CHAPTER 52
|DOBBY'S SOCK|
Harry edged closer to Ginny and observed her carefully. "Are you sure that you're alright?"
Ginny nodded. "Yes, I'm fine."
"Ron'll be glad." Neville said.
Ryan smiled and nodded along when something seemed to catch his eye. Behind Ginny was the giant statue of Salazar Slytherin's face. He smiled at how it varied from the face of the young man that he had met.
The camera zoomed in to the nose of the statue and went back to Ryan to show that he noticed a small bump in the stone. Ryan stood up and walked to the statue.
"What is that?" Sirius asked.
"Dunno." Remus answered.
Neville looked up at Ryan and spoke to him. "Where are you going?"
Ryan didn't answer and instead he walked to the staute as the other three gryffindors watched him. When Ryan got to the carving he saw that the bumb under the nose had a small arrow scratched above it pointing down at the bump.
"The proof is under my nose." The last thing that Salazar Slytherin told him in his little visit to the past told him.
"Is that what he meant by that?' Lily wondered.
"What are you doing?" Harry asked.
Ryan didn't respond. He placed his finger on the bump and yellow chaos magic immediately came out of Ryan's fingers.
"Whoa!' Ryan back away immediately.
"What did he just do?' Regulus questioned.
The golden yellow magic became absorbed into the stone. A yellow line immediately went down the statue until it reached the floor. The line continued to move away from the wall and then it split into two.
"What was that?" Neville asked.
He, Harry and Ginny all got up and rushed over to Ryan. Ryan just stared ahead as the line continued to rush around the floor. It split many, many times. Each time that it did several letters would be appeared glowing next to it.
"Ryan, what did you do?" Harry enquired. "What is this?"
Ryan walked over to where the line first split and read that the line had two different sets of letters except they both ended with an S. As the the letters and lines continued, Ryan turned around and looked at the huge carving.
"Is that what I think it is?" Evan said.
"She's going to have twins. Two girls." Salazar's voice echoed in Ryan's mind.
Ryan looked down at the floor his confused face turned into one of realization.
"It's a family tree!" Ryan exclaimed.
"What?" Neville asked.
Ryan turned around and looked at all the names and lines that were drawn into the floor.
"Salazar Slytherin's descendants are all here carved in stone." Ryan told them.
"That is extraodinary!" Orion exclaimed.
The other three walked over to Ryan just as the lines and names stopped near the middle of the chamber of secrets.
"That's a lot of descendants." Neville whistled.
"Yeah." Ginny agreed.
"Why would he put this here?" Harry asked. "What was the point?"
"I dunno." Ryan said. "But that is a lot of people on here."
"I bet all the purebloods in the country are on this." Neville said as Ryan walked around and inspected the names.
"Look." Harry pointed to the family tree from the first of Salazar Slytherin's children. "That side has less than this one does."
"Yeah." Ryan nodded. "Weird. With all the incest that went on wizard history, it's weird that the two bloodlines never met."
"He's right." James nodded.
Ryan was looking toward Harry and Neville as he walked backward and observed the family tree.
"They do meet." Ginny said. She was walked forward and when she was next to Ryan she pointed ahead toward the near end of the tree. "See? At the end?"
The four of them walked over and looked at the names that Ginny pointed to. When they got there, the intials were three generations before the end.
"F.H.P and E.A.B." Harry said. "I wonder who they were."
"Where have I seen those before?" James looked deep in thought. "IS it someone I know?"
Cathy turned to her father. "Dad? Isn't that your initials?"
"Ryan's right." Neville said. "It's very strange that the two bloodlines only met once in over a thousand years."
"They had two children." Ginny noted. "J.F.P and C.E.P. The eldest only had one child and the other one had three."
"Wait a minute!" James immediately realized.
"That's strange, look." Neville pointed to the area under C.E.P. "The family tree at this one is open."
"Wonder why that is." Harry said.
Ryan was looking at the intials C.E.P very closely. He knelt down and touched the letters. When he did, the screen flashed a bright white light.
When the light subsided, it showed Salazar Slytherin's face on the screen. The face changed to one of a young woman and than it changed again this time to that of a man with a beard. The face changed again and again. Some many faces flashed across the screen, with each face the next one came faster until they just flew through the screen rapid.
Finally the screen flashed one last face that Ryan recognized. Cathy's. The screen flashed white again and Ryan was seen gasping and pulling his hand off the intials.
