Hermione woke up quite late on Boxing Day to a tapping on her bedroom window. An owl was sitting on the sill with a note attached to its leg. Hermione rolled out of bed, her feet hitting the floor, and opened the window. The owl hooted as if to say good morning, and Hermione gave it a soft pet on the head. Crookshanks was on her bed, staring intently at the pair. Hermione caught him plotting and gave the grey-brown owl one last pet before shutting the window on any chance Crookshanks had to pounce. She tore the envelope apart and sat back down to read.
Dear Hermione,
Thank you for reaching out and for your concern. I'm sorry it has taken me so long to write back, but things have been tumultuous, as I am sure you can understand. Everyone is safe and improving, but it has been a long road to recovery for most-especially Liam and his family.
Summoning Keelin when you did probably saved a lot of lives, I'm thankful that you had the bracelet. You may even see Keelin at Hogwarts, since she will be around for the second task. She said Ludo Bagman isn't up to keeping the Champions and their friends safe, so she's to keep an eye on things.
You should also keep an eye out for yourself, especially if you are as close to Harry Potter as the Daily Prophet says. Being close to a Champion isn't the safest place to be, especially for the second task. I can't say much more than that, but just be careful on and before February the twenty-fourth.
Thank you again for all of your help with my cousin.
Finnegan
Hermione had forgotten all about Finnegan and his cousins, the Roberts, with all that was going on, but was glad to hear they were all okay. She wondered what he meant about being careful since she was friends with Harry. What, exactly, was the second task going to entail? Something with a screeching egg, though that wasn't a very helpful clue. Hermione wondered if Harry had worked on the clue at all, and vowed to ask him later that day.
Another tap on her window got Hermione's attention. A second owl was standing on the sill, tapping to get inside. She got up and opened the window, this time positioning herself so she blocked Crookshank's view of the open window. After removing the letter and shutting the window again, Hermione sat and opened her second letter. It was from Viktor.
My Smartest Girl,
I must cancel our plans for today. I am terribly sorry. Karkaroff wants to talk. Maybe about egg? I'll see you soon. Promise.
Love,
VK
Hermione frowned. She remembered the surprised look Karkaroff gave her when she realised who Viktor had asked to the Yule Ball. She wondered what he was thinking.
She supposed she'd have to hang out with Ron and Harry since her plans with Viktor had been cancelled, and decided it was best to pretend that last night's confrontation with Ron never happened. If he wanted to bring it up, he could, but Hermione certainly wouldn't.
The Gryffindor Common Room was much quieter than it had been lately, with many yawns punctuating the lazy conversations.
Hermione, Harry, and Ron exchanged uneasy and stiff pleasantries before things started to feel a bit more normal. Her hair was back to its usual bushy state, and Hermione confessed to Harry that she had used Sleekeazy's Hair Potion, and explained that it was much too challenging to keep up daily. She and Ron kept the conversation friendly but formal. Not long after she had joined them, Ron and Harry leaned in to tell Hermione about the conversation they had overheard between Hagrid and Madame Maxime.
"And then Hagrid asked her which one of her parents was a Giant. She pretty much played dumb and said she didn't know what he was talking about," Harry said.
"And then he admitted that his mother was one of the last Giants in Britain!" Ron said incredulously.
"So Hagrid is a half-giant and thinks Madame Maxime is too, which makes sense because of how big she is, but she definitely denied it," Harry finished.
"Well, wouldn't you?!" Ron asked. "A half-giant?! Who would have guessed Hagrid, of all people, could be a half-giant!?"
"Well, I thought he must be," Hermione said, shrugging. "I knew he couldn't be pure giant because they're about twenty feet tall. But honestly, all this hysteria about giants. They can't all be horrible. It's the same sort of prejudice that people have towards werewolves. It's just bigotry, isn't it?"
Ron looked like he wanted to argue with her, and Hermione silently dared him to. After a minute of staring each other down, Ron looked away, defeated. Hermione tried not to smile.
