XX. SKEETER THE COW
01:03 ─❁────────── 01:80
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❝We have to get hurt, you can't do it casually
Even though you'll smile when the time passes❞
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DESPITE ALL THE TROUBLES THAT went on, the Yule Ball was a success and went on to be the talk of the whole school for several days. However, where there was a good, there would always be a bad.
The day after the Yule Ball was somewhat awkward for Ron and Hermione, both of whom had a row the night before; Harry and Lucia, however, treated the day as though it was another ordinary day as much as they could while at the same time, they couldn't stop from stealing glances at one another.
Through the deafening awkwardness between them, Ron and Hermione had an unspoken agreement to not speak of their argument. Like a snap of a finger, they were back to being friendly with one another, though oddly formal.
Harry and Ron told Hermione about the conversation they had overheard between Madame Maxime and Hagrid, while Lucia merely listened. But Hermione didn't seem to find the news that Hagrid was a half-giant nearly as shocking as Ron did.
"Well, I thought he must be," she said, shrugging. "I knew he couldn't be 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?"
Ron looked as though he would have liked to reply scathingly, but perhaps he didn't want another row, because he contented himself with shaking his head disbelievingly while Hermione wasn't looking.
Lucia nodded hesitantly in agreement. "I — uh — I remember the Ministry gave a pass for the... the legislation against the werewolf community." Lucia could roll her eyes just thinking about it. To think someone would be that prejudice against werewolves... Vile. "It was by this woman... Doris? Dora? Dodo?..."
"Either way, bigotry in the Wizarding world is not so shocking unfortunately." Hermione sighed, having experienced the act of bigotry from the pureblood supremacist of Hogwarts.
It was now time 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 — everybody except Harry, that is, who was starting (once again) to feel very nervous.
As February the twenty-fourth approaches, Harry have yet done anything about working out the clue inside the golden egg and he was getting fairly annoyed and slowly feel the pressure of the task creeping onto his neck. Lucia first-handedly experienced Harry's growing stress when she walked into him throwing the golden egg across his dormitory purely out of frustration.
After that, Lucia didn't give him much of a choice but to take a good walk just to clear his clouded mind.
"Didn't... um... Cedric already helped you out a bit? W-Why not just go on with what he said?" Lucia asked as she played with her fingers.
The pair walked along the banks of the calming and icy Black Lake, bundled in their winter wear after having an oddly nice meeting with the giant squid that resided deep within the said lake.
Harry, at first, was reluctant to go for a walk, but he also couldn't decline Lucia who'd became exceptionally scary to Harry as she dropped all the sugar in her face and replaced it with a scary look that would forever haunt Harry's mind. Even just the mere thought of it made him shudder.
He didn't regret following her down, though. It genuinely helped him relaxed from all his frustration and agitation he've been feeling, for everything around him that could've end up with him drowning with, yet again, his misery.
Meeting the Black Lake's giant squid that Lucia had named "Sir Squid" was definitely not in the bucket list. And it was even odder to see Lucia having, what looks to be, a normal conversation with the squid, as though she understood the said giant squid. Yet, at the same time, Harry couldn't help but admire this — until she suddenly dragged him over for him to greet the noble squid.
And Harry didn't miss the feeling of slime on his hand one bit as he continuously wiped it with the handkerchief Lucia gifted him over Christmas after he had a firm handshake with Sir Squid. He wanted so badly for the slimy substance to be gone.
But Harry understood why Lucia like hanging around the squid. Sir Squid was definitely a one-of-a-kind ally to have — albeit neither of them could understand the creature.
The more they walk, the more he realised how princessy she was. With the way she talks to animals while not even dropping the elegance she possessed. It reminded him of all the times he had seen those princesses from the films the Dursleys would put on for Dudley.
"Should I even trust him?" Harry grumbled, swinging their interlocked hands around.
Lucia smiled amusingly at his childish behaviour. "You're just being petty because Cho went to the ball with..."
Harry stared at her. He swore he heard a strain in her voice as she said the Cho's name, however he was only met by her kind smile. Harry blushed.
"Well — yeah... but no? It's just —"
"Then... then I don't see the problem. Y-You're stress as it is, and it won't do you any harm to try out Cedric's suggestion..." Harry sighed conflictedly at her words. She flailed her arms around, continuing, "It'll probably do you good. You... you'll have a chance to use the prefects' bathroom and relax while trying to find out about the clue — you also promised me that you would bring me along..."
