Chapter 76
(Year Five)
"What is it, Hagrid?" Hermione asked, looking up at Hagrid with concern on her face as we hurry across the lawn towards the edge of the forest.
"Yeh --- yeh'll see in a mo'," Hagrid said, looking over his should as I heard a cheer behind us. "Hey --- did someone jus' score?"
"It'll be Ravenclaw," me and Harry said in union.
"Good...good...tha's good..." Hagrid said distractedly, though Carly didn't get that and looked at him weirdly.
We had to jog to keep up with Hagrid as he went down the lawn, looking around in every direction from each step. When we reached his cabin Hermione turned automatically making Carly almost run into her to the front door but Hagrid kept on movin' to the edge of the forest. We watched as Hagrid went past the shadows of the forest and picked up his crossbow then he relazed we weren't following he turned around. "We're goin' in here," he said, nodding his head the way we're going.
"The forest?" Carly said, a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, c'mon now, quick, before we're spotted!" Hagrid said.
We all look at each other and then we stared to follow Hagrid, Harry holding my hand tightly I don't know why though, we ran to catch up with Hagrid as he started walking.
"Hagrid, why are you armed?" Harry asked.
"Jus' a precaution," Hagrid shrugged.
"You didn't bring your crossbow the day you showed us the thestrals," Said Hermione.
"Nah, well, we weren' goin' in so far then, an' anyway, tha' was before Firenze left the forest, wasn't it?"
"Why does Firenze leaving the forest make a difference?" I ask curious.
"'Cause the other centaurs are good an' riled at me, tha's why," said Hagrid quietly glancing around I could feel he's nervous. "They used ter be ---- well, yeah, couldn' call 'em friendly ---- but we got on all righ'. Kept 'emselves to 'emselves, bu' always turned up if I wanted a word. Not anymore..." Hagrid sighed deeply.
"Firenze said that they're angry because he went to work for Dumbledore?" Harry asked, tripping on something but I caught him before he could touch the ground.
"Yeah," Said Hagrid heavily. "Well, angry doesn' cover it. Rubby livid. If I hadn' stepped in, I reckon they'd've kicked Firenze ter death ----"
"They attacked him!" Carly said shocked.
"Yep, Oh, sorry Ro." Hagrid said as he went through several lowhanging branches that had hit me in the face, I nodded as a "It's okay," to him. "Anyways, he had half the herd onto him ----"
"And you stopped it by yourself?" Me and Harry say in union, amazed and impressed.
"'Course I did, couldn't stand by an' watch 'em kill him, could I? Lucky I was passin'm really...An' I'd've thought Firenze mighta remember tha' before he stated sendin' me stupid warnin's!" Hagrid said hotly, I took a step back so I wouldn't hurt anything and possibly break my hand or anything.
We all look at each other startled we haven't seen Hagrid like this before...Hagrid didn't see this though.
"Anyway," he said, breathing a little more heavily than usual, "since then the other centaurs've bin livid with me an' the trouble is, they've got a lot of influence in the forest....Celeverst creatures in here..."
"IS that why we're here, Hagrid?" Asked Hermione. "The centaurs?"
"ah, no," Said Hagrid, shaking his head. "No, it's not them...Well, o' course, they could complicate the problem, yeah....But yeh'll see what I mean in a bit..."
The path was becoming more and more earthy with more trees and it was more dark making it look like Midnight but we didn't stop there we kept on moving.
Hagrid soon stepped off path which made me nervous because the last time me and Harry got off path we almost got killed by Voldemort in first year and me, Harry, and Hermione almost got killed by Uncle Remus as a werewolf in our Third year. "Hagrid?" Said Harry and Carly at the same time as we try to make our way through thickly knotted brambles, which Hagrid stepped over easily. "Where are we going?" They said at the same time again. They look at each other for a second like they both had two heads, shook their heads, and turn back to catching up with Hagrid.
"A bit further," said Hagrid over his shoulder. "C'mon, Harry, Carly...We need ter keep together now...."
That was easy for Hagrid to say because there were very thick thorns that got us all caught, well, mostly Harry, Hermione, and Carly but for me oh I just had to wear a dress with nothing covering my legs! I had cuts all over them and they were bleeding I'd be stabbed by a thorn and I'd need to stop and pluck it out of my leg. Harry suggested he gives me a piggy back ride but with him being stuck a lot by the thorns I declined I didn't want to give him more trouble.
Instead Carly made me ride her back instead because she said, and I quote, "I'm not wearing my uniform like these two werido's." So I'm riding her back but that doesn't prevent the cuts on my legs they're still bleeding.
