Brooklyn and the Boy Who Lived

Hagrid's Return and the D.A. Discovered

Returning to Hogwarts after the holidays involved two pieces of news: Hagrid had returned, and Harry needed some special lessons from Snape called Occlumency to try and keep Voldemort from entering his thoughts that was requested by Dumbledore. During the end of the summer Harry had told him about his weird dreams about a long dark hallway ending with a locked door.

If he had to do his lessons on a D.A. day, Brooklyn would take over teaching the kids.

The friends along with Griff had gone to see Hagrid on his first day back. Plus Griff had yet to meet the half giant. But they haven't gone more than a couple steps closer to the door when Brooklyn heard Umbridge and he and Griff quickly ushered the others to a hiding spot, peeking in through the window.

"I'm going to ask you one last time, to tell me where you've been!"

"I've told you, I've been away fer me health!" Hagrid responded in a nervous tone, while Umbridge watched him placidly. "Your health?" She repeated.

"Yeah, bit o' fresh air, yeh know, it's good fer the lungs."

"But what about all those?" She then questioned, pointing to Hagrid's wounds and black eye. He flinched, as he tried coming up with another answer.

"Jus' jus' tripped. That's all," he replied nervously. Umbridge narrowed her eyes, but didn't press it any further.

"You know, I shouldn't get used to being back. In fact, I might not bother unpacking at all." She then turned and left.

The foursome waited until Umbridge was gone before quickly going inside, where Hagrid was happy to see them and gave Brooklyn another one of his bear hugs..

"Yeah, me and my cracked ribs are happy to see you too," grunted Brooklyn as he finally released him, causing the gargoyle to gasp a bit as he sat down. Deep down he had missed seeing Hagrid walking his dog Fang and doing his gamekeeper duties. Hagrid shook Griff's hand in greeting, and the griffin gargoyle liked him right away.

Hagrid then made them all tea and pulled out a steak of dragon meat to put on his black eye as he began to tell his story.

"So what have you been doing in the mountains? Why haven't you written to us?" Harry asked. Hagrid quickly looked about before answering.

"Yeh need ter keep this top secret, alrigh'? Dumbledore had sent me to rally the giants to our side."

Hermione stared. "Giants?" Brooklyn then recalled Voldemort mentioning recruiting Giants for his army. He himself had yet to see one.

"Yeah, they've been hidin' in the mountains. Me and Olympé have been travelin' for quite a bit, tryin' ter convince them ter join us. The sad thing about them giants is that there is only eighty or seventy left. Had to give the leader Dumbledore's message."

Brooklyn raised his brow. "How did you know who the leader was?" He asked.

"Biggest and laziest of them, so he wasn't too hard ter spot. His name was Karkrus." The gargoyle was immensely impressed at Hagrid's bravery to walk right up to a giant leader. "He liked others ter bring him gifts, so me and Olympé presented him with magic. As long as it isn't used against them, Giants like it. We brought the Gurg a branch of everlasting fire."

"Wow," breathed Hermione. Hagrid nodded as he continued on.

"Things between us an Karkrus went on well fer the next day or so, doesn't speak English, but didn' matter, as long as we kept bringin' him a gift, he'd be with us an' Dumbledore. But one night a fight broke out amon' them, and we saw a head in a lake."

Brooklyn gasped a bit. "Who's head?" The beaked gargoyle asked in horror, dreading the answer. Griff looked horror struck at this, too. Hagrid's face was solemn.