"I didn't promised you anything, love," Harry humoured her, booping the button of her nose.
She recoiled slighly, surprised by his action. However, she quickly recovers and hid her blush with faux sarcasm.
"Ha-ha," Lucia countered. "But... you said you'll bring me along remember?"
"I know... it's just that I need some time to think about Cedric's proposition here," he sighed.
Lucia hummed, beaming with support as she locked eyes with Harry. "I know. But if you decide to not follow Cedric's suggestion, then be sure to remember that I can help you. Okay?"
Harry chuckled and nodded. "Fine,"
While 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, the start of the new term began. Lesson continued as per usual, and 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?" Harry repeated loudly.
"He is indisposed," said Professor Grubbly-Plank shortly.
Soft and unpleasant laughter reached the Gryffindors' ears. 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.
"This way, please," said Professor Grubbly-Plank, and she strode off around the paddock where the Beauxbatons horses were shivering. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Lucia followed her, looking back over their shoulders at Hagrid's cabin. All the curtains were closed. Was Hagrid in there, alone and ill?
Lucia gasped, eyes glimmering with a sparkles as many of the girls surrounding her "ooooohed!" In front of them stood a beautiful unicorn and Lucia had never been so tempted to pet an animal before — except for Crookshanks. Hermione's abnormally ginormous ginger cat was simply intriguing, and fluffy to her.
"Oh, it's so beautiful!" whispered Lavender Brown. "How did she get it? They're supposed to be really hard to catch!"
Lavender wasn't wrong. Even Lucia, who could attract creatures with ease, could never beckon a unicorn to come and talk to her.
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..."
Lucia let out an eager squeal. Hermione soon found herself being pulled by Lucia, who was also being pulled by Lavender, towards the unicorn. Professor Grubbly-Plank and the other female students surrounding the unicorn with definite amazement.
The unicorn let out an elegant neigh towards Lucia, its kaleidoscope eyes boring into her as though silently judging her.
Well, she felt that it was judging her anyway.
"Are you paying attention over there?" The voice of Professor Grubbly-Plank broke her away from her negative thoughts.
Lucia turned to see what all the commotion was and saw Harry's body shaking with rage as he clutched a parchment of the Daily Prophet in his hand.
After Professor Grubbly-Plank had given the boys a brief scold, Harry's eyes tore away from the article and towards the unicorn when he locked eyes with Lucia. Instantly, he calmed at the worried gaze of the girl who was staring at him with worry.
Her eyes were asking him, what was wrong? In which he softened at her, reassuring her silently that he would tell after the lesson.
"I hope she stays, that woman!" said Parvati Patil when the lesson had ended, and they were all heading back to the castle for lunch. "That's more what I thought Care of Magical Creatures would be like... proper creatures like unicorns, not monsters..."
"What about Hagrid?" Harry said angrily as they went up the steps.
"What about him?" said Parvati in a hard voice. "He can still be gamekeeper, can't he?"
Parvati had been very cool toward Harry since the ball. Lucia guess that he ought to have paid her a bit more attention, but she seemed to have had a good time all the same. She was certainly telling anybody who would listen that she made arrangements to meet the boy from Beauxbatons in Hogsmeade on the next weekend trip.
"That was a really good lesson," said Hermione as they entered the Great Hall. "I didn't know half the things Professor Grubbly-Plank told us about uni —"
"Look at this!" Harry snarled, and he shoved the Daily Prophet article under Hermione's nose. Lucia peered over Hermione's shoulder to read the article.
Hermione's jaw fell open.
Hermione was first to speak as Lucia decided that she needed to reread the article over and over, this time with deep concentration. "How did that horrible Skeeter woman find out? You don't think Hagrid told her?"
"I... I don't think that's the case..." mumbled Lucia quietly, a headache striking her.
Harry led the way over to the Gryffindor table and throwing himself into a chair, furious. "He never even told us, did he? I reckon she was so mad he wouldn't give her loads of horrible stuff about me, she went ferreting around to get him back."
"Maybe she heard him telling Madame Maxime at the ball," said Hermione quietly.
"We'd have seen her in the garden!" said Ron. "Anyway, she's not supposed to come into school anymore, Hagrid said Dumbledore banned her..."
