Twenty years later, that was the same thing he would've told his children. Yep he got jealous, left, and practically yelled he loved Elizabeth Potter.
Rigel saw how her jaw dropped and color flooded Rigel's cheeks. Great now she's going to think he was a fanboy.
But what he didn't expect was Eliza walking towards him, grabbing his sleeves and pulling him down into a kiss. Rigel's eyes were wide but he didn't pull back.
Oh dear Merlin, please please tell me this isn't a dream.
But it wasn't because he could smell punch and firewhiskey and... strawberries? Maybe her lipstick.
"I love you too" she whispers after they broke the kiss.
"And... I'm sorry for yelling at you." Rigel said rubbing his neck sheepishly.
"It's okay" she assured. "It is nice to know that you care. Besides, if you hadn't exploded, who knows how long it would have taken you to tell me that you liked me," she smirked.
"Honestly I have no idea," Rigel admitted with a small smile. "But I just want to say, Best Christmas ever!"
Everybody woke up late on Boxing Day the next morning. The Gryffindor common room was much quieter than it had been lately, everyone yawning and having lazy conversations.
Harry, Ron Rigel, and Eliza were already in the common room when Hermione walked out of the girls' dormitory, Crookshanks following her right behind.
"Morning," said Hermione as she sat on the couch beside Harry, though avoided even looking in Ron's direction. Crookshanks hopped up on a nearby armchair as well, curling up against it.
"Your hair is back to being bushy again," Rigel said reading the daily prophet that covered his entire face.
"I don't even how you figured it out." Hermione shook her head. "I used liberal amounts of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion on it for the ball, but it's way too much bother to do every day."
"Ironic that our grandfather invented that potion," Eliza said. "But our dad nor Harry will use it."
"And I never will," Harry muttered.
Ron and Hermione seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement not to discuss their argument. They were being quite friendly to each other, though oddly formal.
Ron and Harry wasted no time in telling Hermione about the conversation they had overheard between Madame Maxime and Hagrid the previous night, about how Hagrid was a half-giant.
"Well, I thought he must be," Hermione said, shrugging. "I knew he couldn't be a 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 toward werewolves. . . . It's just bigotry, isn't it?"
"Actually." Rigel said shaking his head. "giants are horrible. They're dangerously violent and incredibly aggressive. Just like half of my family. I'm guessing Hagrid's dad was a very patient man."
It was time now to think of the homework they had neglected during the first week of the holidays. Everybody seemed to be feeling rather flat now that Christmas was over. Eliza had already told him how they could figure it out before Christmas and the two had figured it out easily. Rigel had managed to convince Neville to bring back gillyweed while Eliza had gotten herself a bubblehead charm spellbook.
The 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 blasting off so forcefully that Hagrid's cabin would catch fire.
When they arrived at Hagrid's cabin, however, they found an elderly witch with closely cropped gray 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 toward 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 ma'am?" Eliza asked.
"He is indisposed," said Professor Grubbly-Plank shortly. Soft and unpleasant laughter reached Rigel's ears. He turned.
Draco Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherins were joining the class. All of them looked gleeful, and none of them looked surprised to see Professor Grubbly-Plank.
"Is something funny, Malfoy?" Eliza snapped, wiping the smile off his face
"This way, please," said Professor Grubbly-Plank, and she strode off around the paddock where the Beauxbatons horses were shivering. Harry, Ron, and Hermione 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, hurrying to catch up with Professor Grubbly-Plank.
"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?"
Professor Grubbly-Plank acted as though she couldn't hear him. She led them past the paddock where the huge Beauxbatons horses were standing, huddled against the cold, and toward a tree on the edge of the forest, where a large and beautiful unicorn was tethered.
Many of the girls "oooooh!" at the sight of the unicorn.
"Oh it's so beautiful!" whispered Lavender Brown. "How did she get it? They're supposed to be really hard to catch!"
The unicorn was so brightly white it made the snow all around look gray. 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 and catching Harry hard in the chest. "They prefer the woman's touch, unicorns. Girls to the front, and approach with care, come on, easy does it. . . ."
"What d'you reckons wrong with him?" Ron asked, "You don't think a skrewt — ?"
"Oh he hasn't been attacked, Weasley, if that's what you're thinking," said Malfoy softly. "No, he's just too ashamed to show his big, ugly face."
"What d'you mean?" said Harry sharply.
Malfoy put his hand inside the pocket of his robes and pulled out a folded page of newsprint.
"There you go," he said. "Hate to break it to you, Potter. . . ."
He smirked as Harry snatched the page, unfolded it, and read it, with Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville looking over his shoulder. It was an article topped with a picture of Hagrid looking extremely shifty.
DUMBLEDORE'S GIANT MISTAKE
Albus Dumbledore, the eccentric Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has never been afraid to make controversial staff appointments, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. 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 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 ofCare 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-EndedSkrewts," 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.