We were so deep in the forest I could not see and Carly would yelp here and there because she'd step on a thorn and it'd go through her pants leg and scratch her legs. Hermione had to ask if we could light our wands.
"Er...alrigh'" Hagrid whispered. "In fact..."
Hagrid suddenly stopped making me and Carly almost run into him making Carly murmur: "Holy magic-butt"
Hermione walked right into him though and was knocked over backwards gladly Harry caught her.
"Maybe we bes' jus' stop fer a momen', so I can...fill yeh in before we ge' there." Hagrid said.
"Good!" Said Hermione as Harry got her onto her feet. Carly put her down and I reach into my pocket and pull out my wand we all murmured "Lumos!" and our wands were lit.
I look down to my legs seeing they look like someone has poured pigs blood all over them. "Oh, here, Mary." Carly said and cast a healing charm on them making me hiss and step back into Harry he looked down to me. "Thanks but little warning next time, please?"
"Sorry," Carly apologized.
"Righ'," said Hagrid. "Well...see...the thing is..." He took a deep breath. "Well, there's a good chance I'm goin' ter be gettin' the sack any day now." My eyes widen.
"But you've lasted this long what makes you think ----"
"Umbridge reckons it was me that put tha' niffler in her office."
"And was it?" Harry asked making me slap him in the chest to shut up Hagrid would never do that I thought.
"No, it ruddy well wasn'!" Hagrid said Told you I thought. "On'y anythin' ter do with magical creatures an' she thinks it's got somethin' ter do with me ever since I got back. I don' wan' ter go, o' course, but if it wasn' fer...well...the special circumstances I'm abou' ter explainto yeh, I'f leave righ' now, before she's go' the chance ter do it in front o' the whole school, like she did with Trelawney."
Me, Harry, Hermione, and Carly made a sound of protest but Hagrid shut us up by a wave of his hand. "It's not the end o' the world, I'll be able ter help Dumbledore once I'm otta here, I can be useful ter the Order. An' you lot'll have Grubbly-Plank, yeh'll ---- yeh'll get through yer exams fine...." His voice trembled and broke at the end. "Don' worry abou' me," he said as Hermione patted his arm, he grabbed a hankerchief and mopped his eyes with it. "Look, I wouldn' leave withou'....withou' tellin' someone...because I'll ---- I'll need yeh four ter help me. An' Ron, if he's willin'."
"Of course we'll help you," Me and Harry say at once in union. "What do you want us to do?"
Hagrid sniffed and patted Harry on the shoulder making him knock into a tree, I helped him steady himself.
"I knew yeh'd say yes," Said Hagrid into his hankerchief, "but I won'...never...forget...well....c'mon...jus' a little bit further through here...watch yehselves, now, there's nettles...."
We continued our walk in silence for fifteen minutes. Harry opened his mout hto say something when Hagrid held out his arm to make us stop "Really easy, very quiet, now..." Hagrid said softly.
We crept forward and then I saw just a smooth mound of earth making me raise a eyebrow to what we're looking at, Harry stood a little bit ahead of us.
"Sleepin'," Hagrid breathed.
I squinted my eyes at it when my eyes widen and step back a little right next to Hermione who's eyes are wide, too. I could sense she's terrified knowing what the thing is too.
"Hagrid," Hermione said in a whisper so low I could hardly hear her. "who is he?"
"Hagrid, you told us," I said, my wand almost trembling in my hands. "you said none of them wanted to come!"
Harry looked from me to Hagrid and back to the thing and Carly raised a eyebrow at us not knowing of that conversation we had. "What?" Carly said.
"Well --- no --- he didn' want ter come," Hagrid said, "but I had ter bring him, Hermione, Ro, I had ter!"
"But why?" Said Hermione, sounding like she wanted to cry. "Why --- what --- oh, Hagrid!"
"I knew if I jus' got him back." Hagrid said, lose to crying himself. "An' --- an' taught him a few manners --- I'd be able ter take him outside an' show ev'ryone he's harmless!"
"Harmless!" I cried, eyes widen. Hagrid made a frantic hushing sound. "He's been hurting you all this time, hasn't he? That's how you got all those injuries!"
"He don' know his own strength! An' he's gettin' better, he's not fightin' so much anymore ---"
"So this is why it took you two months to get home!" Said Hermione. "Oh, Hagrid, why didn't you bring him back if he didn't want to come, wouldn't he have been happier with his own people?"