"Then — um — maybe she snuck in without you both noticing?" Lucia suggested.
"Maybe she's got an Invisibility Cloak," said Harry, ladling chicken casserole onto his plate and splashing it everywhere in his anger. "Sort of thing she'd do, isn't it, hide in bushes listening to people."
Lucia snorted as she played around with the casserole. "Talk about the pot calling the kettle black,"
"It's like what you and Ron did, you mean," said Hermione.
"We weren't trying to hear him!" said Ron indignantly. "We didn't have any choice! The stupid prat, talking about his giantess mother where anyone could have heard him!"
"We've got to go and see him," said Harry. "This evening, after Divination. Tell him we want him back... you do want him back?" he shot at Hermione.
"I — well, I'm not going to pretend it didn't make a nice change, having a proper Care of Magical Creatures lesson for once — but I do want Hagrid back, of course I do!" Hermione added hastily, quailing under Harry's furious stare.
"You all need to light lighten up a bit..." said Lucia in a quiet manner, as she picked off the bones of her chicken. Faintly, she muttered to herself, "Maybe I'm having a headache because of you three..."
Overhearing her words, Harry rolled his eyes as he shoved a spoonful of the casserole into her mouth. "Eat up."
So that evening after dinner, the four of them left the castle once more and went down through the frozen grounds to Hagrid's cabin. They knocked, and Fang's booming barks answered.
"Hagrid, it's us!" Harry shouted, pounding on the door. "Open up!"
Hagrid didn't answer. They could hear Fang scratching at the door, whining, but it didn't open. They hammered on it for ten more minutes; Ron even went and banged on one of the windows, but there was no response.
"S-Should I scream?" asked Lucia instantly.
Hermione sent her a look. "Of course not!" she shrieked reproachingly.
"Then what are we supposed to do?" Lucia frowned.
"What's he avoiding us for even?" Hermione said when they had finally given up and were walking back to the school. "He surely doesn't think we'd care about him being half-giant?"
But it seemed that Hagrid did care. They didn't see a sign of him all week. He didn't appear at the staff table at mealtimes, they didn't see him going about his gamekeeper duties on the grounds, and Professor Grubbly-Plank continued to take the Care of Magical Creatures classes. Malfoy was gloating at every possible opportunity
"Missing your half-breed pal?" he kept whispering whenever there was a teacher around, so that he was safe from Harry's retaliation. "Missing the elephant-man?"
Although, after he had said that, coincidentally a parliament of owls came swooping down, almost scratching his eyes out. It caused a bit of a chaos throughout the whole lesson, but Harry could tell that it was possibly Lucia's doing. Because, if Lucia could have an odd conversation with a giant squid that lives in the Black Lake, then it was undoubtedly possible that she could've asked a few of her owl friends to try and scratch Malfoy.
That, and the fact that she was hiding a ghost of a smile that was just screaming that she was slightly guilty of doing those things.
"That was a pretty wicked thing you did, Lucie," said Harry with a grin.
"I — uh — don't know what you are talking about," said Lucia airily, laying on her stomach as she coloured in the sketch she had just drawn of Hedwig.
"You can talk to animals, you don't have to lie,"
Lucia turned to him with genuine confusion. "I-I can...?"
"You don't have to hide it from me. I know," said Harry.
"I — Harry, I can't talk to animals," said Lucia with a breath of amusement when she saw the shock in Harry's expression the moment she said those words. "I mean, I do talk to them. But only for fun,"
Harry blinked. Huh?
Lucia merely looked at him weirdly. "Did you eat something spoiled?" she said under her breath, before giving him one last incredulous look and continue to focus on her colouring. And that left Harry Potter to further question the beautiful mysteries that was Lucia DiFiore.
There was then a Hogsmeade visit halfway through January. Hermione was very surprised that Harry was going to go.
"I just thought you'd want to take advantage of the common room being quiet," she said. "Really get to work on that egg."
"Oh I — I reckon I've got a pretty good idea what it's about now," Harry lied.
"Have you really?" said Hermione, looking impressed. "Well done!"
Seeing Harry's squirming expression, Lucia quickly saved him from being bombarded by Hermione with questions. "C-C'mon! Harry... you promised me that you would treat me to some hot chocolate!"
"I did —" Lucia stepped on his foot, and he spluttered out words, "O-Oh, yeah I did! Let's go, shall we?" he laughed nervously.
