the place. He's going to get in trouble."

"Why would Hagrid have brought a giant?" Chara asked. "I've heard he's a bit daft sometimes, especially when it comes to the amount of dangers things can pose, but he's not stupid."

"I certainly do not know. I have not broached the subject," Firenzie said. "Perhaps one of you and I can go find out together."

"Oh, alright," Chara said. "Sure."

They settled one last game, and prepared to call it before the storm really broke.

The next day was Quidditch tryouts. The stands were still damp with the previous days rain, but not wet enough that it was going to soak through one's cloak. Chara, Frisk, and Asriel had joined with Ginny to participate and watch the proceedings. It still wasn't warm, but it was at least bright and sunny.

"We're going to have beaters first," Angelina announced, as the last few interested Gryffindors filtered down from the castle. "If you're interested, come on down to the pitch."
"Good luck, Chara," Frisk said, and the rest of them echoed the sentiment. They watched her join the other hopefuls. Those others were upperclassmen that Frisk didn't recognize. "Do you know them, Ginny?" she asked.

"Um..." Ginny said, watching them carefully. "That's Andrew Kirke. That's... Sally Birchgrove... Ritchie Coote... and I think Jack Sloper... and that's..."
"Cormac," Frisk said, rolling her eyes. She might have expected him to try out as a beater. It seemed to be in his wheelhouse. Frisk looked around. The team had set up targets all over the pitch, and apparently the objective was to use the bludgers to hit them down as fast as possible. Frisk may not have had the hang of how the bludgers really worked in the field, but she kind of had the idea here. It wasn't dissimilar to the rounders practice that Opal had put them through.

And with that practice, Chara might have even had advantage, she certainly was accurately making her swings. But she wasn't the most agile on her broom, she hadn't really had the years of practice the older students had, and more than a few times, the bludgers got ahead of Chara, putting her in the uncomfortable position of chasing them around the pitch.

With that said, most of the other participants had the opposite problem. They could quickly reach the bludgers, and mostly hit them... but they didn't have Chara's accuracy when it came to their aim.
After the beaters had their attempt, but before they made any announcements, it was time for the seekers to try out. Both Asriel and Ginny headed down, as Chara came back up. "How well do you think I did?" Chara asked.

"Well?" Frisk said, uncertainly. "I mean, I wasn't actually timing anyone. But I don't think you were slower than anyone else, not significantly, anyway. So..." Frisk gave a helpless shrug. "I think it went okay."

"Thanks, I think," Chara said, giving Frisk a queasy grin. "I'm not sure why I thought this was a good idea. It was so hard. Watching people play it makes it look so easy. I thought exams were bad..."

"You're fine, Chara," Frisk said, grinning at her. A quick look around at the others gave Frisk the impression that most of the others were having the same reaction. "You're fine. Everyone's having butterflies at this point."

They stopped, and looked up to where the seekers were taking their turns. But whatever esoteric thing Angelina had cooked up to test the seekers was beyond Frisk's basic quidditch knowledge to figure out. All she really knew was there was an impromptu practice going on as well, with Angelina and the other chasers trying to score goals on Ginny's brother Ron.

"I think she let out an actual snitch," said Chara. "That's just a distraction." And that seemed reasonable.

After each seeker had taken his or her turn, which seemed to be just short of an hour total, Angelina held a meeting in the center discussing the results with the rest of her unbanned team. "Jack, Chara, and Ginny, can you come down and join us? You're all in!"

Asriel was the first to congratulate Ginny, managing it before she was even able to process it herself. "Congratulations! You were so much better than I was."

Ginny just sputtered for a moment before coming back to herself. "Was I? Really?"

"Really really," Asriel said, grinning at her. "You deserve it. Get down there! And congratulations, Chara!"
"I'm not sure I deser..." Chara began before Asriel gave her a friendly shove.

"Chara, we're not going through that again! Get down there!" he insisted. "You've been reserve, so they must have wanted you." He stopped and looked over at Frisk. "Do you think Angelina will let me use the showers?"

Frisk wrinkled her nose. "I hope so."

The next day, after Frisk had taken time to work with Madam Pomfrey in the Hospital wing, Frisk and Asriel went to make good on their promise to Firenzie. Chara had been roped into a private quidditch practice with Angelina, even though their next game against Hufflepuff wasn't until after the new year.

They met Firenzie at his hut, and went past Hagrid's vegetable patch and knocked on the very large door. The knock was immediately answered by the barking of Fang, and a few minutes later by the battered face of Hagrid. He looked from Firenzie to Asriel to Frisk and back again. He took a deep breath, and motioned them to come in. "Good afternoon everyone, can I interest ye in some of my famous rock cake? Or perhaps some tea?"

Hagrid's rock cake, Frisk knew, was indeed famous. But not famous for anything that would make Frisk attempt to consume it. "Tea would be most generous of you," Firenzie told him.

Hagrid busied himself for the next few minutes retrieving hot water from the cauldron boiling on his fireplace, and pouring four oversized cups of tea for them. Asriel and Frisk took seats at his table, and waited for Hagrid to sit down as well.

"There is a reason for our visit today, Hagrid," Firenzie began calmly.

"Let me guess," Hagrid said, fixing his beady eyes on the centaur, "You've heard from Magorian, haven't you?"