"Are you okay?" Neville asked as Ryan stood back up. "What happened?"
"That's my mum." Ryan told them.
"C.E.P is my mum. It stands for 'Catherine Euphemia Potter'."
The entire audience watched with silence.
"So the only time that a chaos castor was born was when the two bloodlines of Salazar Slytherin reunited." Walburga murmured.
"Than..." Harry looked at the names on the floor. "...this is our family tree
"Yeah." Ryan nodded.
"So..." Neville looked around them and shrugged. "Now what?"
The scene immediately shifted to Fawkes flying out of the Chamber of Secrets. With his legs he carried Professor Lockhart and the rest of the students who were hanging off of him and each other.
"Amazing! This is just like magic!" Professor Lockhart exclaimed excitedly.
"I almost forgot about this fool." Alice said.
"I need to ask mum to teach me how to fly during the holidays!" Ryan said.
After that the scene changed again to show that Ryan, Harry, Ron and Neville were all standing in Dumbledore's office with the morning sun pouring in through the windows.
Cathy was standing next to Dumbledore and the boys were all standing across the Headmasters desk.
"You all realize, of course, that in the past few hours you have broken perhaps a dozen school rules?
"Yes, sir." The boys all admitted.
"Are you serious?" James exclaimed.
"And there is sufficient evidence to have you all expelled."
"Yes, sir." They said robotically.
"But why?" Peter questioned.
Cathy nudged Dumbledore with her leg at the reactions that the boys were having from his line of questioning.
The headmaster smiled and his face softened. "Therefore, it is only fitting, that you all receive Special Awards for Services to the School."
"Oh, he was just pulling their leg." Sirius sighed.
The boys all looked at each other with relief and smiles.
"Thanks, sir!" Ron said.
"And now, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore had gotten up and walked over to the ginger. He guided him away from the others as he continued to speak, "if you would, have an owl deliver these release papers to Azkaban? I believe we want our gamekeeper back."
As they watched Dumbledore walk with Ron, Cathy turned to the three boys in front of her.
"I'm not going to lie. I am furious that you all put yourselves in that sort of danger." Cathy told them. A smile quickly assured them that she wasn't anger though. "But I'm glad that you all managed to save Ginny."
"And this time we took Nev with us." Ryan said throwing an arm over Neville's shoulder. "You should have seen him mum. Didn't cry once. Not before, during or after."
Cathy walked around the table and ruffled Neville's head.
"I'm so proud of you, Neville." Cathy said. "You're growing up so well. Your mum and dad would be proud too if they could see you now."
"Thanks." Neville blushed.
Both Frank and Alice smiled at Neville, feeling proud of him just like Cathy said.
"Also, what the hell is that?" Cathy pointed to the snake was sleeping soundly on Ryan's head.
"She finally noticed the snake." Euphemia said.
"Oh this?" Ryan's hands went up to his head and gently scooped up the white snake. The Basilisk woke up as Ryan picked it into his hands and coiled around his wrists. "Believe it or not, this is the Basilisk."
"May I?" Cathy gestured to the snake. Ryan nodded and Cathy leaned forward and observed the snake closely. It looked at Cathy with its yellow eyes and seemed to study her the way she studied it.
"It's eyes can't kill anymore." Harry said.
"Hmm." Cathy's eyes glowed red and the camera flipped over to show her point of view. There seemed to be a strange connection that Ryan had to the Basilisk. "I see."
"What's that?' Doracs questioned.
"It looks like the Basilisk is connected to Ryan somehow." Cathy commented.
"What? What is it?" Neville enquired.
"It looks like you bonded with the creature." Cathy told her son.
"What do you mean?" Ryan asked. "Bonded how?"
"It's similar to how Whisk and I are bonded." Cathy told him. "When you bonded yourself to the Basilisk, the connection was formed through an exchange of power."
"An echange of power?" Ryan repeated.
"Yes." Cathy said. "Like how I have the power to change the state of things and Whisk can shapeshift. The Basilisk absorbed your ability to manipulate time and reverted to a younger, more travel convinient size."
"And it's power to kill and petrify with its eyes?" Harry asked.
"Still there." Cathy told him. "But Ryan's power has stabilized it. Made it possible for the Basilisk to use its power at will instead."
"That's amazing." Fleamont said.
"I did?" Ryan sounded suprised and impressed with himself at the same time.
