Chapter 74

Giant Revelations

Note from J.M. Jackson: So, this week has started off amazingly for me. I want to share my great news with all of you. On Monday, I had my second appointment with the gender clinic in Leeds in the UK, and after being on the waiting list since October 2018, I have finally received my diagnosis of Gender Dysphoria! I won't lie, when the Doctor said he was happy to give that diagnosis, I broke down in tears, relieved and happy about this after so long a wait! And, with all things being equal, I'll be starting HRT this year!

Fred and George's departure from the castle was the talk of the castle for some time, especially with no one able to remove the portable swamp that the two had left in a corridor, meaning people had to either walk through the swamp, or divert to different paths when going to class.

Students were also coming down sick in droves, to which Lily attributed to Skiving Snackboxes. Umbridge couldn't find the cause, so many students were headed to the hospital wing instead of going to lessons. The hospital wing had been magically expanded to allow for treating those who needed help, and for those who were skiving, although that was an unspoken agreement between Madam Pomfrey and the students.

The final Quidditch match of the season was coming up, which would determine who would win the cup. Gryffindor needed to win by at least a hundred points to win the cup, so all Lily needed to do was to catch the snitch. Against Malfoy, Lily felt confident of them winning.

Of course, the Slytherin's were attempting to sabotage the Gryffindor team, but once again, they were remaining in pairs, making sure that no one could harm them. With Ginny on the team as a chaser, and a couple of new players as beaters, although not as good as Fred and George had been, even Angelina felt confident of their chances.

As predicted, the match went exceptionally well for the Gryffindor team, with Lily catching the snitch in record time. The match lasted for four minutes, which, according to Angelina, was a school, and perhaps a world, record. Lily's only thought had been to end the match, and not deal with Malfoy a second longer than she had to.

As the team had celebrated, Lily saw Hagrid standing near to the pitch, trying to make eye contact with her. Grabbing Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Lavender, and Parvati, Lily ducked out of the celebration as it headed back to the castle and made her way over to Hagrid.

"Hagrid, are you okay?" Lily asked, as Hagrid quickly led the group away from the pitch.

"Aye, I'm fine personally, but I might need yer help," Hagrid said. "Yer know that Umbridge has me on probation, right?"

"Yeah, you did mention," Lily confirmed, feeling anxious.

"Seems like it won't be too long before she sacks me, and I don't wanna be here without Professor Dumbledore, but there's more than just me that I'm worried about," Hagrid said, as they entered the Forbidden Forest, still watching out for anyone spying on them.

"Are you about to tell us what you've been doing since you got back? And what Firenze warned you about?" Lily asked.

"Yeh already know about what I did during the summer," Hagrid said. "But I didn't come back right away. I had something else t' take care of."

"Something else?" Ginny asked. "What else did you do?"

Lily thought for a moment; she remembered what Hagrid had said before, and how his mother had died, so what else could there be?

"Well, turns out that my mum didn't stay alone when she left my dad," Hagrid said, as they neared a section of the forest. Lily felt concerned as she saw several uprooted trees along the way, and an area that looked like a small hurricane had hit it.

The source of the mess came into view; a small giant, although bigger than Hagrid, who called Hagrid 'Hagger' in a deep voice.

"This is Grawp, he's my brother," Hagrid explained. He introduced each of the group to Grawp, who tried to grab them, albeit in a friendly manner, but Hagrid ensured Grawp backed off. "I found out about him when I went with Olympe to meet with the rest of em."

Despite the fear all of them felt of seeing a genuine giant, it quickly became apparent that Grawp wasn't dangerous. He also wasn't that intelligent; he didn't seem to understand much, though Hagrid was trying to teach him who they were, and that they were friends.

"He's starting ter understand, though. He's not the brightest, but he's got a good heart, bless him," Hagrid insisted.

"Hagrid, this is really dangerous. What if someone comes across him?" Hermione asked.

"Or what if he leaves the forest?" Lavender added.

"He won't, I taught him to not leave here," Hagrid replied.