They spent the rest of the day talking about anything but the Yule Ball and Triwizard Tournament, which was perfectly fine with Hermione. She still had a lot of things she wanted to say to Ron, but she knew none of them would be beneficial at the moment. Besides that elephant in the room, it was a wonderfully lazy Boxing Day, and the rest of the holiday break passed without another incident.
As lessons started back up after the holidays, Hermione worried- she hadn't heard from Viktor since the note he sent on Boxing Day. Every time she was near the lake side of the castle, she'd look out to see if she could see anyone coming from the ship who might be able to tell her where Viktor was, or at least if he was okay.
Snow was still thick upon the grounds, and the greenhouse windows were covered in condensation so thick that they couldn't see out of them in Herbology. Nobody was looking forward to Care of Magical Creatures much in this weather, though, as Ron said, the Skrewts would probably warm them up nicely, either by chasing them or by blasting off so forcefully that Hagrid's cabin caught fire.
When they arrived at Hagrid's cabin, however, they found an elderly witch with closely cropped grey hair and a very prominent chin standing before his front door.
"Hurry up, now. The bell rang five minutes ago," she barked at them, as they struggled towards her through the snow.
"Who're you?" said Ron, staring at her. "Where's Hagrid?"
"My name is Professor Grubbly-Plank," she said briskly. "I am your temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher."
"Where's Hagrid?" Harry repeated loudly.
"He is indisposed," said Professor Grubbly-Plank shortly.
Soft and unpleasant laughter was heard behind them. Draco Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherins were joining the class. They all looked gleeful, and none of them looked surprised to see Professor Grubbly-Plank.
"This way, please," said Professor Grubbly-Plank, and she strode off around the paddock where the huge Beauxbatons horses were shivering. Hermione, Ron, and Harry followed her, looking back over their shoulders at Hagrid's cabin. All the curtains were closed. Was Hagrid in there, alone and ill?
"What's wrong with Hagrid?" Harry said
"Never you mind," she said, as though she thought he was being nosy.
"I do mind, though," said Harry hotly. "What's up with him?"
Hermione had a bad feeling about it, especially with how Malfoy and the other Slytherins were acting. She tried to catch Sophie's eye, but it seemed she was purposefully avoiding her glance.
Professor Grubbly-Plank acted as though she couldn't hear Harry, however. She led them past the paddock where the Beauxbatons horses were standing, huddled against the cold, and towards a tree on the edge of the Forest, where a large and beautiful unicorn was tethered.
Many of the girls "ooooohed!" at the sight of the unicorn. Hermione was able to refrain from outwardly showing how impressed she was.
"Oh, it's so beautiful!" whispered Lavender. "How did she get it? They're supposed to be really hard to catch!"
The unicorn was so brightly white that it made the snow look grey. It was pawing the ground nervously with its golden hooves and throwing back its horned head.
"Boys keep back!" barked Professor Grubbly-Plank, throwing out an arm. "They prefer the woman's touch, unicorns. Girls to the front and approach with care. Come on, easy does it."
Hermione and the girls walked slowly forward towards the unicorn. Up close, it was even more stunning than Hermione could have imagined. The brilliant white colouring of the majestic beast was almost too bright to look at. Its golden hooves glittered against the ground, and its clear blue eyes seemed so calm and kind.
One by one, the girls in the class got to pet the unicorn. Hermione took her turn after Lavender. She had taken off her mittens to feel how soft and smooth the creature was.
"Unicorn foals are born pure gold in colour," Professor Grubbly-Plank said. "They remain so until they are about two years old, at which time they turn silver in colour. At around four years old, their horn grows in. They are considered fully grown at about seven years old, where they turn this shade of brilliant white you see in the example before you. Unicorns are incredibly fast and can outrun creatures like werewolves with hardly any effort.
"Unicorn hair makes a powerful wand core, and is a much-desired commodity amongst wand makers. Their blood will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. Unicorns are entirely pure creatures and are quite defenceless; therefore, you would live a cursed life if Unicorn blood were to touch your lips.
"Are you paying attention over there!?" Professor Grubbly-Plank interrupted herself as she looked at the boys at the paddock fence. With an annoyed sigh, she repeated what she had just said so the boys could also hear it.