"Yes." Cathy nodded. "Though I don't know how we'd explain you having a Basilisk for a pet to your father. Oh well, if worst comes worst we'll just tell Walburga that it previously belonged to Salazar Slytherin and she'll convince him for us."
Ryan nodded happily before his expression turned to one of enquiry.
"There's one more thing that's weird." Ryan said. "Voldemort's last name- his real last name- was Riddle. The same as Mattheo. He said that he doesn't have any relatives that attended Hogwarts before and I didn't think much of it but...he and Voldemort....they sort of look a little alike."
"Yeah, they do." Mary agreed.
Cathy nodded.
"That's because Voldemort is Mattheo's uncle." Cathy informed them.
"Say what now?" Andromeda questioned.
"He is?" Neville exclaimed.
"Wait." Ryan said. "Mattheo has a dad named Thomas and an uncle named Tom?"
"That is so weird." Cathy commented.
"Their family has a tradition of naming their first born sons Thomas or Tom."
"And what, they just like the name so much?"
Remus and several other student chuckled a bit.
"It's a long story." Cathy sighed. "But what you need to know right now is that Voldemort and Mattheo's father are half brothers. They have the same father but different mothers."
"Is that why Mattheo lied?" Harry asked.
"He didn't lie." Cathy told them. "He doesn't know and under no circumstances are any of you to tell him or anyone else. It is not your place or your secret to share. Do you understand."
"Yes." They all said in unison.
"How did you know about it?" Ryan asked.
"That's a long story." Cathy sighed.
"Does it also happen to be how you and Mattheo's dad know each other?" Neville asked.
"Yes." Cathy looked at Harry and saw that he had a troubled expression.
"I almost forgot about that." Gideon said. "They still haven't shown how Cathy and Mattheo's father met each other.
"Maybe the next film." Fabian suggested.
"Harry? Is there something wrong?" she asked.
"It’s just... You see, Aunt Cathy I-I couldn’t help but notice certain things, certain- certain similarities, between Tom Riddle and me." Harry told her.
"Like what?" Neville asked.
"Well...we're both Parseltongues." Harry pointed out.
"I see." Cathy nodded. "Well, you can speak Parseltongue, Harry. Why?Because Lord Voldemort can speak Parseltongue. Harry, though I have no proof of this, I believe he transferred some of his powers to you the night he gave you that scar."
"What?" James gasped.
"Voldemort transferred some of his powers... to me?" Harry looked horrified at the idea.
"Yes." Cathy answered.
"So the Sorting Hat was right!" Harry said. "I should be in Slytherin."
"What's this now?" Dumbledore returned and went to sit behind his desk.
"I just told him about that theory you had about Voldemort giving him some of his powers." Cathy told the Headmaster.
"Ah!" Dumbledore nodded. He turned to Harry and smiled at the twelve year old. "It’s true, Harry. You possess many of the qualities that Voldemort himself prizes. Determination, resourcefulness, and if I may say so, a certain disregard for the rules. Why then did the Sorting Hat place you in Gryffindor?"
Harry thought about it for a moment before he came to an answer. "Because I asked it to."
"That's the only reason?" James enquired.
"Shh!" Remus said.
"Exactly, Harry! Exactly!" Dumbledore nodded along. "Which makes you different from Voldemort. It is not our abilities that show what we truly are. It is our choices. If you want proof why you belong in Gryffindor, then I suggest that you look more closely at this."
Dumbledore gestured to the sword that Harry had pulled out of the Sorting Hat. All three boys leaned forward and saw that a name had been inscribed onto the blade.
"No. Way." Sirius said.
"Godric Gryffindor." Harry read out loud.
"Ah- it would take a true Gryffindor to pull that out of the hat." Dumbledore said.
"And besides," Cathy chirped in, "the house that you're sorted into doesn't mean anything in your life long term unless you make it so."
"What do you mean?" Neville asked.
"Watch." Cathy picked up the sorting hat and dusted it off before placing it on her head.
The Sorting Hat came alive and after a few seconds shouted out: "Ravenclaw!"
"You were suppose to be in Ravenclaw?" James sputtered out at Cathy.
"No." Cathy answered simply before pointing to the screen. "Keep watching."
"See." Cathy took the hat off and placed it back on the Headmasters table. "The hat measures the qualities that you have during your sorting but that doesn't mean that that's who you are."
"That was an error that the founders probably overlooked when they created it. They didn't take into account that no one keeps the qualities of an eleven year old as they mature into adults."