They left the castle together and set off through the cold, wet grounds toward the gates. As they passed the Durmstrang ship moored in the lake, they saw Viktor Krum emerge onto the deck, dressed in nothing but swimming trunks. He was very skinny indeed, but apparently a lot tougher than he looked, because he climbed up onto the side of the ship, stretched out his arms, and dived, right into the lake.
Lucia's brows furrowed. That was certainly interesting...
"He's mad!" said Harry, staring at Krum's dark head as it bobbed out into the middle of the lake. "It must be freezing, it's January!"
"It's a lot colder where he comes from," said Hermione. "I suppose it feels quite warm to him."
"Or maybe he's practicing..." Lucia whispered in wonder, but they didn't hear her.
"Yeah, but there's still the giant squid," said Ron. He didn't sound anxious — if anything, he sounded hopeful. Hermione noticed his tone of voice and frowned.
"It's okay, Hermione. The giant squid is much nicer than you guys make him out to be," Lucia reassured. "As long as Krum doesn't disturb him, then he won't be apart of Sir Squid's dinner."
Hermione sent her a weak, yet bewildered smile that told them that she clearly didn't believe Lucia one bit but was going to go along with her wide imagination. Lucia merely shrugged at this.
At first, she was a bit bothered by how judgemental and hurtful Hermione's constant gaze were, but she already gave up the will to try and convince Hermione to keep her opinions to herself. And although it sometimes gets annoying, she didn't want to cause any trivial conflict over it.
"He's really nice, you know," Hermione said. "He's not at all like you'd think, coming from Durmstrang. He likes it much better here, he told me."
"I can't imagine how life is in Durmstrang. They seem so..."
"Uptight?" Harry said and Lucia nodded. "Yeah, I do notice that a bit."
Ron said nothing. He hadn't mentioned Viktor Krum since the ball, but it was evident that Ron didn't like Krum as much as he did before. He no longer gushed about him like he used to, only grumbling incoherent words under his breath whenever the young man himself were to pass by them.
As they went all the way down the slushy High Street, Harry suggested a visit to the Three Broomsticks. The pub was as crowded as ever, but Hagrid was nowhere to be seen. They went up to the bar, ordering three butterbeers and a mug of hot chocolate from Madam Rosmerta.
Lucia didn't need magic to notice how gloomy Harry was. And it was all because he couldn't find his first ever friend — Hagrid.
"Doesn't he ever go into the office?" Hermione whispered suddenly. "Look!"
She pointed into the mirror behind the bar. Ludo Bagman reflected there, sitting in a shadowy corner with a bunch of goblins. Bagman was talking very fast in a low voice to the goblins, all of whom had their arms crossed and were looking rather menacing.
Lucia didn't know whether it was odd or foolish of Bagman. He was looking so shady that it was foolish of him to even think that he made a meet up in where so many people could hear him. Out of all places in Hogsmeade, why did it had to be the Three Broomsticks?
Lucia watched Bagman in the mirror. He was looking strained again, quite as strained as he had that night in the forest before the Dark Mark had appeared. But just then Bagman glanced over at the bar, saw them — technically he saw Harry. If it was either of the three, he wouldn't bother to even bat an eye at them.
"In a moment, in a moment!" Bagman said brusquely to the goblins, and Bagman hurried through the pub toward Harry, his boyish grin back in place.
"Harry!" he said. "How are you? Been hoping to run into you! Everything going all right?"
"Fine, thanks," said Harry.
"Wonder if I could have a quick, private word, Harry?" said Bagman eagerly. "You couldn't give us a moment, you three, could you?"
"Er — okay," said Ron, and he, Lucia, and Hermione went off to find a table while Bagman led Harry along the bar to the end furthest from Madam Rosmerta.
"He... he's a bit dodgy today," pointed Lucia softly. Hermione nodded in agreement as they finally found a table for themselves.
"Wonder what they're talking about..."
Ron shrugged. "Harry'll tell us." His eyes popped when he saw the chocolate wafer roll that was adorned on Lucia's hot chocolate. "Are you...?"
"Go ahead," Lucia said, amused. Ron grinned happily and munch on the wafer.
"Is that —" Hermione gasped, causing both Lucia and Ron to glance up from their chocolate wafer.
"What?"