"I hope she stays, that woman!" said Parvati as they returned to the castle for lunch after the lesson had ended. "That's more what I thought Care of Magical Creatures would be like - proper creatures like unicorns, not monsters."
Hermione hated to admit it, but she agreed.
"What about Hagrid?" Harry said angrily as they went up the stairs.
"What about him?" Parvati said in a hard voice. "He can still be gamekeeper, can't he?"
"That was a really good lesson," said Hermione as they entered the Great Hall. "I didn't know half the things Professor Grubbly-Plank told us about uni—"
"Look at this!" Harry snarled, shoving a copy of the Daily Prophet under Hermione's nose.
Hermione's mouth fell open as she 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 Defence 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 new-found 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 which many admit to be '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.'
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 manticores 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, it seems, 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 unknown.
Bloodthirsty and brutal, the giants brought themselves to the point of extinction by warring among 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, Fridwulfa's son appears to have inherited her brutal nature.
In a bizarre twist, Hagrid is reputed to have developed a close friendship with the boy who brought about 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 that horrible Skeeter woman find out? You don't think Hagrid told her?" Hermione asked.
"No," said Harry, leading the way over to the Gryffindor table and throwing himself into a chair, furious. "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 back at him."
"Maybe she heard him telling Madame Maxime at the ball," said Hermione quietly.
"We'd have seen her in the garden!" said Ron, which was an excellent point. "Anyway, she's not supposed to come into school anymore. Hagrid said Dumbledore banned her."
"Maybe she's got an Invisibility Cloak," said Harry, loading his plate with food. "Sort of thing she'd do, isn't it, hide in bushes listening to people."
"Like you and Ron did, you mean," said Hermione. She couldn't help herself.
"We weren't trying to hear him!" said Ron indignantly. "We didn't have any choice! The stupid git, talking about his giantess mother where anyone could have heard him!"
"We've got to go and see him," said Harry. "This evening, after Divination. Tell him we want him back. You do want him back?" He looked directly at Hermione. She had to think fast.
"I – well, I'm not going to pretend it didn't make a nice change, having a proper Care of Magical Creatures lesson for once – but I do want Hagrid back. Of course I do!" Hermione added hastily.
So that evening, after dinner, the three left the castle again and went down through the frozen grounds to Hagrid's cabin. They knocked, and Fang's booming barks answered.
"Hagrid, it's us!" Harry shouted, pounding on the door. "Open up!"
He didn't answer. They could hear Fang scratching the door, whining, but it didn't open. They hammered on it for ten more minutes; Ron even went and banged on one of the windows, but there was no response.
"What's he avoiding us for?" Hermione said when they had finally given up and were walking back to the school. "He surely doesn't think we'd care about him being half-giant?"
But it seemed that Hagrid did care. They didn't see a sign of him all week. He didn't appear at the staff table at mealtimes, they didn't see him going about his gamekeeper duties on the grounds, and Professor Grubbly-Plank continued to take the Care of Magical Creatures classes. Malfoy was gloating at every possible opportunity.
"Missing your half-breed pal?" he kept whispering. "Missing the elephant man?"
Along with Hagrid, Viktor was also still nowhere to be seen. . There was no observable activity on the ship either. Hermione had walked down a few times, trying to peer through the portholes, but they all seemed to be magically darkened. She tried writing him a letter by owl, but the owlreturned with the letter still on its leg. Hermione decided that if she didn't hear from him by the end of January, she would go to Professor McGonagall and ask if she knew, or could help her find, any information about Viktor and the other Durmstrang students.
There was a Hogsmeade visit halfway through January and Hermione was shocked that Harry was planning to go.
"I just thought you'd want to take advantage of the common room being quiet," she said. "Really get to work on that egg."
"Oh, I – I reckon I've got a pretty good idea what it's about now," Harry said.
"Have you really?" said Hermione, impressed. "Well done!" She had doubts about whether or not he was telling the truth but chose not to question it.
