CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
SENTIMENTAL
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A few days later I was walking along one of Hogwarts' bridges with Ron, Harry, and Hermione when we heard, "Pst!"
We looked around until we saw Hagrid ducking suspiciously near the doorway. He beckoned us to follow him, and we did. He led us all the way down, past his house, to the forest. Only when we'd been walking for so long was when I began to worry.
"No idea where he's taking us," Ron said, voicing my thoughts.
"Hagrid, why can't you just tell us?" Harry asked.
Hagrid stopped walking, causing us to stop, as many pairs of angry hooves ran past us quickly. I was surprised to see the centaurs so mad.
"I've never seen the centaurs so riled!" Hagrid exclaimed. "They're dangerous at the best of times. If the Ministry restricts their territory much more, they're gonna have a full uprising on their hands."
"Hagrid, what's going on?" Hermione asked worriedly.
"Sorry to be so mysterious, you four, I wouldn't be bothering you at all with it, but... with Dumbledore gone, I'll likely be getting the sack any day now. And I just couldn't leave without telling someone about him." Hagrid told us.
Before we had the chance to ask who, a giant revealed himself from behind a tree. Yes, a real giant. Not a big scary leader one, but still, a giant. His back was to us.
"Grawpy!" Hagrid called. "Down here, you great bafoon!" The giant turned to face us. "Grawpy, I brought you some company."
The giant was still before he began coming at us with quick steps, forcing us to walk quickly backwards to avoid getting trampled. Just before he caught up to us, he was stopped by the rope tied around his waist and tied to the tree behind him.
"I couldn't just leave him because- because he's my brother!" Hagrid told us.
"Blimey," Ron breathed.
"Well, half brother, really. But he's completely harmless, just like I said! Little... high-spirited is all!" Hagrid told us as we backed further away from the giant.
"We haven't forgotten the story you told us about the giant ripping off the other giant's head, you know," I said, glaring at Hagrid, who shook his head.
"No, he's not like the others! He's much nicer."
However, just then, Hermione tripped as she was walking back, and Grawp leaned forward, grabbing her around her waist and holding her up high in the air.
"Hagrid, do something!" Ron exclaimed.
"Grawpy, we talked about this! You do not grab, do you?" Hagrid tried scolding the giant. I glanced nervously at Hermione, who was still suspended in midair. "That's your new friend Hermione!"
Ron looked around and grabbed a rather large tree branch, ran forward, and hit Grawp's leg with it. It did nothing but snap in two. The giant kicked Ron, who went tumbling back.
"Grawp!" Hermione called from up in his hand. She pointed a finger at his face, and said in an authoritative tone, "Put. Me. Down." She paused before adding, "Now."
Grawp slowly lowered Hermione to the ground, and she walked back so she was safely between Ron and I.
"Are you alright?" Ron asked her.
"I'm fine," She assured him. "He just needs a firm hand is all."
"Think you've got an admirer," Harry said, who had been watching Grawp.
Sure enough, the giant was searching through his things. He turned back around and offered the handle of a bicycle to Hermione, ringing the bell.
"You just stay away from her, alright?" Ron called.
Hermion looked at the giant before taking the handle from him. Grawp waited, and Hermione rung the bell. Grawp smiled a little.
"He gets his own food and all," Hagrid told us. "It's company he'll be needing when I'm gone. You will look after him, won't you? I'm the only family he's got."
I felt my heart lurched as I looked at Harry. I looked after my last family member, and him me. We can do the same for Hagrid.
Yeah? I asked.
Harry looked at me. Yeah.
We looked at Hagrid and nodded.
"Feeling sentimental?" Snape's voice said as Harry's memories of him and I, and pictures of our parents flashed through my mind. They then turned into my memories, specifically ones of Harry and I.
I shook my head and opened my eyes as Snape stopped searching our memories. "That's private!" Harry and I exclaimed at the same time.
"Not to me," He scowled. "And not to the Dark Lord if you two don't improve. Every memory he has access to is a weapon he can use against you. You wouldn't last two seconds if he invades your mind. Either of you."
"This isn't so easy," I glared back at him.
"You two are just like your father. Making excuses, lazy, arrogant-"
Harry and I stood.
"Don't say a word against our father!" Harry cut him off.
"Weak-"
"We're not weak!" I yelled.
"Then prove it! Control your emotions. Discipline your mind." Snape said, and paused before raising his wand again. "Legilimens!"
Since Harry and I were feeling the same, the memories mixed and showed some of our memories of Grawp, Sirius, Dumbledore, Lupin, then there was Harry and Cho kissing, then Draco and I kissing, then Voldemort, then Mr. Weasley, and our parents again. It ended with us hugging Sirius.
"Vulnerable," Snape said, and Harry and I were brought back to reality.
"Stop it!" Harry collapsed back onto his chair.
"Is this what you call control?" Snape drawled.
"We've been at it for hours!" I exclaimed.
"If we could just rest-" Harry began.
"The Dark Lord isn't resting. You two and Black are three of a kind. Sentimental children, forever whining about how bitterly unfair your lives have been. Well, it may have escaped your notices, but life isn't fair. Your blessed father knew that, in fact, he frequently saw to it-"
"Our father was a great man!" Harry cut him off.
"Your father was a swang!" Snape raised his wand again, "Legilimens!"
This time, I was prepared. Breathing heavily with anger, I stepped in front of Harry and raised my wand at the same time, yelling, "Protego!"
We still saw memories, however, they weren't our own.
We saw a young Snape walking the halls with toilet paper stuck to his shoe, people laughing and mocking him, him sitting under a tree as a group of Gryffindors approached.
"Come on, Moony, Padfoot!" The one in front exclaimed, smirking. "Snape! Expelliarmus!" He called, and Snape's wand flew from his hand.
"Nice one, James!" One of the boys called. It looked like a young Sirius. And the boy in front...
"Dad," I whispered.
"Impedimenta!" Our father said, and Snape began floating in the air. The crowd began cheering and James called, "Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's trousers?"
"Enough!" Present Snape exclaimed, and the potions room reappeared around us. I was at a loss for words, afraid of what Snape might do to us.
He walked over to us and said in a low and dangerous voice, "Your lessons are at an end."
"But we need to-" Harry protested.
"Get. Out." Snape stopped him.
He didn't need to tell us twice. Harry and I rushed out of the dungeons without another word.