"That!" Hermione pointed over Ron's shoulder, causing both him and Lucia to look at where she was pointing so shockingly at.
Lucia was quite surprised by the sight before her. Sitting near them was Fred Weasley, and this time neither George nor Lee was in sight, instead he was sitting across a beautiful but also familiar Slytherin. They were talking comfortably, yet at the same time they looked as though they were being as careful as possible, constantly looking around.
"Who in the bloody hell is that?" Ron awed, still munching. "And how did Fred land himself someone like her?"
"That's Eridani Malfoy," said Lucia, smiling as she watched the sixth year Slytherin laughed at one of Fred's jokes.
Ron choked on the chocolate wafer. "Malfoy — ?!"
"Don't worry one bit, she's nothing like Draco," she said quickly. "On contrary, she's nothing like the rest of her family at all. She's really nice,"
"I'll believe that when Fred decides to bring her home," said Ron, half-amused.
Lucia sighed and shook her head.
"Wait, so Fred and Angelina aren't together?" Hermione furrowed her brows.
"I guess not," said Ron. "Huh,"
"What?"
"I never thought Fred would go for someone that likes books," said Ron thoughtfully, tilting her head to the side in utter confusion.
"How do you know she likes reading?" Hermione deadpanned.
"Dunno..." Ron squinted his eyes at the table over his shoulder, "She seems like it."
"'She seems like it'? What's that supposed to mean?" started Hermione.
"I mean —"
Thankfully, as Bagman hurried out of the pub with the goblins after him, Harry rejoins them before either Ron and Hermione could break into another bicker session.
"What did he want?" Ron said, the moment Harry had sat down.
"He offered to help me with the golden egg," said Harry.
"He shouldn't be doing that!" said Hermione, looking very shocked. "He's one of the judges! And anyway, you've already worked it out — haven't you?"
Lucia gave him a look, apparently wanting him to brace himself to tell them the truth.
"Er... nearly," said Harry.
"Uh-huh," he heard Lucia under her breath before she sips her hot chocolate.
"Well, I don't think Dumbledore would like it if he knew Bagman was trying to persuade you to cheat!" said Hermione, still looking deeply disapproving. "I hope he's trying to help Cedric as much!"
"He's not, I asked," said Harry.
"That some dodgy stuff there," said Lucia in a singsong tone under her breath.
"Who cares if Diggory's getting help?" said Ron. Harry privately agreed.
"Those goblins didn't look very friendly," said Hermione, sipping her butterbeer. "What were they doing here?"
"Looking for Crouch, according to Bagman," said Harry. "He's still ill. Hasn't been into work."
"Maybe Percy's poisoning him," said Ron. "Probably thinks if Crouch snuffs it he'll be made Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation."
Hermione gave Ron a don't-joke-about-things-like-that look, and said, "Funny, goblins looking for Mr. Crouch... They'd normally deal with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."
"Crouch can speak loads of different languages, though," said Harry. "Maybe they need an interpreter."
"Worrying about poor 'ickle goblins, now, are you?" Ron asked Hermione. "Thinking of starting up S.P.U.G. or something? Society for the Protection of Ugly Goblins?"
"Ha, ha, ha," said Hermione sarcastically. "Goblins don't need protection. Haven't you been listening to what Professor Binns has been telling us about goblin rebellions?"
"Yes," said Lucia at the same time as Harry and Ron said together, "No,"
"You listen?" Harry and Ron asked her simultaneously, looking slightly betrayed by this fact.
Lucia furrowed her eyes. "And you two don't?"
"It's boring —"
"Well, they're quite capable of dealing with wizards," said Hermione, quickly cutting them off before they could further annoy her as she took another sip of butterbeer. "They're very clever. They're not like house-elves, who never stick up for themselves."
"Uh-oh," said Ron, staring at the door.
Rita Skeeter had just entered. She was wearing banana-yellow robes today; her long nails were painted shocking pink, and she was accompanied by her paunchy photographer. She bought drinks, and she and the photographer made their way through the crowds to a table nearby, Harry, Ron, and Hermione glaring at her as she approached, whilst Lucia continued to sip on her hot chocolate. She was talking fast and looking very satisfied about something.