"So the Sorting Hat wasn't the best tool to group us together." Ryan stated.
"That's right." Cathy said. "And listen to this very closely and take heed of what I'm saying. The sorting hat makes its decison based on the aspects of your being at the age of eleven. Nothing more, nothing less."
"I cannot tell you how many people I've met in my life who are utterly clueless about who they are because they revolved their entire identity on what an old hat shouted one night when they were eleven."
"I want you three to know this. People are not statues that stay the way they are forever. We're human. That means we're inclined to become the sum of our choices. So as you grow up and you find yourself making a difficult decison, make sure the answer you pick is because that's what you think is the right thing to do and not because it's what a gryffindor would do."
"I met a lot of people during the war that thought the lives were determined by the sorting hat. Idiots who thought that they were brave and good and strong just because they were placed in Gryffindor during their school days."
James and the marauders suddenly all felt stares being sent their way and became self-conscious.
"What happened to them?" Neville asked.
Cathy looked rather sad before answering. "Most of them died. The others had a rude wake up call and either became smarter or completely shut down."
"That's rough." Ryan commented.
"That's life." Cathy told them. "So by now I think that it's established that you lot have Gryffindor's qualities in spades. So maybe try accumilating the other founders qualities too, hmm?"
"That's good life advice." Regulus nodded.
"Thanks." Cathy smiled.
The boys all nodded and made promises to Cathy just as the door to the Headmasters office slammed open.
Lucius Malfoy marched in with an angry pace and got an annoyed look on his face when he saw Dumbledore sitting on his chair. The boys all looked at the white-haired man but Harry was the first to notice a small being following behind Lucius Malfoy.
"Dobby!" Harry named the house elf. "So this is your master! The family you serve is the Malfoys."
"You're kidding!" James exclaimed.
"I don't even know why I'm surprise." Sirius said.
"Me either." Remus nodded.
Several people turned to Lucius Malfoy and sent him glares at how his ill-treatment of the house elf had put him in the poor state that he was in. The only ones that didn't were the purebloods that didn't see what crime that Lucius had committed.
"Um-humm..." Dobby looked very frightened as he glanced at his master.
"I’ll deal with you later. Out of my way, Potter!" Lucius said moving past Harry. "So, it’s true, you have returned!"
"When the governors learned that Arthur Weasley’s daughter was taken into the Chamber, they saw fit to summon me back." Dumbledore shrugged.
"Ridiculous!" Lucius spat out.
"Someone ought to give him a good beating." Arthur said.
"Curiously, Lucius, several of them were under the impression that you would curse their families, if they did not agree to suspend me in the first place." Dumbledore said behind a smile.
"How dare you!" Lucius said sounding insulted.
"If it wasn't for Professor Potter here, my reinstatement would have taken longer." Dumbledore pointed to Cathy.
"What did she do?" Evan wondered.
"All I did was remind them where their allegiances should lie." Cathy smirk. She made her eyes glow briefly and Ryan and the other two boys understood that Cathy most likely threaten them. "They quickly decided that your idea to remove the Headmaster was as stupid as you look."
"Love the insult." Cathy murmured to herself.
"My sole concern was, and will always be, the welfare of this school and, of course, its students." Lucius said ignoring Cathy's insult."The culprit has been identified, I presume?"
"Oh, yes." Dumbledore nodded.
"And? Who was it?" The way that Lucius pressed Dumbledore for an answer made Harry think that he already knew about Ginny's involvement somehow.
"Don't tell him." Molly whispered.
Dumbledore looked at the Malfoy patriarch for a moment before answering. "Voldemort."
"Ah!" Lucius said stiffening at the sound of the Dark Lords name.
"Only, this time, he chose to act through somebody else, by means of this." Dumbledore pointed to Tom Riddle's diary.
"I see." Lucius said.
"Fortunately, Mr. Potter, Black and Longbottom discovered it. One hopes that no more of Lord Voldemort’s old school things should find their way into innocent hands. The consequences for the one responsible would be severe."
"Well, let us hope that they," Lucius looked at the boys with obvious distain, "will always be around to save the day."
"Don’t worry. We will be." Harry answered.
"Facts." Mary nodded.
"Catherine. Dumbledore." Lucius bowed before he turned around and looked at his house elf. "Come, Dobby. We’re leaving."
As he walked out of the headmasters office, he gave Dobby a sharp kick and threw the elf down to his knees.