She, Ron, and Harry left the castle together on Saturday and set off through the cold, wet grounds toward the gates. As they passed the Durmstrang ship moored in the lake, Hermione stopped in her tracks. There on the deck was Viktor, dressed in nothing but swimming trunks. He climbed up onto the side of the ship, stretched out his arms and dove right into the lake.
"He's mad!" said Harry, staring at Krum's dark head as it bobbed out into the middle of the lake. "It must be freezing. It's January!"
"It's a lot colder where he comes from," said Hermione, trying to get over the shock of seeing him finally and the relief that came from it (even though he was jumping into a nearly frozen lake). "I suppose it feels quite warm to him."
"Yeah, but there's still the giant squid," said Ron. He didn't sound anxious – if anything, he sounded hopeful. Hermione noticed his tone of voice and frowned.
"He's really nice, you know," she said. "He's not at all like you'd think, coming from Durmstrang. He likes it much better here, he told me."
Hermione took one last look before following Ron and Harry to Hogsmeade. She was relieved he seemed to be okay, but was slightly hurt that he hadn't reached out. Had she done something wrong?
As they walked down High Street, the three friends looked for Hagrid in the shops, but he was nowhere to be found. Feeling defeated, Hermione, Ron, and Harry went into the Three Broomsticks to warm up and get a bit of lunch and a Butterbeer.
The pub was as crowded as ever. They fought their way up to the bar and ordered three Butterbeers. Hermione kept looking over at Ron, who she knew had a massive crush on Madam Rosmerta, but he seemed to be actively ignoring her. Hermione looked into the mirror over the bar and caught a glimpse of Ludo Bagman sitting in a shadowy corner with a bunch of goblins.
"Doesn't he ever go into the office?" Hermione whispered. "Look!"
The boys followed her gaze to the table where Bagman was talking very fast in a low voice to the goblins, all of whom had their arms crossed and looked rather menacing.. Hermione thought it was extremely odd that Bagman was at the Three Broomsticks on a weekend when there was no Triwizard event, and therefore no judging to be done.
Unfortunately, right at that moment, Bagman looked up and spotted them. He got up, telling the goblins, "In a moment, in a moment," and hurried over to Harry, hardly paying Hermione and Ron any attention.
"Harry!" he said. "How are you? Been hoping to run into you! Everything going all right?"
"Fine, thanks," said Harry.
"Wonder if I could have a quick, private word, Harry?" said Bagman eagerly. "You couldn't give us a moment, you two, could you?"
"Er – okay," said Ron, and he and Hermione went off to find a table.
As they sat down at one of the only empty tables, Hermione realised this was the first time she and Ron were alone together since the Yule Ball. From the awkwardness rolling off of Ron, she guessed he had realised the same thing.
"So," Ron said a moment after they sat down. "Erm - how're classes?"
"Good," Hermione said.
"That's good."
"Yep."
A few more beats of awkward silence passed between them.
"Wonder what they're talking about," Hermione said, in spite of herself. She couldn't bear just sitting there with Ron and not talking.
"Reckon Bagman didn't want to talk to those goblins," Ron pointed out, "so he's just rambling with Harry for an excuse to get away."
"That makes sense," Hermione agreed. "Wonder what his business with the goblins is though."
Ron didn't respond, and they descended into silence once again.
"Ok, listen," Ron blurted out after a minute. "I just want you to know that you looked brilliant at the ball. I didn't get a chance to tell you, and I just wanted you to know, ok?"
Hermione was taken aback. "Erm, thank you."
"But I also think you're pretty now, too."
"Thank you," Hermione repeated, not knowing what else to say.
"That's all. Just wanted you to know."
They sat in silence once more, though this one felt pensive instead of awkward. Hermione had no idea how to react or what to say. Judging by Ron's demeanour, he didn't want to discuss it further. He seemed almost embarrassed, and Hermione knew it had taken a lot for him to be so candid. Luckily, Harry came back over to rejoin them before the silence could become unbearable again.
"What did he want?" Ron said the moment Harry sat down.
"He offered to help me with the golden egg," said Harry.