"...didn't seem very keen to talk to us, did he, Bozo? Now, why would that be, do you think? And what's he doing with a pack of goblins in tow anyway? Showing them the sights...what nonsense...he was always a bad liar. Reckon something's up? Think we should do a bit of digging? 'Disgraced Ex-Head of Magical Games and Sports, Ludo Bagman...' Snappy start to a sentence, Bozo — we just need to find a story to fit it —"
"Trying to ruin someone else's life?" said Harry loudly.
A few people looked around. Rita Skeeter's eyes widened behind her jeweled spectacles as she saw who had spoken.
Lucia spat out some of her hot chocolate in disbelief. They could've gotten away without having to talk with that wicked witch...
"Harry!" she said, beaming. "How lovely! Why don't you come and join — ?"
"I wouldn't come near you with a ten-foot broomstick," said Harry furiously. "What did you do that to Hagrid for, eh?"
Rita Skeeter raised her heavily penciled eyebrows.
"Our readers have a right to the truth, Harry. I am merely doing my —"
"Who cares if he's half-giant?" Harry shouted. "There's nothing wrong with him!"
The whole pub had gone very quiet. Madam Rosmerta was staring over from behind the bar, apparently oblivious to the fact that the flagon she was filling with mead was overflowing.
Rita Skeeter's smile flickered very slightly, but she hitched it back almost at once; she snapped open her crocodile-skin handbag, pulled out her Quick-Quotes Quill, and said, "How about giving me an interview about the Hagrid you know, Harry? The man behind the muscles? Your unlikely friendship and the reasons behind it. Would you call him a father substitute?"
"Don't... Don't give into her bait, Harry," said Lucia under her breath, hopeful that Harry was clever enough to realised that the woman before them would only twist whatever he was going to say.
Hermione stood up very abruptly, her butterbeer clutched in her hand as though it were a grenade.
"You horrible woman," she said, through gritted teeth, "you don't care, do you, anything for a story, and anyone will do, won't they? Even Ludo Bagman —"
"Sit down, you silly little girl, and don't talk about things you don't understand," said Rita Skeeter coldly, her eyes hardening as they fell on Hermione. "I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl... not that it needs it —" she added, eyeing Hermione's bushy hair.
"Let's go," said Hermione. "c'mon — you three..."
They left; many people were staring at them as they went. Harry glanced back as they reached the door. Rita Skeeter's Quick-Quotes Quill was out; it was zooming backward and forward over a piece of parchment on the table.
"She'll be after you next, Hermione," said Ron in a low and worried voice as they walked quickly back up the street.
"Let her try!" said Hermione defiantly; she was shaking with rage. "I'll show her! Silly little girl, am I? Oh, I'll get her back for this. First Harry, then Hagrid..."
"M-Maybe you shouldn't have edged the woman on, Granger," said Lucia, her timid voice wavering as she looked back at the pub continuously, feeling jittery. "You've seen what she's done to Harry and Hagrid! She's Rita Skeeter — she's going go write horrible things about you now and it doesn't look like she's particularly afraid of arguing with children..."
"Lucia's right! You don't want to go upsetting Rita Skeeter of all people," said Ron nervously. "I'm serious, Hermione, she'll dig up something on you —"
"My parents don't read the Daily Prophet. She can't scare me into hiding!" said Hermione, now striding along so fast that it was all they could do to keep up with her. The last time Hermione Granger was in such rage like this, rumours spread that she'd taken a jab on Draco Malfoy. "And Hagrid isn't hiding anymore! He should never have let that excuse for a human being upset him! Come on,"
"But Hermione, can't we just wal —"
"COME. ON!"
Before she knew it, Lucia was being dragged by Harry and Ron as Hermione led them back up the road, breaking into a run when they reached the gates flanked by winged boars. Being dragged around was now something very normal to Lucia which was slightly concerning, but she wasn't going to complain about because it wasn't like she had to put any efforts in running anymore as she relied that on both Harry and Ron, both of whom were practically carrying her up the grounds to Hagrid's cabin.
As the soles of her boots were pressed against the snow-covered ground once more, she looked around the cabin peculiarly. It was the same as last time; the curtains were still drawn, and they could hear Fang barking as they approached.
"Hagrid!" Hermione shouted, pounding on his front door. "Hagrid, that's enough! We know you're in there! Nobody cares if your mum was a giantess, Hagrid! You can't let that foul Skeeter woman do this to you! Hagrid, get out here, you're just being —"
The door opened. Hermione said, "About t — !" and then stopped, very suddenly, because she had found herself face-to-face, not with Hagrid, but with Albus Dumbledore.