"Bastard." Fleamont called him.
Lucius just continued to watch the scene without sparing anyone else a glance.
"Ahh! Oow!" Dobby cried out in pain as he picked himself up and followed his master in a limp.
As the others watched Dobby's ill-treatment they all had looks of distain toward Lucius and pity for Dobby. All of them except for Harry.
Harry quickly turned to the headmaster. "Sir, I wonder if I could have that?"
Harry gestured to Tom Riddle's diary and before Dumbledore could answer the scene changed to Lucius walking through a corridor and Dobby limping along behind him.
"What is he going to do with that book?" Euphemia asked.
"Let's see." James said.
"Mr. Malfoy! Mr. Malfoy!" Harry called out to the man as he ran toward them. When Lucius heard HArry he stopped and turned around. "I have something of yours."
Harry thrusted the Diary toward Lucius who took the book with a smile on his face. Neville and Ryan coming up behind Harry but stayed behind Harry by a few steps.
"Mine?" Lucius laughed. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."
"Oh, I think you do, sir. I think you slipped the diary into Ginny Weasley’s cauldron, that day at Diagon Alley." Harry told him.
Ryan gasped loudly and dramatically. "The classic nifty shifty!"
"He did?" Fabian cried.
"Fucking bastard!" Gideon joined his twin in anger.
"You do, do you?" Lucius threw down the book at Dobby and leaned closely toward Harry. "Why don’t you prove it?" he hissed. "Come, Dobby."
Lucius turned around and started to walk away as Dobby lingered around Harry momentarily.
"Dobby!" Lucius snapped.
"Open it." Harry whispered to Dobby.
Dobby, confused, did as Harry told him to. The book immediately opened to a black sock that had been stuffed into the book.
"Is that--" Regulus looked at the screen in surprise.
"Dobby?" Lucius sounded annoyed by his servants' lack of response.
"Master has given Dobby a sock!" Dobby exclaimed.
"What? I didn’t give--" Lucius turned around and stopped talking the moment he saw the sock in Dobby's hands.
"Master has presented Dobby with clothes! Dobby is free!" Dobby said sounding happy, relived and proudly all at the same time.
"Is he?" Neville asked Ryan excitedly.
"Thems the rules!" Ryan nodded.
Lucius, looking astonished and shocked, turned his eyes to Harry. Harry smirked before he lifted his robes to show that one of his feet was without a black sock.
"You’ve lost me my servant!" Lucius hissed in a rage as he took out a wand from his cane and stalked over to Harry.
"What's he trying to fight a second year for?" Sirius shouted.
"Fucking pick on someone your own age!" James yelled at the screen.
"You shall not harm Harry Potter!" Dobby stated as he stepped in front of him.
Lucius ignored the house elf's words and continued to advance toward Harry. "Advada--"
"Is that--"
"Coward!"
"Weakling!"
Several people in the audience shouted at the screen as Lucius began the chant for the killing curse.
A bright blue light came out of Dobby's hand and struck Lucius, sending him several feet into the air and backward where he landed on his back. Ryan immediately burst into laughter and lean on Neville to keep from falling over.
"Right on his arse!" Remus winched as the audience burst in to laughter.
A lot of them clapped and cheered for Dobby finally fighting back against his abusive former master.
Lucius sat up and whipped his hair behind him. "Your parents were meddlesome fools, too. You mark my words, Potter, one day soon you are going to meet the same sticky end!"
Lucius looked down at his hands and felt his face burning with anger and shame after witnessing his future self's actions.
After snarling out those words, Lucius stood up and walked away.
"Harry Potter freed Dobby!" Dobby said sounding so thankful. "How can Dobby ever repay him?"
"Just promise me something." Harry said.
"Anything, sir!" Dobby nodded eagerly.
"Never try to save my life again." Harry said with a kind smile.
Dobby looked at Harry for a moment before returning the smile and nodding in agreement.
The scene quickly shifted away and came to the Great Hall that was decorated and lit up marvously in a celebratory manner.
"Welcome back, Sir Nicholas!" a student greeted the newly unpetrified ghost.
"Thank you!" The gryffindor ghost said happily.
"Old Nick is back!" Peter said excitedly.
"That must mean that the people who were petrified are finally alright again." Lily sighed in relief.
"Good evening, Sir Nicholas!" Percy Weasley said.
"Good evening!"
