Babysitting Hogwarts {Book 1}

Giants Part 2

Percy

"Hagrid wants us to meet him, he says he wants to show us something." Harry said to Ron and Hermione at the breakfast table. It had been a week since Dumbledore left and Umbridge had already introduced two more educational laws. She even became Head of the school. 

"We'll meet with him after classes," Hermione says. The golden trio then left the table, leaving us to wonder what we do with this new knowledge. 

"We should follow them," Nico suggests. 

"That's being overprotective. We need to give Harry some space," Piper said. "We're here to make sure he doesn't die, Hagrid is a good person and Harry trusts him. Leave them be." 

"Piper's right, we should let him go to Hagrid's; but there has been some dangerous activity in the forbidden forest. Maybe instead of stalking him, we should scout the forest. I heard there were werewolves in there." Will said. 

"There are also centaurs." I said. "We should see how they are, maybe befriend them in case we need their help."

"Then it's settled." Annabeth stood up. "But I need to study for the O.W.L.S so I won't have any free time."

"I think I'll take the O.W.L.S as well." Piper said. "It'll be fun to take a test that doesn't affect me in any way, in fact I can't remember the last time that I actually took a written test."

"We have been busy," Jason said, leaning back and grabbing his bag, "Me and Percy will go into the forest after classes."

"Cool." I said and also stood to leave. "We have potions first, the one type of magic that I can actually handle."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jason

After class me and Percy ran down to the edge of the forest. As we entered, I could see Percy fiddling with something in his pocket - most likely Riptide. 

"So, how's life?" I asked awkwardly. 

"What?!" Percy chuckles. 

"I don't know, it's just really quiet. I don't like quiet." I reached into my robe pocket and felt the warm coin that I had been given for Christmas. Jupiter gave it to me as a gift and I haven't gone anywhere without it; much like Percy never goes anywhere without Riptide. 

"Hang on," Percy stops. I turn around, bring my coin out ready to draw the sword at any moment. 

"What?" I whisper. 

"That's Hagrid," He points behind me and I follow his gaze to see the half-giant trudging along followed by three figures - obviously Harry, Ron and Hermione. 

"I thought they were going to meet him in his house."

"Guess they had a change of plan," Percy snuck forward, avoiding branches and twigs. We followed the four wizards slowly and quietly, staying back far enough that we couldn't hear them but they couldn't see us either. When they stopped, we jumped behind a bush close to them. 

"Where are we Hagrid?" We heard Harry ask. 

"I wanted to show yer something," Hagrid said. I looked over the bush to see Hagrid facing a big tree, however the big tree was being blocked by a really big rock. Or at least - it looked like a rock. "This is my little brother, Grawp." Hagrid gestured at the rock that seemed to move when he mentioned 'Grawp'. The rock turned to face us, showing a giant face smeared with dirt and dry blood. Harry, Ron and Hermione jumped back. 

"Hagrid!" Hermione whispered harshly, "That's a giant!" 

"I know." Hagrid looked lovingly up at the twenty foot giant that towered over him. "But when I found him, and heard how they were treatin' him - well I couldn' jus leave him there." 

"You brought a giant onto Hogwarts grounds?!" Ron said slowly, emphasising the point that Hagrid endangered the school. The giant looked scared, not as fearsome or tall was the ones we sent to Tartarus in the last war. It looked confused as well, as if not quite sure what he was doing in the forest. 

"Well, yeah. Grawp's me half brother, and he needs some friends." Hagrid said, oblivious. "Grawp, these are me friends; Harry, Ron and Hermione." Grawp reached his hand out and grabbed Hermione. I felt Percy tense up next to me, and before I could stop him he had leapt out from behind the bush and ran towards Hermione as she was picked up by the giant. I followed him and flipped my coin. It landed in my hand as a bow. I drew the string back on instinct and an arrow appeared, already loaded. I wasn't as good at the bow and arrow as Will, but I was a lot better than Percy. 

"Put her down." I said to the giant. He held Hermione up to his face. Harry let out a gasp when he saw me and Hagrid yelled at us to put our weapons down. Percy held Riptide higher. 

"You heard him," Percy said, ignoring Hagrid. "Put her down." Grawp ignored us so I let the arrow loose, aimed at the arm holding Hermione. It bounced off, but it must have startled him because he let out a wail and tried to swat whatever had hit him away. Unfortunately in the process of doing that, he let Hermione go, flinging her towards on of the trees. 

"Jason!" Percy yelled at me as Ron and Harry screamed "No!". I quickly flew towards her, catching her before she made impact. I gently lowered her to the ground. Hagrid had calmed Grawp. Harry and Ron ran over to where me and Hermione were standing. Hermione looked terrified, but she hadn't screamed. She was tougher than I thought. 

"What were you thinking Hagrid?" I stormed over to where Hagrid was standing next to Grawp. The giant whimpered as I got close, but I didn't care. Giants just like him had hurt my friends so many times, I found that I couldn't feel any empathy towards his kind. I threw the bow up and it landed as a coin in my hand. 

"I jus' saw how they were treatin' him and I felt sorry for 'im. He is me brother after all." Hagrid replied with his head down. "Hermione," He called, "Yer alrigh'?" 

"Just fine." She replied, walking towards us. Percy capped Riptide and came up to me. 

"Come on," he said. "We need to go." I followed as we walked away, the centaurs not the biggest problem on our agenda. 

Harry

"How did they know we were there?" Hermione asked when we were back in Hagrid's cabin. 

"They must have been following us," Ron said. "What else could they be doing in the forest?"

"I'm sorry Hermione," Hagrid apologised again. "I jus' thought he was lonely. He was bein' bullied by the giants fer bein' small."

"Hagrid, it's fine." Hermione put her hand on Hagrid's. "I understand that you wanted to give him a better home. He was just interested; he's probably never seen a human before."

"Yer righ'" Hagrid said. "What happened with that Jason boy? How'd he catch you?" 

"He flew." Ron said. We all turned to him. "Well, he did. I saw him." 

"I hate this." Hermione sighed. "One minute we get evidence that Percy and the other exchange students are different and strange, and the next we have to eat our words."

"I know," I say. "Percy reminds me of Dumbledore in a way. He's very vague. He said that there was a war that was inevitable and we need to prepare for it. He also said I was descended from a god and then he denied being the same. He's constantly lying to us."

"We need to get that book," Hermione said. 

"What book?" Hagrid asked. "What yer talking about, 'gods'?". 

"We'll explain later. Harry, I'm going to have to borrow your invisibility cloak. Percy's never going to give up that book, so I'm going to find my own way of getting to the bottom of this." Hermione said, and left the cabin.