"They were bullyin' him, Hermione, Ro, 'cause he's so small!"
"Small? Small?"
"Hermione, Ro, I couldn' leave him," Hagrid said, tears trickling down his face making me feel a little guilty for making him cry. "See --- he's my brother!"
I stare at him shocked as Hermione had her mouth open with shock.
"Hagrid," Harry said slowly, "when you say 'brother', do you mean ---"
"Well --- half-brother," said Hagrid. "Turns out me mother took up with another giant when she left me dad, an' she went an' had Grawp here ---"
"Grawp?" Carly said.
"Yeah...well, tha's what it sounds like when he says his name, he don' speak a lot of English....I've bin tryin' ter teach him....anyway, she don' seem ter have linked him much more'n she liked me....see, with giantesses, what counts is producin' good big kids, and he's always been a bit on the runty side fer a giant --- on'y sixteen foot ---"
"Oh yes, tiny! Absolutely minuscule!" Hermione said sarcastically I gave her a look.
"Hermione," I scold her.
"He was bein' kicked around by all o' them --- I jus' couldn' leave him ---"
"Did Madam Maxine want to bring him back?" Asked Harry.
"She --- well, she could see it was right importan' ter me," said Hagrid, fiddling with his hands. "Bu' --- bu' she got a bit tried of him after a while, I must admit....so we split up on the journey home...she promised not ter tell anyone though..."
"What the hell is this he?!" Carly asked, utterly confused.
"Grawp is a giant, Carly." I said and realization went to her face.
"How on bloody earth did you get Grawp here without anybody noticing?!" Carly asked, looking surprised but also a little impressed.
"Well, tha's why it took so long, see, could on'y travel by nigh' an' through wild country an' stuff. 'Course, he covers the ground pretty well when he wants ter, but he kep' wantin' ter go back..."
"Oh Hagrid, why on earth didn't you let him!" said Hermione, flopping down onto a ripped-up tree and buried her face in her hands. "What do you think you're going to do with a violent giant who doesn't ever want to be here!"
"Well, now ---- 'violent' ---- tha's a bit harsh," said Hagrid, still twisting his hands. "I'll admit he mighta taken a couple o' swings at me when he's bin in a bad mood, but he's gettin' better, loads better, settlin' down well...."
"What are those ropes for, then?" Harry asked. I look over to see Grawp is tied up with ropes around his waist to two different trees.
"Well...yeah..." Hagrid said, I could tell her was anxious. "See ---- it's like I say ---- he doesn't really know his strength ----"
I sign and understood, I'm understanding but also my Empath powers let me be more understanding. Hagrid wanted to stay with family and protect his brother from those other giants. I'd do the same if Carly was being picked on or even Violet. "What is it you want Harry, me, Carly, Ron, and Mione to do with Grawp, Hagrid?" I ask.
"Look after him, after I'm gone." Hagrid told us croakily.
we (As in the trio, me, and Carly) exchange the same looks which was miserable looks. Why did Harry and me had to promise we'd do whatever he wanted? I thought.
"W-what does that involve, exactly?" Hermione asked.
"Not food or anythin'! He can get his own food, no problem. Birds an' deer an' stuff....No, it's company he needs. If I jus' knew someone was carryin' on tryin' ter help him a bit...teachin him, yeh know..."
I look over to Grawp and remember that warning Firenze meant finally, the day Carly's parent's gave me that note.
'His attempt is not working. He would do better to abandon it.'
It makes sense now.
"You want us to teach him?" I said.
"Yeah, even if yeh jus' talk ter him a bit," said Hagrid hopefully. "'Cause I reckon, if he can talk ter people, he'll understand more that we all like him really, an' want him to stay...."
Harry looked at me and Hermione. "Kind of makes you wish we had norbert back, doesn't it?" He said, Hermione laughed shakily as I smiled. Carly looked confused. "Who?" She asked.
"Yeh'll do it, then?" said Hagrid, who didn't seem to have heard what Harry said.
"We'll..." Harry trailed off for a second. "We'll try, Hagrid...."
I could feel how happy Hagrid is. "I knew I could count on yeh, Harry," said Hagrid, dabbing his face with his handkerchief again. "An' I don' wan' yeh ter put yourself out too much, like.....I know yeh've got exams....if yeh could jus' nip down here in yer Invisibility Cloak maybe once a week an' have a little chat with him....I'll wake him up, then --- introduce you ----"
My eyes widen as fear washed over me. "Wha ---- no!" Hermione cried, jumping up to her feet. "Hagrid, no, don't wake him, really, we don't need ----"
It was too late though, and it seemed Hagrid didn't hear what Hermione was saying, because he stepped over a huge log and picked up a stick and poked Grawp with it in the middle of his back.
