THC/The Houses Competition
House:Gryffindor
Category: Drabble
Class: DADA
Prompt(s): [Word] Umbrella
Word Count: 625
Summery: The story of the pink umbrella
Title: Hagrid's Umbrella
If you looked up the word 'umbrella' in the dictionary, it would describe it as a device consisting of a circular canopy of cloth on a folding metal frame supported by a central rod, used as protection against rain or sometimes sun. To Hagrid, an umbrella was much more than just a device to protect oneself from the rain or sun. To Hagrid, his umbrella was his most prized possession – more correctly, because of what was hidden inside its folds.
Years ago, when he was just a young student at Hogwarts, trying to get through his third year without making too much trouble for himself, he met a boy named Tom Riddle. Hagrid knew that there was something wrong with Tom the moment he laid his eyes on him. Tom was cold, emotionless and he held himself in a way that ran a shiver down Hagrid's spine. Whenever Tom was around, Hagrid watched his step, but he made a mistake one day by showing Tom Aragog, a young acromantula the size of a Pekingese: when fully grown it would be the size of an elephant with a eighteen-foot leg span.
Hagrid would have never guessed that just a month later Tom would use his creature against him.
On the third of June, students were dismayed by the news that their classmate, Myrtle Elizabeth Warren, had met her tragic death in the second floor girls' lavatory. It was that day when Hagrid got called up to the Headmaster office to see the Ministry of Magic, Aurors and Tom Riddle, who stood there, eyes downcast to the floor, looking as if someone had just kicked his puppy. On that day, Hagrid learned he was being blamed for the girl's death. He had no choice but to sit and listen as Tom explained that he had been keeping a monstrous creature within the castle for weeks but he was too afraid to tell anyone. Hagrid tried explaining that Aragog was harmless and that he wouldn't hurt anyone but no one listened to his pleas.
As he was being arrested he looked over at Tom to see a hint of a smirk before he turned away once more, keeping up the act for everyone else in the room.
Hagrid considered himself lucky that he didn't end up in Azkaban. He was expelled from Hogwarts and was told he would not be allowed to attend another school due to his actions causing the death of a young girl. He was forced to stand and watch as his wand was snapped in two: everything he had worked so hard to achieve was gone in seconds.
Years passed slowly for Hagrid until he landed the job of gamekeeper at Hogwarts. He thanked Dumbledore profusely for the opportunity and told the man that he would not let him down. That night, as Hagrid settled down in his small hut, he noticed a package on the table.
Confused, Hagrid opened the package to see a worn out pink umbrella. Even more confused, Hagrid picked up the umbrella to see a note from Dumbledore taped to it.
Thought you may need this.
Albus Dumbledore
Hagrid read as he flipped the umbrella around in an effort to figure out what Dumbledore meant. When the umbrella opened he stood in shock as he saw his sixteen inch, oak wood wand in one piece in the folds of the pink fabric. Tears came to his eyes as he ran his finger over the ridges of the wand. Never in his life did Hagrid think he'd be able to see his wand again, much less touch it. For so long, he had felt as if a piece of himself was missing: now, with his umbrella, he was whole again.