"Good afternoon," he said pleasantly, smiling down at them.
"Professor!" Lucia yelped, astonished. "What a surprise to see you!"
"We — er — we wanted to see Hagrid," said Hermione in a rather small voice.
"Yes, I surmised as much," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. "Why don't you come in?"
"Oh... um... okay," said Hermione
Entering the cabin; Fang launched himself upon Harry the moment they entered, barking madly, and trying to lick his ears. Harry fended off Fang and looked around.
Hagrid was sitting at his table, where there were two large mugs of tea. He looked a real mess. His face was blotchy, his eyes swollen, and he had gone to the other extreme where his hair was concerned; far from trying to make it behave, it now looked like a wig of tangled wire.
"Hi, Hagrid," said Harry.
Hagrid looked up.
"'Lo," he said in a very hoarse voice.
"More tea, I think," said Dumbledore, closing the door behind Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Lucia, drawing out his wand, and twiddling it; a revolving tea tray appeared in midair along with a plate of cakes. Dumbledore magicked the tray onto the table, and everybody sat down. There was a slight pause, and then Dumbledore said, "Did you by any chance hear what Miss Granger was shouting, Hagrid?"
Hermione went slightly pink, but Dumbledore smiled at her and continued, "Hermione, Luciana, Harry, and Ron still seem to want to know you, judging by the way they were attempting to break down the door."
"Luciana?" Ron turned to Lucia.
"What, never heard of a name before?" she remarked.
"Not as fancy as that, no," he rebutted.
"Of course, we still want to know you!" Harry said, staring at Hagrid as he ignored the two's quiet argument. "You don't think anything that Skeeter cow — sorry, Professor," he added quickly, looking at Dumbledore.
"I have gone temporarily deaf and haven't any idea what you said, Harry," said Dumbledore, twiddling his thumbs and staring at the ceiling.
"Er — right," said Harry sheepishly. "I just meant — Hagrid, how could you think we'd care what that — woman — wrote about you?"
Two fat tears leaked out of Hagrid's beetle-black eyes and fell slowly into his tangled beard.
Lucia immediately went around them and to Hagrid, rubbing his back consolingly. "It's — uh — all right, Hagrid. L-Let it all out if you must. It's not good to keep your emotions bottled up..."
"Living proof of what I've been telling you, Hagrid," said Dumbledore, still looking carefully up at the ceiling. "I have shown you the letters from the countless parents who remember you from their own days here, telling me in no uncertain terms that if I sacked you, they would have something to say about it —"
"Not all of 'em," said Hagrid hoarsely. "Not all of 'em wan' me ter stay."
"Really, Hagrid, if you are holding out for universal popularity, I'm afraid you will be in this cabin for a very long time," said Dumbledore, now peering sternly over his half-moon spectacles. "Not a week has passed since I became headmaster of this school when I haven't had at least one owl complaining about the way I run it. But what should I do? Barricade myself in my study and refuse to talk to anybody?"
"Yeh — yeh're not half-giant!" said Hagrid croakily.
"Hagrid, look what I've got for relatives!" Harry said furiously. "Look at the Dursleys!"
"Cheer up, Hagrid," said Lucia softly, patting his shoulders. "Being born as a half-giant shouldn't mean anything because it doesn't define you at all. Look at it in another way, yeah? A-As someone who has pureblood supremacist as grandparents... and not to mention some followers of Grindelwald as relatives too... and... and..." They all looked at her wearily, and in turn, she realised what she had just admitted. "I-I'll shut up now."
Lucia moved hastily back beside Dumbledore in shame now that she thought of her terrible family tree. No wonder her dad wanted so much to get out of it...
Silence enveloped the cabin. Hermione and Harry turned to Lucia in surprise while Ron rubbed her back sympathetically, already knowing of this information regarding the DiFiore family thanks to the Wizarding world that he was exposed since early on in his life.
At first, he didn't think Lucia was apart of that DiFiore family, but it seemed that he was partially right. Which was unfortunate in her case.
"An excellent point," said Professor Dumbledore, breaking the silence. "My own brother, Aberforth, was prosecuted for practicing inappropriate charms on a goat. It was all over the papers, but did Aberforth hide? No, he did not! He held his head high and went about his business as usual! Of course, I'm not entirely sure he can read, so that may not have been bravery.
