Magic? || Years 1-5

Hagrid Open Up: Year 4

"She'll be after you next, Hermione," Ron whispered as they walked up the street.

"Let her try! I'll show her! Silly little girl, am I? Oh, I'll get her back for this. First Harry, then Hagrid -- " Hermione fumed.

"You don't want to go upsetting Rita Skeeter. I'm serious, Hermione, she'll dig up something on you -- " Ron started desperately.

"My parents don't read the Daily Prophet. She can't scare me into hiding!" She snarled back. "And Hagrid isn't hiding anymore! He should never have let that excuse for a human being upset him! Come on!"

And they were running back up to the castle in the direction of Hagrid's cabin. It was a good thing, Amisty thought, the sting of the cold on her face distracting her from the burning anger radiating off of Hermione and stifling her own fury from the jab at her friend.

They skidded to a stop at the door, and immediately Hermione started pounding on his front door.

"Hagrid! Hagrid, that's enough!" Hermione shouted. "We know you're in there! Nobody cares if your mum was a giantess, Hagrid! You can't let that foul Skeeter woman do this to you! Hagrid, get out here, you're just being -- "

She cut off as the door swung open, and with a heavy sigh she started, "About t -- "

Amisty slapped a hand over her mouth. It was Professor Dumbledore who had opened the door.

"Good afternoon," He smiled down at them, unfazed with Hermione's outburst it seemed.

"We -- er -- we wanted to see Hagrid," Hermione squeaked meekly, immediately losing her fiery attitude in the presence of the Headmaster.

"Yes, I surmised as much. Why don't you come in?" He stepped to the side, holding the door open for them.

"Oh... um... okay," Hermione nodded, and they went inside.

Fang raced toward them, sniffing around their ankles and slobbering all over their shoes.

That wasn't what held their attention, though. It was Hagrid.

He was sitting at his table, two massive mugs of tea sitting in front of him, with a blotchy face and red, puffy eyes.

"Hi, Hagrid," Harry offered hesitantly.

"'Lo," He replied, voice broken and coarse.

"More tea, I think," Dumbledore decided, closing the door and conjuring up a tea tray and plate of cakes.

They took their seats, keenly aware of the heavy silence, until --

"Did you by any chance hear what Miss Granger was shouting, Hagrid?" Dumbledore asked casually.

Hermione flushed slightly, her gaze shifting away. Dumbledore, however, was smiling at her.

"Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Amisty still seem to want to know you, judging by the way they were attempting to break down the door."

"Of course we still want to know you! You don't think anything that Skeeter cow -- " Harry broke off, glancing at Dumbledore, "sorry, Professor."

"I have gone temporarily deaf and haven't any idea what you said, Harry," Dumbledore replied, looking up at the ceiling.

"Er -- right. I just meant -- Hagrid, how could you think we'd care what that -- woman -- wrote about you?" Harry seemed to be struggling to keep with decent language.

Amisty couldn't blame him.

"Living proof of what I've been telling you, Hagrid. I have shown you the letters from countless parents who remember you from their own days here, telling me in no uncertain terms that if I sacked you, they would have something to say about it -- " Dumbledore was still dutifully looking at the ceiling.