"But if something happens to you, you won't be here to stop him," Parvati pointed out.

"Which," Lily said, a feeling of dread running down her back, "is why you came to us, isn't it?"

"It is," Hagrid confirmed, looking at them. His eyes were almost pleading to them, as he looked at the whole group. "He's my brother, I couldn't leave him; they were bullying him."

"I get that Hagrid, but we know you well enough to know you didn't plan ahead that well. Did Professor Dumbledore know?" Lily asked. Hagrid nodded.

"Once I brought him back, t'was Professor Dumbledore who helped me hide him," Hagrid confirmed. "Only people I let in can come to this part of the forest, and Grawp can't leave the forest. He said it wasn't his best work, but it's worked so far," Hagrid explained.

"That's a relief, at least," Ron commented.

"Please, will you help me?" Hagrid asked. Lily looked at each member of the group, who nodded softly at her.

"We'll help you Hagrid. After everything you've done for us, how can we not?" Lily asked.

Hagrid looked visibly relieved. "Thank you," Hagrid said, carefully hugging them. "I appreciate this, so much."

"Anytime, Hagrid," Lily said softly. She felt terrified of Grawp, but at the same time, Hagrid had helped them all a lot, and they owed him. She still remembered the day she'd met Hagrid, how big he'd seemed to her, but he was so friendly, and had even brought her Hedwig. How could she not be willing to help?


"I just hope Dumbledore's spell holds out," Hermione said, as she, Lily, Ginny, Lavender, and Parvati were sitting in the girl's dorm. Ron had gone to sleep, so was in the boy's dorm, but none of the girls could sleep.

"We knew he was a giant, but to think of a brother…" Lavender commented.

"I know, it's… well, knowing Hagrid, he'll want to get Grawp to help him teach," Lily joked.

"Oh god, that'd be a first," Lavender remarked, giggling softly.

"Do you think Hagrid can teach Grawp?" Ginny asked, looking at Lily.

"To be honest, I don't know. I mean, Hagrid is determined, and can pretty much do anything, but this… I want to believe in him though," Lily replied.

"Hagrid wouldn't do this unless he believed he could. We know him. He likes dangerous animals, but he also understands them better than anyone we've heard of, except maybe Newt Scamander," Hermione replied.

"What if Umbridge finds out? I mean, she'll go in and kill Grawp, and probably Hagrid. She hates anyone who isn't a so called 'pure' person," Ginny pointed out.

"Alright, what do we do? How do we fight Umbridge properly?" Lavender asked.

"I don't know. I've been… I…" Lily seemed to freeze up as she tried to put her thoughts into words.

"Lily?" Ginny sounded worried as she held Lily's hand.

"Why are we doing any of this? If I just stop saying anything and buckle down on my studies, Umbridge won't have anything to attack me with," Lily said, looking at the ground.

"Lily, you can't let her win," Parvati said firmly. "Lily, you've inspired all of us! You lead us all because you're the best of us."

"Am I? What have I actually done, other than cause problems? Dumbledore's gone, Hagrid will be gone soon, and Aunt Minnie can't do anything, or she'll be in trouble as well," Lily said weakly. "I can't…"

"When did you run out of your meds?" Hermione asked softly, looking at Lily. Ginny also met Lily's gaze, but Lily just looked down at the ground. "Lily?"

"Two weeks ago," Lily confessed, tears welling up in her eyes as she felt angry, afraid, upset, mortified, and even ashamed of her weakness.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Ginny asked.

"I… there's nothing anyone can do. Lana… I messaged her, but when Hedwig returned, she had nothing," Lily admitted.

"Umbridge. That vile, evil, miserable cow! She intercepted Hedwig somehow," Ginny snarled angrily.

"I'll ask Ron to send Pig," Lavender said. "We need to get more for her, quickly."

"Please, I don't want any of you in trouble because of me, I'm not worth it," Lily said meekly as she kept her gaze at the ground. Ginny lifted Lily's head and looked into her eyes.