Grawk made a roar that echoed through the silence of the forest, bird chirping and flying off into the sky, and I held onto Harry's hand quickly, fear still rolling in my insides. Harry held my hand just as tightly.
Grawp pushed himself up with his hand and stood in front of us, making us retreat a little in fear far enough he wouldn't hurt us or anything but was not too far so we could still see him. Why did we agree to this again? I thought.
"Alrigh', Grawpy?" Said Hagrid in a kinda happy voice, backing away with the long stick raised, like he's ready to strike him like a knight fighting a dragon.
Except Hagrid isn't a knight.
And Grawp is definitely not a dragon.
"Had a nice sleep, eh?" Hagrid said.
"Oh my......" Hermione squeaked.
Oh my indeed. Grawk stood up and, like Hagrid said, he was about sixteen feet. Grawp had ropes around him which were tied around two trees to keep him there. Grawp reached into a tree grabbing a nest of some birds and tipped it and bird eggs fell to their doom, Hagrid covering himself so he wouldn't be hit. Grawp growled in displeasure. "Anyway, Grawpy, I've brought some friend's ter meet yeh. Remember, I told yeh I might? Remember, when I said I might have ter go on a little trip an' leave them ter look after yeh for a bit? Remember that, Grawpy?"
Grawp's reply was a low growl, if was difficult for me to tell if he was listening or focused on finding food. Grawp gripped the top of a tree and started pulling it back, arching it. "Now, Grawpy, don' do that!" Hagrid shouted. "Tha's how you ended up pullin' up the other's ----"
The roots were were slowly showing, creaking. It was starting to make me nervous and hold Harry's hand tighter. "I got company for yeh! Company, see! Look down, yeh big buffoon, I brought yeh some friends!"
"Oh, Hagrid...." Carly whimpered, looking scared now. Hagrid thrusted the stick hard into his knee which looked like it hurt. Grawp let's go of the tree, it's needles fall like rain, and looked down upon Hagrid. "This is Harry, Grawp! Harry Potter! He migh' be comin' ter visit yeh if I have ter go away, understand" Hagrid introduced Harry.
Grawp looked over seemingly like he just noticed us, I felt myself pale. You'd pale too when a sixteen foot giant is looking at you and could easily crush you with his foot. "And this is Rosemary Lupin, or just Ro. She is a Empa'h she can come an' help yeh with yeh're English." Hagrid introduced me I hesitantly smile weakly to Grawp but it quickly faded away.
"And this is Carly and Her ----" Hagrid paused and turned to Hermione. "Woould yeh mind if he called yeh Hermy, Hermione On'y it's a difficult name fer him ter remember...."
"No, not at all,"
"This is Hermy, Grawp! An' she's gonna be comin' an' all! Is'n tha' nice? Eh? Four friends for yeh ter ----" Grap suddenly went to grab at Hermione Carly gasped as Harry grabbed Hermione and Carly got me and we hide behind a tree. Hermione clung against Harry, whimpering and shaking, I could feel Hermione was scared to death. I grab Hermione's hand and she held it very tighter, my hand hurting slightly, but I said nothing about it.
I could hear Hagrid scolding Grawp. "VERY BAD BOY! YEH DON' GRAB ---- OUCH"
Me and Harry look a little to the side of the tree to see Hagrid laying on his back, his hand on his nose. It seemed Grawp has either punched or flicked Hagrid in the nose. Grawp straightened up and continued pulling on the trees.
"Righ'," Hagrid said, standing up, pinching his bleeding nose while the other grasps his crossbow. "Well....there yeh are....yeh've met him an' ---- an' now he'll know yeh come back. Yeah....well...."
I looked at Grawp seeing the pleasure on his face by the creaking of roots, slightly afraid of Grawp. "Well, I reckon tha's enough fer one day, we'll ---- er ---- we'll go back now, shall we?"
We didn't object to leaving so Hagrid leads us out of the Forbidden Forest, Carly refusing to let go of my hand.
A/N:
Sorry took so long, I have been getting into the "Legend of Zelda" series (so much looking up for puzzles...) and downloading Custom Content and playing my FAVORITE game "The SIMS 4".
At least it's a long chapter! :D fun fact: This took me a month to write at the time. Hope you like the chapter (sorry if there are any auto corrects! Please tell me so I can fix it!)
Love you Minions! ♥
Byee!