The Little Pureblood [1]

Chapter 16: Hagrid and The Trio

"What's this? What happn'd to you?" I heard my name being called from over the hill so I stared back frantically at Hagrid, my gasps became shallower as my heart raced. Hagrid watched me from the door to his hut, looking worriedly toward me as his door opened wider.

"Ava?" Hermione appeared behind Hagrid's giant frame and stared at me wide-eyed in surprise.

"What happened?" Harry appeared on the opposite side of Hagrid, looking concerned as he saw me.

"The- Slytherins. After me. I –I have to hide. Please," I gasped through shallow breathes while my shoulders lumped around my arm that went through another wave of throbs making a line of tears go down my face with a sudden rush.

"Come in, Come in. Harry help her!" Hagrid opened the door wider for me while Harry rushed to my side and lead a reassuring arm around me, helping me in. The voices looking for me went mute the moment the door shut behind me. Hagrid bounded toward his windows and closed the small curtains, blocking any possible way for any onlookers to peak through.

Hagrid's hut was a small circle of a room not much bigger than my closet in Rhode island. But even with how small it was, a home-like feeling welcomed me as I was placed in one of the largest chairs I had ever seen. Two other dark buttoned chairs stood by a lively fire in the fireplace and in the center of the room a table with chairs stood with Hermione and Ron now sitting there. Ron was hunched over a wooden bucket, presently vomiting out what I imagined to be slugs while Hermione held a cup of tea in her hands. Her eyes were red from crying.

On the far side of the room stood a long bed with multiple fur blankets thrown over the side. The wall was covered by weapons that I've only heard about in stories. I stared back at Hagrid in a very new light after seeing that wall.

But at the moment, Hagrid was not fiery with anger or thrashing weapons at the windows. Rather, he looked down at my arm that I still held clenched in front of me.

"Le' me see. It looks bad." I slowly released my left arm and Hagrid gently took it in his hand that was large enough to have his finger reach my elbow. He muttered something under his breath that sounded rather nasty and then turned toward the little cabinet he had behind the table that I imagined was his kitchen.

My hand was still clenched tightly but my wrist was turned the wrong way. Large red scraps from where the plastic of my camera cut into me was present on my fingers. While I cradled my hand back to my side, Hermione asked what had happened.

Hagrid gave me a cloth soaked in water to gently clean my cuts while I explained to the room what occurred, starting from when they left to when the Weasley twins helped me escape the Slytherins. When I finished, Hagrid was shaking his head angrily while Hermione and Harry gave each other looks. Ron was able to appear from behind the bucket for a moment to give me his brother's two names that helped me.

"Fred must have known we were heading to Hagrid's. I'm glad they helped-"Ron ducked his head again to vomit.

"What made you wan' ter hurt 'em?" Hagrid asked me, now sounding calm. I nodded toward Ron and Hagrid frowned and turned to the boy who reappeared from his bucket.

"Who was Ron tryin' ter curse?"

"Malfoy called Hermione something-" Harry began but cut off as both Ron and I muttered the word "Mudblood" darkly. Hagrid looked outraged.

"He didn'!" he growled at Hermione.

"He did," she said softly. " But I don't know what it means. I could tell it was really rude, of course but-"

"It's about the most insulting thing he could think of," gasped Ron, coming back up from the bucket. "Mudblood's a really foul name for someone who is Muggle-born."