"Come back and teach, Hagrid," said Hermione quietly, "please come back, we really miss you."
Hagrid gulped. More tears leaked out down his cheeks and into his tangled beard.
Dumbledore stood up. "I refuse to accept your resignation, Hagrid, and I expect you back at work on Monday," he said. "You will join me for breakfast at eight-thirty in the Great Hall. No excuses. Good afternoon to you all."
Dumbledore left the cabin, pausing only to scratch Fang's ears. When the door had shut behind him, Hagrid began to sob into his dustbin-lid-sized hands. Hermione kept patting his arm, and at last, Hagrid looked up, his eyes very red indeed, and said, "Great man, Dumbledore...great man..."
"Yeah, he is," said Ron. "Can I have one of these cakes, Hagrid?"
"Eh," Lucia shrugged, "He's — uh — an okay guy, I guess.."
"Help yerself," said Hagrid, wiping his eyes on the back of his hand. "Ar, he's righ', o' course — yeh're all righ'... I bin stupid... my ol' dad woulda bin ashamed o' the way I've bin behavin'..." More tears leaked out, but he wiped them away more forcefully, and said, "Never shown you a picture of my old dad, have I? Here..."
Hagrid got up, went over to his dresser, opened a drawer, and pulled out a picture of a short wizard with Hagrid's crinkled black eyes, beaming as he sat on top of Hagrid's shoulder. Hagrid was a good seven or eight feet tall, judging by the apple tree beside him, but his face was beardless, young, round, and smooth — he looked hardly older than eleven.
"Tha' was taken jus' after I got inter Hogwarts," Hagrid croaked. "Dad was dead chuffed... thought I migh' not be a wizard, see, 'cos me mum... well, anyway. 'Course, I never was great shakes at magic, really...but at least he never saw me expelled. Died, see, in me second year..."
Lucia felt her eyes brimmed with tears from Hagrid's story. And at that moment, she wondered whether it was voluntarily, or was it her empathy toward another that brought her to the situation she was currently in.
The four Gryffindors looked at one another nervously; neither of them wanted to admit to Hagrid that Harry and Ron had overheard him talking to Madame Maxime, but Hagrid was still talking, apparently unaware that he had said anything odd.
"Yeh know wha', Harry?" he said, looking up from the photograph of his father, his eyes very bright, "when I firs' met you, you reminded me o' me a bit. Mum an' Dad gone, an' you was feelin' like yeh wouldn' fit in at Hogwarts, remember? Not sure yeh were really up to it... an' now look at yeh, Harry! School champion!"
He looked at Harry for a moment and then said, very seriously, "Yeh know what I'd love, Harry? I'd love yeh ter win, I really would. It'd show 'em all...yeh don' have ter be pureblood ter do it. Yeh don' have ter be ashamed of what yeh are. It'd show 'em Dumbledore's the one who's got it righ', lettin' anyone in as long as they can do magic. How you doin' with that egg, Harry?"
"Great," said Harry. "Really great."
Hagrid's miserable face broke into a wide, watery smile. "Tha's my boy... you show 'em, Harry, you show 'em. Beat 'em all."
Walking back up to the castle after visiting Hagrid had left Lucia in a state of emotiona crisis as a few bullets of tears had escaped her eyes whilst Hagrid told him his story. She cursed herself for being so weak and not holding those few tears until they made it back to Gryffindor Tower — she was also filled with guilt. And it wasn't from Hagrid, Ron, and nor was it Hermione. It was from Harry.
He had made a little white lie to Hagrid about the golden egg that he has yet to find the answers about.
As they walked up the flights of stairs, Harry pulled her back a little from their two friends. Lucia looked at him in confusion. "What's wrong — ?"
"I'm doing it."
She tilted her head to the side and took a step back, close to Harry. "Doing..."
"Doing the thing that Cedric said," said Harry begrudgingly.
Lucia 's eyes widened as she silently gasped, a smile forming on her lips. "That's good — great actually! But, why are you telling me this..." Harry gave her a deadpanning look. "Oh! Yes, yes. Er... so when are we doing this?"
"I'll get back to you when I made a plan."
"Sneaking into the prefects' bathroom..." she laughed nervously. "This is going to be interesting..."
"No kidding."