Hermione Granger and the Goblet Of Fire (Completed)

Chapter 20 - Bringing Hagrid Back

Hermione seemed to reach an unspoken agreement with Ron not to mention the argument last night. She was being perfectly friendly with him, and he and Harry wasted no time at all in telling her about a conversation they had overheard between Hagrid and Madame Maxime, in which Hagrid had revealed that he was half giant. They seemed to think that this was shocking news, which Hermione found rather amusing
"Well, I thought he must be" she said, shrugging "I knew he couldn't be pure giant because they're about twenty feet tall. But honestly, all this hysteria about giants. They can't all be horrible... It's the same sort of prejudice that people have toward werewolves... It's just bigotry, isn't it?"

Everyone was paying more attention to homework now that Christmas was over, which was a shame, as Hermione had already done all hers. Though, she still went to the library, even if she didn't have any work to do. Viktor and her spent most mornings there together, talking about whatever, before one of them would have to leave in the afternoon. Hermione wasn't going to let her and Ron's argument tarnish her memories of the actual Ball. Even if she had wanted to, Ginny wouldn't have let her, badgering her again and again to tell her everything about what had happened. She was glad to see that when she brought up Michael Corner's name, Ginny went worse red than she did

Lessons started about a week later, and no one was looking forward to an hour or Care of Magical Creatures on the Monday. They reached Hagrid's hut and found, to their surprise, that Hagrid wasn't there. Instead, there was a elderly, grey haired witch standing where Hagrid should be
"Hurry up, now, the bell rang five minutes ago" she said briskly
"Who're you?" said Ron "Where's Hagrid?"
"My name is Professor Grubbly-Plank" she said "I am your temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher"
"Where's Hagrid?" said Harry loudly
"He is indisposed" said Professor Grubbly-Plank in a very final sort of way

There was laughter behind them. The Slytherins were walking towards them, not looking at all surprised at the absence of Hagrid
"This way, please" said Professor Grubbly-Plank, striding off towards the paddock with the giant Beauxbatons horses were
"What's wrong with Hagrid?" said Harry again
"Never you mind" Professor Grubbly-Plank snapped
"I do mind, though" said Harry "What's up with him?"
Professor Grubbly-Plank ignored him

They reached the paddock, where all the Beauxbatons horses were huddled together. At the end of the paddock, leaning against a tree at the edge of the forest, was a glowing, pure white unicorn. Several people "ooooohed!" at the sight of it
"Oh it's so beautiful!" Lavender breathed "How did she get it?"
"Boys keep back!" said Professor Grubbly-Plank as the unicorn pawned the ground nervously "They prefer the woman's touch, unicorns. Girls to the front, and approach with care, come on, easy does it..."

Most of the girls crowded around the unicorn and began stroking it, but Hermione was more interested in what Professor Grubbly-Plank was saying. There wasn't anything in The Monster Book of Monsters, so almost everything she was saying was new information. She was a bit worried about Hagrid - all the curtains in his hut were closed - but she assumed that he was sick and would be fine in a couple of days
"I hope she stays, that woman!" said Parvati when they headed back towards the castle "That's more what I thought Care of Magical Creatures would be like... proper creatures like unicorns, not monsters..."
"What about Hagrid?" Harry snapped
"What about him?" said Parvati coolly "He can still be gamekeeper, can't he?"

"That was a really good lesson" said Hermione "I didn't know half the things Professor Grubbly- Plank told us about uni-"
"Look at this!" Harry snapped, giving her a copy of the Daily Prophet. Hermione looked at the article and stared. There was a large picture of Hagrid, looking furtive. She read the article as fast as possible:

DUMBLEDORE'S GIANT MISTAKE

  Albus Dumbledore, eccentric Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has never been afraid to make controversial staff appointments, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. In September of this year, he hired Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, the notoriously jinx-happy ex-Auror, to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts, a decision that caused many raised eyebrows at the Ministry of Magic, given Moody's well-known habit of attacking anybody who makes a sudden movement in his presence. Mad-Eye Moody, however, looks responsible and kindly when set beside the part- human Dumbledore employs to teach Care of Magical Creatures.
  Rubeus Hagrid, who admits to being expelled from Hogwarts in his third year, has enjoyed the position of gamekeeper at the school ever since, a job secured for him by Dumbledore. Last year, however, Hagrid used his mysterious influence over the headmaster to secure the additional post of Care of Magical Creatures teacher, over the heads of many better-qualified candidates.
  An alarmingly large and ferocious-looking man, Hagrid has been using his newfound authority to terrify the students in his care with a succession of horrific creatures. While Dumbledore turns a blind eye, Hagrid has maimed several pupils during a series of lessons that many admit to being "very frightening"
  "I was attacked by a hippogriff, and my friend Vincent Crabbe got a bad bite off a flobberworm" says Draco Malfoy, a fourth-year student. "We all hate Hagrid, but we're just too scared to say anything"
  Hagrid has no intention of ceasing his campaign of intimidation, however. In conversation with a Daily Prophet reporter last month, he admitted breeding creatures he has dubbed "Blast-Ended Skrewts," highly dangerous crosses between manticores and fire-crabs. The creation of new breeds of magical creature is, of course, an activity usually closely observed by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Hagrid, however, considers himself to be above such petty restrictions.
  "I was just having some fun" he says, before hastily changing the subject.
  As if this were not enough, the Daily Prophet has now unearthed evidence that Hagrid is not - as he has always pretended - a pure-blood wizard. He is not, in fact, even pure human. His mother, we can exclusively reveal, is none other than the giantess Fridwulfa, whose whereabouts are currently unknown.
  Bloodthirsty and brutal, the giants brought themselves to the point of extinction by warring amongst themselves during the last century. The handful that remained joined the ranks of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and were responsible for some of the worst mass Muggle killings of his reign of terror.
  While many of the giants who served He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named were killed by Aurors working against the Dark Side, Fridwulfa was not among them. It is possible she escaped to one of the giant communities still existing in foreign mountain ranges. If his antics during Care of Magical Creatures lessons are any guide, however, Fridwulfa's son appears to have inherited her brutal nature.
  In a bizarre twist, Hagrid is reputed to have developed a close friendship with the boy who brought around You-Know-Who's fall from power - thereby driving Hagrid's own mother, like the rest of You-Know-Who's supporters, into hiding. Perhaps Harry Potter is unaware of the unpleasant truth about his large friend - but Albus Dumbledore surely has a duty to ensure that Harry Potter, along with his fellow students, is warned about the dangers of associating with part-giants.