"Lily Jasmine Potter, don't you dare say that again. The world knows what you have done before, you've stopped Voldemort, you've destroyed his Basilisk, you messed up his return, but there's something more you've done," Ginny insisted. "You've given me love, a feeling I didn't ever expect to feel, especially not after my first year. I felt so broken, but you saved me, and you gave me everything I could ever hope to have."

"Lily, you're our best friend. We would be completely lost without you," Lavender told her.

"We wouldn't be even remotely prepared for the OWLS without you teaching us," Parvati added. "I mean, Umbridge hasn't taught us a damned thing."

"And just think, you've made a difference to so many people in the world. White may be a complete ass, but you've touched so many people with your story, about wanting people to be free to be themselves," Hermione said kindly. "And if it wasn't for you, Fleur and I wouldn't be together now."

"I don't think Ron and I would be together if you hadn't helped us out," Lavender added.

"Lily, when I first started here, I felt alone, and I'd found that damned diary. When I first wrote in it, I thought it was a special gift that the diary wrote back. I told Riddle all of my secrets, how I wanted to be good enough to speak to you and to be worthy of being in your life, because I'd grown up hearing all about you," Ginny began. Lily saw tears in Ginny's eyes as she spoke.

"When I first started to realise what was happening, I tried to stop writing and threw the diary away, but then you found it, and I was terrified that you'd find out I was the one petrifying everyone. I didn't even know how it was happening, and I didn't remember it, not really. I saw flashes of it when I slept, but mostly it was a blur. I had to get the diary back, and when I did, Riddle told me that I could be forgiven if I helped him, so… so I went to the chamber," Ginny continued, tears rolling down her cheek.

All of the girls were listening, and helping Ginny with a supportive hand or hug as she kept telling her story.

"When I got there, I knew suddenly what Riddle was planning, and who he was, but I was too weak to do anything, and I closed my eyes. I could feel myself… well, I was dying, but then I heard your voice, and Ron's, and Snape's and Flitwick's, all there fighting Voldemort. I wanted to tell you how sorry I was, but I was still so scared," Ginny told them.

"It wasn't you, Ginny, it was all Riddle," Lavender spoke after a few moments.

"I think… a part of me wanted the power, because I wanted to be worthy of you, and Riddle convinced me that I could be," Ginny confessed, fully weeping now as she spoke. "I needed that power, to be strong and beautiful."

No one spoke for what felt like an eternity, but in reality, after five seconds, Lily pulled Ginny into a hug, holding onto her as she sobbed softly, the release of her pain somehow freeing Ginny.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Hermione asked first.

"I was too scared to," Ginny explained, as Lily helped wipe her eyes. "I was so terrified of everyone rejecting me, so I've been keeping it hidden for three years now, and I… I wouldn't blame any of you for hating me."

"I can never hate you, Ginny," Lily said, before pressing her lips to Ginny's. She let the kiss linger for a few moments, before meeting Ginny's eyes. How had their positions been reversed so quickly? She had felt so weak moments ago, with Ginny helping her, and now she was helping Ginny? Was this why Ginny had finally confessed, to switch their roles and give Lily some strength?

"I hated myself, and I still do. How could I let myself want power so much? That's exactly what Voldemort does, and I was shaping to be just like him," Ginny sobbed.

"No. No, not at all," Lily said. "You would never be like him, because you love. Voldemort doesn't and can't ever love. He doesn't understand it. How could he? He's never had anyone love him." Lily said.

"And he never will. People are sycophants and worship him because they think he has power, but that's not true. He's strong, but he'll never have friends," Hermione pointed out.

"Look how many friends both of you have," Lavender insisted. "We all love you two; you're so kind, and caring, and you mean a lot to all of us."

"So don't either of you dare start thinking negatively, we won't accept that at all," Parvati told them, firmly. Lily embraced her friends, so thankful that she had them. She needed to focus, since the OWLS were coming up, but she also knew something big would happen. It had happened every year, without exception. But was she ready for it?