"Good to see you, Sir Nicholas!" Penelope Clearwater told the ghost as he accompanied Percy.
"Thank you! Hello!" the gryffindor ghost said as he spotted another gryffindor student. "Hermione! Welcome back!"
"Thanks, Sir Nicholas!" Hermione said as she walked into the Great Hall.
"Hermione!" Marlene clapped as did the rest of the audience.
The first person to spot her was Neville.
"Harry, Ryan, it’s Hermione!" he cried.
Once the boys saw her, Harry, Ryan, Neville and Ron all got up and ran toward her. Hermione happily ran toward them and they all met in the middle. Hermione was immediately smothered in hugs from Harry, Ryan and Neville.
After their hug, Ron stood a little in the back unaware of how to react.
"Uhh-um..." Ron stuck out his hand.
"Welcome back, Hermione." he said.
Hermione laughed while the other boys rolled their eyes.
"Hmm? Is that tension I sense?" Fabian questioned as he rubbed his chin.
"I believe so." Gideon said copying his twin brother.
"It’s good to be back! Congratulations! I can’t believe you solved it!" she exclaimed.
"Well, we had loads of help from you. We couldn’t have done it without you." Harry told her.
"Thanks." Hermione said. Her expression changed quickly when she took a glance at Ryan. "What is that?"
"Uh-oh." Frank said.
She pointed to the white serpent that was coiled around Ryan's neck and sleeping a top his head.
"Oh this is the Basilisk!" Ryan told her excitedly.
"What?" Hermione clearly didn't share in Ryan's excitement.
"It's a long story." Neville whispered to her.
"The point is, now he's on our side." Ryan said. "I call him Bask 'cause that was the only name that he would accept. Say hi, Bask."
The white snake opened it's yellow eyes and raised its head. He increased his length and stretched down until he was eye level with Hermione. Despite being a Basilisk and a snake its eyes didn't petrify or kill Hermione much to her relief.
The white snake's eye didn't even have slit-like pupils like a normal snake. They were rounded and made it look less threatening and more docile. The snake turned to Ryan.
"It looks really cute!" Cathy said.
"If you ignore that it's a killing machine, yeah." James said.
"Go on." Ryan urge the Basilisk.
It turned back to Hermione. "Hello." it said, surprising the girl a great deal.
"Did that thing just talk?" Dorcas said.
"Yeah." Alice replied.
"Cathy did say that it was the same as her cat and it can talk too." Mary pointed out.
"I need to figure out how that happened." Cathy said to herself.
"Could I have your attention, please?" Professor McGonagall said getting everyone to quiet down.
Professor McGonagall nodded to the headmaster before she sat back down.
"Before we begin the feast, let us have a round of applause for Professor Sprout and Madame Pomfrey, whose Mandrake juice has been so successfully administered to all who had been Petrified." Dumbledore said.
The entire school burst into applause and cheered loudly for the two witches.
Several people in the current audience also gave the witches an applause.
"Also, in light of the recent events, as a school treat, all exams have been canceled."
This got an even louder applause and cheering from the school. Everyone was glad and excited about not having exams. Well, almost everyone.
"Oh, no!" Hermione cried in disappointment.
"What's she crying about?" Sirius questioned.
The cheering only stopped when the doors to the Great Hall creaked open. The entire school turned to see Hagrid walking into the Great Hall.
"Sorry I’m late!" he apologized. "The owl that delivered my release papers got all lost and confused. Some ruddy bird called Errol."
Hagrid looked toward Ron who looked at his shoes in an awkward manner.
Harry, Hermione, Ryan, Neville and Ron all got up from their seats and rushed over to Hagrid to give him a large hug.
"We missed you." Ryan told him.
"And I’d just like to say that if it hadn’t been for you and Harry, and Ron, and Hermione, o’ course, I woulduh- I’d still be you-know-where, so I- I’d just like to say...Thanks.’" Hagrid told him.
"Well, there’s no Hogwarts without you, Hagrid." Harry told him.
"Oh!" Hagrid almost fell over when all five gryffindors all hugged him tightly again.
"So cute!" Andromeda said.
Several other student came over to greet and congratulate the half-giant. Hagrid looked over to the teachers table and saw that Cathy smiled at him as she raised her glass to him.
The other teachers followed her example and raised their glasses to him. Even Snape. Once all the teachers took a sip of their wine Cathy placed her glass on the table.
"God I wish I could drink." She said sadly.