"We have, Hagrid," Firenzie confirmed.

"Are you hurt, Professor Hagrid?" Frisk asked, despite Asriel poking her. "You look like you were in a fight."

Hagrid took another deep breath. "Wasn't a fight, and I'm okay. Thank you, Frisk." He turned to Firenzie. "And can't say I didn't see this coming. Are you going to complain to Dumbledore?"

"I know your respect for him," Firenzie said, calmly. "And I assume you've told him already. So... how about we start with: why? Why did you bring a giant to the Forbidden Forest?"

"Because he's my brother... my half-brother. On my mum's side." Hagrid sat down on his chair with a loud thump, and met them in the eyes. "My brother, Grawp, is a runt, by giant standards. His mother was already an outcast, she'd had a child with a human. They were abusing him dreadfully, even his mother... they were going to kill him. I couldn't leave him behind."

There was silence around the table, as everyone digested this information. "What can I do to help, Professor Hagrid?" Frisk asked.

Hagrid stared at her, stunned, mouth hanging open.

"You beat me to it," whispered Asriel.

"Frisk is a lot like you, Hagrid," Firenzie said. "She is willing to give any creature, from any walk of life, a chance. But giants are very dangerous. They can have explosive tempers, and..." he held up a hand to forestall Hagrid's complaint. "Don't say he wouldn't hurt anyone, Hagrid. Your injuries certainly suggest otherwise."

"He doesn't mean to," Hagrid said, defensively. "But abuse is all he's known his whole life. It's hard to convince him we do not mean to hurt him when it is the only thing he has ever seen."

"So now he is here," Asriel said. "What is your plan?"

"Be the dad he never had," Hagrid said. "I'm his big brother. My own dad is the only person I would put on Dumbledore's level. Dumbledore said I was a lot like him." Hagrid looked proud at this. "Giants aren't stupid... slow maybe. They can learn just like humans. I just need time. Time to help Grawp... then I can show people they don't need to be afraid of him. And that it's better to be around humans than the giants who would hurt him."

"Can we see him, Professor?" Frisk asked.

Hagrid beamed at her, standing almost immediately. "Absolutely. Let's go."

Firenzie looked momentarily skeptical, but he must have decided it was better to be with them, then risk Frisk and Asriel going without him.

The trip wasn't the furthest they'd gone into the Forbidden Forest, but the darkness told them it was still a good way in. It was also into a portion of the forest that Frisk wasn't familiar with. The heavy undergrowth suggested they were going in a different direction than the centaur camp, for instance.

"There he is," Hagrid said.

The clearing they found themselves in was a decidedly unnatural one, with uprooted treets making a sort of makeshift fort around the center. And, in the center, was a head the size of a small-ish boulder, staring back at them. As that head was about level with Hagrid, Grawp must have been sitting down. "Hag-ger"?

"It's me, Grawpy." He motioned for the others to stand back. "I've brought some friends for you to meet.

"Hagger!" he exclaimed. He began to rise to his feet, only to struggle under what appeared to be ropes tying his legs down.

"Grawp! If you stand up, you will not be able to see us," Firenzie called out. Grawp stopped struggling, and instead leaned forward, trying to determine where this new voice was calling his name from. "Good afternoon, Grawp," he said, waving to catch his attention. "I am Firenzie. This is Frisk and Asriel." At their names, the two students waved as well.

Grawp leaned even further down, giving them a bleary look with his black, beady eyes.

"I'm Frisk," she said, continuing to wave.

"Freesk," the giant said, trying it out in his mouth. It seemed close enough.

"Howdy? I'm Azriel," her brother said, hopefully.

"Azreel," he said.

With a surprising amount of agility and speed, Grawp reached out from behind his tree fort, and reached towards Asriel. Despite the sudden movement, Asriel didn't move, and only when it was close enough to grab him did Asriel scream, at the top of his lungs, "No, Grawp!"

And, perhaps surprising everyone, Grawp stopped, his eyes refocusing on Asriel. "I do not wish to be held, Grawp," Asriel said. He was still shouting, but had managed to modulate his voice so that it sounded like he was talking in a normal voice – just very loudly.

Grawp withdrew his hand, and continued to stare at Asriel and Frisk... until he slowly closed his eyes and simply fell asleep.

"I think he had been up all day," apologized Hagrid.

"I would be willing to come and talk to him with you," Asriel said, beating Frisk to volunteering for a change. "Does he like stories?"

"Huh. I think that's a good idea, Asriel. Frisk, would you be willing to come as well?" Hagrid asked her.

Frisk nodded. "Yes. Of course."

"That... that could have gone worse, I think," Firenzie said. "I still do not think highly of this ex... project, Hagrid. But I do not doubt your intentions. I certainly think you should tell the headmaster if you bring the students here. But for now, perhaps we should go back to the castle."

Frisk went up to her dormitory early that night. She hadn't been able to check her phone the last few nights. There was the message still sitting there, from Tony. She hadn't told anyone about it. She was afraid what might happen if she did. They'd already modified the Macintoshes memories once. Would they do it again?

But it wasn't going away. Tony had texted her again yesterday. She started at the text, knowing that Tony would see that she had read it. Then she realized the answer. It was simple, she'd already started on a plan. "I'll tell you at Christmas," she texted back. "Christmas Eve. It'll be a present."