A Lonely Child

Pray for Him

Pray For Him ~ Billy Gillman

Knocked on his door last night

He should have been there

I waited till 6pm

Lord I'm worrying again

Said he messed up something real bad

Whatever it is I'll be there

I'll pray for him

Hope he's all right

Feels like he's all alone

Against the world tonight

But he's gone away Lord

Help me pray for him

~!~

Hermione Harry and Ron had immediately run down to Hagrid's hut as fast as they could under Harry's Invisibility Cloak. They couldn't go as fast as they wanted because Ron had to crouch because he had grown so much over the summer. Hermione knocks on the door from under the cloak and waited anxiously for Hagrid to open the door.

The trio gasps when they see his face. Hagrid had bruises and bloody cuts over his face and hands. His eye was black. Hermione had suspected that he had a few broken ribs to from the way he was moving around his hut. The state of his appearance disturbed them so bad that they suggested that he got see Pomfrey.

"No I can take care of myself." he had replied turning away from them to make tea.

"What have you been doing Hagrid?" Harry asked ignoring the offer of tea.

Hagrid said nothing and continued to make tea.

"Is it obvious Harry?" Hermione asked.

Harry shook his head.

"He's been with giants."

"And how do you know that Hermione?" Harry asked after Hagrid dropped a goblet of tea on the floor.

"We only know two people who could even try and blend in with giants. One is Hagrid and the other is Madame Maxine."

"You truly are the brightest which of your age Hermione." Harry replied back.

"Harry if you tell Hagrid about the Dementor attack he should tell us about the mission Dumbledore gave him." Ron said finally coming into the conversation.

"No he does not. Maybe Dumbledore didn't want us to know." Hermione chipped in. "But Hagrid should know about the Dementor attack Harry because he really cares for you." She added.

"What about a Dementor attack?" Hagrid asked stunned.

"Tell me where you went this summer and why it took you so long to get back." Harry insisted.

"Fine. I went to the last know place the giants where hiding in the mountains. Dumbledore sent Olympe and I to try and get them on our side and fight against Voldemort. It became difficult when the Chief giant Gurg was overthrown. The new Chief didn't like us much and we had to use magic to get out safely to another part of the mountains. The Giants didn't like the magic and using it ruined any chanced we had of getting them on our side. We saw a few death eaters when we tried recruitin' the giants trying to escape Gurg with no..." Hagrid said trailing off when he got to the end.

"Which death eaters did you see?" Ron asked.

"I only recognized Macnair but there were at least two others." Hagrid replied.

"Did you see your Mum?" Hermione asked.

"No she had died years ago."

"Oh I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked." Hermione replied.

"I don't remember anything about her anyhow," Hagrid replied.

"Who attacked you?" Ron asked as Hagrid took a rotten piece of looking meat and placed it on his black eye.

Hagrid ignored him by giving the meat to a barking Fang.

"What took you so long to get back then?" Harry asked.

"It just took awhile that's all. I haven' been attacked." Hagrid barked.

Knock. Knock.

Fang started barking at the door

"Under the cloak now you three." Hagrid whispered to them. "I'm coming. Get back Fang." He yelled at who was ever at the door.

Hermione, Harry and Ron watched as Hagrid opened the door while holding Fang by the nape of his neck. Once the door was open a woman dressed in a nasty shade of pink walked through the door. She wrinkled her nose at the state of Hagrid's home.

"I am Professor Delores Jane Umbridge Senior Under-Secretary to the Minister for Magic and the first ever High Inquisitor of Hogwarts." She spoke in a loud condescending tone as if Hagrid was a three year old that couldn't understand her.

"Have a seat." Hagrid replied.

"Have you had any visitors tonight?" she asked not even taking a step.

"No. I only just got back."

"Then why where their three sets of foot prints outside in the snow leading here but none leaving?" she asked pointing to a window.

"I don't know maybe someone made them with magic or something." Hagrid replied with a tone of sarcasm.

"Why have you arrived this late into the term?"

"I had to get away for me heath you know a bit of fresh air and all."

"Surly you get enough fresh air as game keeper."

"I needed time away from the school. Last year was tiring with the tournament and all."

Umbridge doesn't reply and walks around the Hut taking a closer look. She had come within inches of the cloak causing the trio to push themselves as far back as they possibly could. She turned back to Hagrid not believing his story of being away for his health do to his battered skin.

"I will be inspecting your class within the next few days at part of the Ministry's plan to weed out unsatisfactory teachers." She said writing on a piece of paper and handing it over to Hagrid.

She left and the trio let out a breath they realized they had been holding. Hagrid walked up to the window and watched as Umbridge made her way back up to the castle.

"She in the castle." Hagrid replied turning back to the trio who were now visible because Harry had stripped the Cloak off of them.

"What are you going to teach us Hagrid?"

"They will be really good lessons." Hagrid replied.

"She's already in the process of giving a teacher the boot Hagrid. I wouldn't put it past her to do it to you to." Hermione replied back.

"It wasn't pretty either." Ron said commenting on when Trelawney told their class of her probation.

"Hagrid you really should follow Ministry approved lessons it'll keep you here longer if she does find a way of getting you out of her." Hermione replied.

"I'll be fine." Hagrid replied brushing off her comment. "It's late and I'm tired you three need to get back up to the castle."

The trio covered themselves in the cloak once more and made their way back up to the castle. It was slower going back because Hermione had taken the time to clear away their footsteps as they walked back. They got back to the common room with no problem.

"Hermione I don't think Hagrid took your warning seriously." Ron said as Hermione continued to mutter about Hagrid's slightly dangerous lessons.

Hermione went to bed after telling the boys that she had a plan to keep Umbridge from firing Hagrid.