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Crisp winds rustled at exposed plants and open windows as they flowed into late January, excited chatted floating above the students as they arrived back at Hogwarts.
Cedric and Lori, arm in arm, were heading down the track to Hagrid's hut, after receiving news that he was back from rallying the giants. They sent messages to Harry, Ron and Hermione through their galleons, the three Gryffindors joining the couple hiding under his window when they saw Umbridge inside.
Hermione's hand shot out to drag Ron further behind the hut as Umbridge stepped out, before spraying her foul perfume all over the door.
"She's the most evil person alive." Ron muttered as they filed into the hut, taking seats around the table.
"This is top secret, right?" Hagrid explained, "Dumbledore sent me to parlay with the giants."
"Giants?" Hermione whispered, shushed by the Gamekeeper, "You found them?"
He nodded, "Well, they're not that hard to find, to be perfectly honest. They're so big, see. Tryna convince them to join the cause, and I wasn't the only one tryna win them over."
"Death Eaters?" Ron murmured, Lori and Cedric nodding.
"Yes. Tryna persuade them to join You-Know-Who."
"And," Harry spoke up, "did they?"
"I gave them Dumbledore's message, suppose some of them remember he was friendly to them."
Harry gestured to the cuts across his face, "And they did this to you?"
Hagrid pressed a raw steak to his eye, "Not exactly, no." before throwing it to Fang, "Go on then, you have it, you dozy dog."
A chill wind blew some hay across the floor, Hagrid standing and moving to the window, "It's changing out there, just like last time. There's a storm coming, Harry, we'd all best be ready when she does."
*
Neville's knuckles clenched around his copy of the Daily Prophet, his jaw set as he watched the moving image of Bellatrix Lestrange. Last night, her and nine other high-ranking Death Eaters had escaped from Azkaban.
Lori followed him all the way to the Room of Requirement, where he and Leanne sat with their arms wrapped around each other. Smiling sadly, Lori sat next to them, pulled them both into her chest and to their feet.
"Fourteen years ago," Neville began, his voice croaky, "a Death Eater named Bellatrix Lestrange used the Cruciatus Curse on my parents. She tortured them for information, but they never gave in."
