(Book 1) Lilian Andromeda Black and the Philospher's Stone

Ch: 9 Hagrid the Gamekeeper

CHAPTER NINE

HAGRID THE GAMEKEEPER

The mail arrived like usual today. At first Lilian was surprise to see hundreds of owls flying through the air and dropping packages and letters on tables and laps. She didn't receive anything like usual. But a white owl who was named Hedwig flew down to Harry and dropped a note on his plate. Lilian was surprised to see that.

She decided to sit with the Gryffindors today, a lot of them gave her stern or annoyed looks but she didn't care. The first years in Gryffindor mostly liked her. She had a decent relationship Seamus Finnigan and Parvati Patil, but she disliked Lavender Brown and Sally-Anne Perks they mostly whispered about her and she didn't care after a while.

She was sitting in between Hermione and Neville. They looked at Harry surprised but he said nothing to them and scribbled down a response and they continued to speak to one another.

She said goodbye to the Gryffindors and went over to the Hufflepuffs, they had class together today. She walked to class with Lily, Ernie Macmillan, Megan Jones and Wayne. Ernie Macmillan had dark brown hair that was almost black and dark brown eyes with pale skin. Megan Jones had dark brown skin, curly black hair and dark brown eyes. Ernie was best friends with Lily and Megan was Wayne's cousin on his father's side. Ernie didn't speak much while Megan was almost as talkative as Hermione.

She went to DADA and sat down besides Sue and they read their books silently and the class was as boring as the beginning. In Herbology she sat by Theodore and she found out he liked the class just as much as Neville.

Once the class was over she went to lunch and sat down with the Slytherins besides Theodore and Daphne while Sophie, Jordan and Tracey Davis sat on the other side. They spoke to one another and she received weird looks from the rest of the student body but didn't care. She was the only student that didn't sit at her house.

Professor Snape didn't seem to care and ignored her. Professor Flitwick was speaking to Professor McGonagall and sent her a friendly smile. Draco annoyed her and they got into a small argument but thought better of arguing with one another. He said: "I'm supposed to be nice to you." and they had a decent conversation with one another.

The last two classes today and Thursday and Friday were normal and classes were pleasant. They had homework in Potions and Transfigurations. Harry invited her Ron to Hagrid's and they went down at 2:55 and left the castle and went across the school grounds to a small wooden house near the forbidden forest. There was a crossbow and a pair of galoshes outside the front door.

Harry knocked on the door and there was a sound of scrabbling from the inside and loud, booming barks. Hagrid's voice was yelling "Back, Fang-- back."

Hagrid pulled open the door.

"Hang on." He said to them. "Back Fang."

He opened the door and his large hand was holding the collar of a gigantic black boarhound.

Lilian smiled and ran inside to look at the dog. He barked happily and she started petting him. A copper kettle was boiling on an open fire, hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling and in the corner was a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it.

"Make yerselves at home." Hagrid told them as fang licked Lilian happily.

"This is Ron." Harry said as Hagrid poured boiling tea into a large cup and giving him rock cakes on a plate.

"Another  Weasley, eh?" Hagrid said looking at Ron's freckles. "I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest."

"This is Lilian." Harry said and she gave him a shy smile which he returned with a welcoming one.

"Jasmine's daughter?" Hagrid said and she gave him a confused look. "I knew yer parents, Jasmine Lupin and Sirius Black." His face darkened when he mentioned her father and she glanced at the ground frowning.

"Nice to meet you." Lilian said not looking at him in the eyes and the Gryffindors' told Hagrid about their first lessons. Fang continued to rest on her knees and went to sleep. Ron and Harry almost had a detention and were late to practically every class. Hagrid called Fitch 'that an old git.'

"An' as fer that cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang somethime. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her-- Fitch puts her up to it."

Harry then explained what happened in Potions and didn't understand why Professor Snape was so rude to him.

"He asked us the same questions." She told Harry. "But he asked the entire class not just one person. We also lost a point because Corner and I were having an argument."

"Why didn't you tell me he was your Godfather?" Harry asked her obviously annoyed with her.

"How do you know?" She asked him. "There were only a few people there."

"The whole school is talking." Ron said. "And don't worry about Snape-"

"Professor Snape." Hagrid and Lilian said.

"Yeah, he hardly likes any of his students." Ron explained.

"But he seems to really hate me." Harry said frowning.

"Rubbish!" Hagrid said not looking at Harry. "Why should he?" He looked over to Ron. How's yer brother Charlie?" He asked him. "I liked him a lot-- great with animals."

Lilian and Harry looked at each other raising their eyebrows. 'Why did he change the subject?' Lilian thought but they continued to talk to Hagrid. Lilian learned that Charlie, Ron's elder brother works with dragons. Lilian looked at the time on the clock on the wall.

"I have to go." She told them and put Fang on the ground and she was about to get up when she heard a meow and opened the door. Scamander was on the ground and she picked him up. "Goodbye."

They said goodbye to her and she went back to Hogwarts. She told Sue and Morag she was going to study with them in the library after she spent a few minutes at Hagrid's. She opened the library door and smiled when she saw the large amount of books and passed by the 'Restricted Section' a section only allowed to students who had permission from a teacher.

She waved to her friends and they immediately started reading her books. "There was a break in at Gringotts." Morag said not looking away from her Potion's book. "Has that ever happened before?"

"I don't know." The other girls said.

"I hope they find who did it." Morag said and the girls nodded their heads and continued to read.

It was half past 8 when she saw Hermione Granger outside the Great Hall. "I can't believe they're doing this!" She huffed angrily and Lilian tapped her shoulders making her jump. "Lilian you scared me!"

"Sorry." She replied sheepishly. "What's wrong?"

"Harry and Ron are going to duel Malfoy tonight!" She told her friend angrily. "I tried to stop them but they don't listen to me, they just think I'm a know-it-all and it's none of my business."

"Well it is your business in a way." Lilian said. "They could lose points or get expelled, but they won't listen to either of us."

"I know!" Hermione said and walked away angrily.

"What's with her?" Daphne asked.

"Nothing." Lilian said and sighed and said goodbye to her friend. She would try to stop Harry and Ron but Gryffindors are just too stubborn. Harry would have a fit if he found her waiting outside the Gryffindor common room. Ron would just tell her to go back to bed and mind her own business. Lilian sighed again and walked up the stairs to the bathroom.

They weren't that stupid to get caught, were they?