Bloodthirsty and brutal, the giants brought themselves to the point of extinction by warring amongst 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 ofthe 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 and girl who brought around 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 and Elizabeth Potter are unaware of the unpleasant truth about their large friend — but AlbusDumbledore surely has a duty to ensure that Harry and Eliza Potter, along with his fellow students, are warned about the dangers of associating with part-giants.
Rigel finished reading and looked up at Harry and Ron. His hair slowly turned a darker shade of red. How dare she!
"That's it!" Rigel practically growled. "The daily prophet is soo going to get sued!"
Andromeda Black-Tonks made her way to the Daily Prophet office. She too has read this morning's Daily Prophet and she was not pleased. Ted was already building a case file to prosecute Skeeter. But Andromeda and her cousin Sirius had something else in mind. It was time to remind them that the house of Black was back.
She walked straight to the receptionist who gulped at the regent of the Black family. Her resemblance to her older sister Bellatrix greatly helped.
"I'm here to see the editor in chief," Andromeda said to a Daily Prophet employee.
"This way please." she squeaked and she led Andromeda to an office marked as "Editor in Chief's office"
"Regent Tonks." greeted the editor in chief.
"Mr. Cuffe," said Andromeda.
"What brings you here today?" asked Mr. Cuffe. He was sweating a little. Good Andromeda thought.
"This," said Andromeda as he shoved today's morning paper to Mr. Cuffe who took a look at the paper, paled, and then turned to Andromeda Tonks.
"This paper is unfit to even be used as toilet paper and I'm pissed at it. But what I'm more pissed at is Rita Skeeter," Andromeda said angrily.
"I can't contr-"
"Don't give me that!" Andromeda snapped. "She's your employee and you can control her better. And the fact is that she's not allowed to be in Hogwarts? That's trespassing. Then again, I'm not surprised because this isn't the first time she's been spouting bullshit."
"I told you I don't have any power over-"
"You're the bloody editor in chief Barnabas! Even if you can't control what she writes, you can still choose not to publish it. But I guess the Daily Prophet just can't say no to any news that can bring them money can they?" Andromeda yelled.
The editor-in-chief could not say anything.
"If you want a lawsuit to be avoided then you must follow these demands," Andromeda said taking a parchment before thrusting to Cuffe's face.
Rita Skeeter's employment at the Daily Prophet must be terminated immediately.
The Daily Prophet must print a suitable apology to Rubeus Hagrid on the front page of tomorrow morning's edition of the Daily Prophet. The apology must also make it very clear that it was wrong to publish such a slanderous article.
The Daily Prophet must pay a sum of 50,000 Galleons to Mr. Hagrid to compensate for the damage that has already been caused because of the story.
Barnabus Cuffe himself should write an article asking for the public to leave Mr. Hagrid alone and not to trouble them further, this should also be printed on the front page of tomorrow morning's edition.
"I cannot accept these outrageous terms, I could lose my job, I'll go bankrupt." Barnabus Cuffe spluttered
Andromeda sighed. "Look at the seal."
Barnabas Cuffe looked down and squeaked. the Black family house seals were there. The left was the Lord's seal and the right was the heir seal. Both Lord and Heir of the Black family had sent.
"If I abide by these terms then you will not bother me again right?" said Barnabus Cuffe in a hopeful voice.
Andromeda straightened up and turned to look at Barnabus Cuffe once again.
"All of them Mr. Cuffe... all of them," said Andromeda.
Barnabus Cuffe nodded.
Rita Skeeter fired
Yesterday, the Daily Prophet has made a decision to fire one of their long-time employee, Rita Skeeter.
It has been discovered that Rita Skeeter is actually an illegal unregistered beetle animagus, secretly gathering information without consent.
Auror Nymphadora Tonks has commented on the situation. "She is a disgrace to all journalists. Her methods were dishonest and her writings were less than desirable. She will be arrested as soon as possible. Investigations have shown that her articles have caused many witches and wizards to suicide in the past. She will be prosecuted when caught."
The current whereabouts of Rita Skeeter are currently unknown.
The article and the accompanying photo of Rita Skeeter standing outside the Daily Prophet Headquarters took up most of the front page while a smaller article was written by Barnabus Cuffe himself also asked the public to refrain from harassing Hagrid was located below the picture.
"Well, at least Skeeter is fired," Harry muttered.
"But the Daily Prophet still didn't properly apologize about the slander article." Eliza fumed.
"It's better than nothing," Rigel said. "Hagrid will probably teach next class. But what I'm more surprised is that she was hanging on to her job even when her own articles destroyed people's lives. "
"Probably because her scoops brought them good money," Ron said dryly.
"Still, I'm just glad that they are going to arrest that vile woman," Hermione grumbled.