MAGIANIMA // Hermione Granger

I Can't Hate Him

The dulcet sound of an axe swinging through the crisp air of a snowy winter morning sounded through Hagrid's front patch, Atlas wiped the cold sweat that had stuck to her brow and huffed out a breath, clouds dispersing into nothing. She sighed, sticking the axe in the wooden bench she'd been using as a foundation and bunched up the logs she'd cut for Hagrid's fire. Buckbeak was behind her, snacking on a mound of dead ferrets she'd caught for him earlier.

It had only been a day since the Hogsmeade trip. Atlas hadn't gone back to the castle, she'd instead slept at Hagrids. It was out of permission so Minerva had come to collect her but, when she'd seen Atlas's state and had been victim to the girls glare she hadn't ordered her back to the castle. Instead, she'd sat her down and remained quiet while Atlas cussed her out for keeping so many secrets from her.

All of the things she'd heard, the comments Fudge had made, the questions Rosmerta had asked, the rage Hagrid had gone into, she told Minerva she had heard all of it - leaving out Harry when the woman had asked her who else had been there with her. An apology ensued, of course, Minerva pleading with Atlas, telling her she would have told her one day, that she hadn't wanted the girl to feel guilty because she knew the young girl would have.

She was right, obviously, that woman knew Atlas better than she did because Atlas had blamed herself, more for weakening her mother with her birth. There was no admission to it though, she'd only done that to the stray in the forest she bumped into, again, that morning. Hagrid had been distraught when he found out Atlas had heard him, kept apologising for speaking the way he had but she didn't blame him, didn't blame either of them really.

It just hurt to find out the people she trusted the most knew secrets to her life she had pondered on in passing.

Cries erupted from Hagrid's cabin and Atlas quickly stopped what she was doing, discarding everything in favour of checking on her half-giant friend. Buckbeak pulled at his chains, wondering what had happened too but Atlas waved him off, muttering a small notion of comfort before taking off for the small home. She slammed the door open, panting heavily as she stared over at a sobbing Hagrid, her eyes blown wide, "Hagrid! What's happened!?"

The sobs doubled and he pushed an official-looking letter lying open on the table in her direction, she took it cautiously, glancing up at Hagrid in concern once before reading its contents.

'Dear Mr Hagrid,'

It began and Atlas frowned, knowing by Hagrid's state this could only be a sign of bad news.

'Further to our inquiry into the attack by a Hippogriff on a student in your class, we have accepted the assurances of Professor Dumbledore that you bear no responsibility for the regrettable incident.'

"Well...that's good isn't it Hagrid?" She asked unsurely but the man waved one of his gigantic hands for her to continue.

'However, we must register our concern about the Hippogriff in question. We have decided to uphold the official complaint of Mr Lucius Malfoy, and this matter will therefore be taken to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. The hearing will take place on April 20th, and we ask you to present yourself and your Hippogriff at the Committee's offices in London on that date. In the meantime, the Hippogriff should be kept tethered and isolated.'

"That's such Bullshit!" Atlas exclaimed, tossing the letter back to the table and looking up at Hagrid sullenly, she sighed and brought him into a hug, the man returning it with a tad bit too much strength but Atlas didn't mind. "I'm so sorry Hagrid..."

"Them gargoyles at the Committee fer the Disposal o' Dangerous Creatures have it in fer interestin' creatures!" He bellowed and Atlas winced at the volume, pulling away to place her hand on the big man's shoulder, tears pouring down his face.