"He shouldn't be doing that!" said Hermione, looking very shocked. "He's one of the judges! And, anyway, you've already worked it out, haven't you?"
"Er… nearly," said Harry.
"Well, I don't think Dumbledore would like it if he knew Bagman was trying to persuade you to cheat," said Hermione. "I hope he's trying to help Cedric as much!"
"He's not. I asked."
"Who cares if Diggory's getting help?" said Ron.
"Those goblins didn't look very friendly," said Hermione, sipping her Butterbeer. She knew better than to press the issue. "What were they doing here?"
"Looking for Crouch, according to Bagman," said Harry. "He's still ill. Hasn't been into work."
"Maybe Percy's poisoning him," said Ron. "Probably thinks if Crouch snuffs it, he'll be made Head of the Department of International Magical Co-operation."
Hermione gave Ron a look. "Funny, goblins looking for Mr Crouch. They'd normally deal with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."
"Crouch can speak loads of different languages, though," said Harry. "Maybe they need an interpreter."
"Worrying about poor 'ickle goblins, now, are you?" Ron asked Hermione. "Thinking of starting up S.P.U.G. or something? Society for Protection of Ugly Goblins?"
At first, Hermione thought Ron was being mean, but she realised it was just his way of teasing her in good fun as soon as she saw him wink at her.
"Ha, ha, ha," said Hermione sarcastically. "Goblins don't need protection. Haven't you been listening to what Professor Binns has been telling us about goblin rebellions?"
"No," said Harry and Ron together.
"Well, they're quite capable of dealing with wizards," said Hermione, sipping more of her Butterbeer. "They're very clever. They're not like house-elves, who never stick up for themselves."
"Uh oh," said Ron, staring at the door.
Rita Skeeter had just entered. She was wearing banana-yellow robes today; her long nails were painted shocking pink, and she was accompanied by her paunchy photographer. She bought drinks, and she and the photographer made their way through the crowds to a table nearby. Hermione, Ron, and Harry glared at her as she approached. She was talking fast and looking very satisfied about something.
"...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 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?" said Harry loudly.
A few people looked around. Rita Skeeter's eyes widened behind her jewelled spectacles as she saw who had spoken.
"Harry!" she said, beaming. "How lovely! Why don't you come and join –?"
"I wouldn't come near you with a ten-foot broomstick," said Harry furiously. "What did you do that to Hagrid for, eh?"
Rita Skeeter raised her heavily pencilled eyebrows.
"Our readers have the right to know the truth, Harry. I am merely doing my –"
"Who cares if he's half-giant?" Harry shouted. "There's nothing wrong with him!"
The whole pub had gone very quiet. Madam Rosmerta was staring over from behind the bar, apparently oblivious to the fact that the flagon she was filling with mead was overflowing.
Rita Skeeter's smile flickered very slightly, but she hitched it back almost at once; she snapped open her crocodile-skin handbag, pulled out her Quick-Quotes Quill and said, "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 though it was a grenade. It took all of her self-control to not throw the bottle and its contents into the woman'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. Hermione felt as though she had been slapped. "I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl ... Not that it needs it –" she added, eyeing Hermione's bushy hair.
Hermione knew she had to get out of there before she did something she would regret.
"Let's go," said Hermione. "C'mon, Harry – Ron."
Hermione turned on her heel and made a beeline for the door. She didn't even look back to make sure Ron and Harry were following, nor did she look back at that disgraceful woman. She wouldn't give that hag the satisfaction of a last look.
"She'll be after you next, Hermione," said Ron in a low and worried voice as they walked quickly back up the street.
"Let her try!" said Hermione shrilly, shaking with rage. "I'll show her! Silly little girl, am I? Oh, I'll get her back for this, first Harry, then Hagrid."
"You don't want to go upsetting Rita Skeeter," said Ron nervously. "I'm serious, Hermione, she'll dig something up on you –"
"My parents don't read the Daily Prophet. She can't scare me into hiding!" said Hermione, now striding along so fast that it was all Harry and Ron could do to keep up with her. "And Hagrid isn't going to hide anymore! He should never have let that excuse for a human being upset him! Come on!"
