Daughter of Mine | Harry Potter

XVIII.

Her plans quickly changed upon Sue wincing during lunch while reading the Daily Prophet. She glanced at Lalia who simply raised her brow in return. With a sigh, Sue slid the paper in front of the girl.

DUMBLEDORE'S GIANT MISTAKE
Albus Dumbledore, eccentric headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy, 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 Defense Against the Dark Arts, a decision that caused many raise 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 newfound 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 that many admit to being "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 creatures is, of course, an activity usually closely observed by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Hagrid, however, 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.

After reading Hagrid's identity presented in a manner similar to her own father's, Lalia simply stopped reading, throwing the paper on the table and glancing at the Slytherin table.

Lalia squinted her eyes at the boy loudly laughing with his friends. When he stood and began making his way to the entrance hall with his two pet monkeys, she stood silently and made her way after him. Lalia ignored Sue and Morag's worried cries as they scrambled up out of their seats, catching Harry's attention when he heard her name being called.

Harry hurriedly told Ron and Hermione to follow him, which they did, but not without Ron grabbing food to eat on the way. As the trio entered the entrance hall, they heard Lalia speak.

"Hey, Draco!" she called in a steel tone.

The boy turned around to face her, his face showing confusion and happiness that his cousin had finally spoken to him.

Lalia walked over to stand in front of him, Morag and Sue worriedly behind her. Without another word, Lalia suddenly had punched Draco in the jaw, causing the boy to fall into Crabbe.