Breaking into a run, she led them all the way back up the road, through the gates flanked by winged boars, and up through the grounds to Hagrid's cabin. All of Hermione's anger from the last month now bubbled to the surface, and she refused to let anyone make her feel like a nothing any longer. If she had learned anything from Viktor, it was that she didn't deserve to be treated like rubbish.
The curtains were still drawn, and they could hear Fang barking as they approached.
"Hagrid!" Hermione shouted, pounding on his front door. "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. Hermione said, "About t—!" and then stopped suddenly because she had found herself face to face, not with Hagrid, but with Albus Dumbledore.
"Good afternoon," he said pleasantly, smiling down at them.
"We – er – we wanted to see Hagrid," said Hermione in a rather small voice.
"Yes, I surmised as much," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. "Why don't you come in?"
"Oh ... um ... OK," said Hermione.
She, Ron and Harry went into the cabin; Fang launched himself upon Harry the moment he entered, barking madly and trying to lick his ears. Harry fended Fang off, and looked around.
Hagrid was sitting at his table, where there were two large mugs of tea. He looked like a real mess. His face was blotchy, his eyes swollen, and he had gone to the other extreme where his hair was concerned; far from trying to make it behave, it now looked like a wig of tangled wire. Hermione's heart broke to see him like that.
"Hi, Hagrid," said Harry softly.
Hagrid looked up.
"'Lo," he said in a very hoarse voice.
"More tea, I think," said Dumbledore, closing the door behind Hermione, Ron, and Harry, drawing out his wand and twiddling it; a revolving tea tray appeared in mid-air, along with a plate of cakes. Dumbledore magicked the tray onto the table, and everybody sat down. There was a slight pause, and then Dumbledore said, "Did you by any chance hear what Miss Granger was shouting, Hagrid?"
Hermione went slightly pink, but Dumbledore smiled at her and continued, "Hermione, Harry, 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 said, staring at Hagrid. "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," said Harry sheepishly. "I just meant – Hagrid, how could you think we'd care what that – woman – wrote about you?"
Two fat tears leaked from Hagrid's beetle-black eyes and fell slowly into his tangled beard.
"Living proof of what I've been telling you, Hagrid," said Dumbledore, still looking carefully up at the ceiling. "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 hoarsely. "Not all of 'em wan' me ter stay."
"Really, Hagrid, if you are holding out for universal popularity, I'm afraid you will be in this cabin for a very long time," said Dumbledore, 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!" said Hagrid croakily.
"Hagrid, look what I've got for relatives!" Harry said furiously. "Look at the Dursleys!"
"An excellent point," said Professor Dumbledore. "My own brother, Aberforth, was prosecuted for practising 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," said Hermione quietly, ignoring the anecdote about Dumbledore's brother and goat. "Please come back. We really miss you."
Hagrid gulped. More tears leaked out down his cheeks and into his tangled beard.
Dumbledore stood up. "I refuse to accept your resignation, Hagrid, and I expect you back at work on Monday," he said. "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 Fang's ears. When the door had shut behind him, Hagrid began to sob into his dustbin-lid-sized hands. Hermione kept patting his arm, and at last, Hagrid looked up, his eyes very red indeed, and said, "Great man, Dumbledore. Great man."
"Yeah, he is," said Ron. "Can I have one of these cakes, Hagrid?"
"Help yerself," said Hagrid, wiping his eyes on the back of his hand. "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," said Hagrid, croakily. "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 OK 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."
Hermione, Ron, and Harry looked at each other nervously. Hagrid didn't know Harry and Ron had overheard his conversation with Madame Maxime.
"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! School champion!"
He looked at Harry for a moment and then said, very seriously, "Yeh know what I'd love, Harry? I'd love yeh ter win, I really would. It'd show 'em all... yeh don' have ter be pure-blood 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, Harry?"
"Great," said Harry. "Really great."
Hagrid's miserable face broke into a wide, watery smile. "Tha's my boy ... You show 'em, Harry, you show 'em. Beat 'em all."
Too bad Harry was lying, Hermione thought with a grimace.