Avatar: A Harry Potter Story

Hagrid

Book One : Air

"May I ask why four adolescent children were snooping around my facility?"

I gulped. Ron, Hermione, Pansy and I stood in the lobby of the Animal Control Center of Diagon City. It was an industrial looking brick building, with hanging black lights, plants in every corner and crevice, large windows, a flight of stairs going up in the right hand corner opposite us, two elevators against the right wall and a receptionist's desk smack bang in the middle of the room. There was also a seating area near the entrance, but I guessed they didn't want us to be comfortable which is why we're still standing.

Oh, and it also smelt terrible.

The man that was talking to us had a badge on his uniform that read 'Lieutenant'. He was wearing clothes similar to the policemen I'd seen chasing Pansy, but instead of grey uniforms, these men and women wore olive.

As the Lieutenant stared us down, I suddenly realized we could probably go to jail for this. Seeing as all of us had graduated only a few days ago. Juvie would've been preferable but due to terrible timing and the worst luck, we weren't going to get off that easy.

"Sir, we just wanted to see the facility. It's quite magnificent, and  it's got the biggest collection of exotic animals in the world," Hermione said respectfully. I glanced at her. How'd she know that stuff? Ron seemed to read my mind for he glanced back at me and shrugged, rolling his eyes as if saying 'typical 'Mione'.

"So you hid in the bushes? We have guided tours, little girl," the man spat and Hermione gulped. Suddenly, after being silent since the moment we were caught, Pansy spoke up.

"Jeff, just let us go, mate," she said and Ron, Hermione and I all stared at her wide eyed. She shrugged. The Lieutenant, Jeff, groaned silently, took off his cap and ran a hand through his auburn hair. "Miss Parkinson, always a pleasure," he said and Pansy flashed him a falsely sweet smile.

"Does your mother know you're here?" He asked and Pansy snorted. "Of course she does. How do you think I got clearence to show my friends the facility. They're avid animal lovers," Pansy said calmly and I nodded enthusiastically, not trusting myself to speak. "Would you like me to call my mother? I'm sure she'd be happy to deal with your incompetence at 2 in the morning."

Pansy, in her handcuffs, struggled to get her phone from her pocket and Lieutenant Jeff's eyes went alight with fear. "No, no! That's quite alright, Miss Parkinson. Norris, uncuff them and provide them with transport up North, I presume?"

Pansy nodded and smiled smugly as Officer Norris uncuffed us bedruginly. "Follow me," she said and we began to walk to the entrance.

"Oh, and Miss Parkinson!" The Lieutenant yelled and Pansy stopped in her tracks in front of me. She turned around with a smile. "Yes?"

"I look forward to your wedding next month! Congratulations!"

My mouth fell open.

Ron blinked.

Hermione's eyes widened.

Pansy continued to smile, but I was standing closest to her and I could see the tears welling up in her dark, chocolate eyes. Her expression as hard and as painful as stone. "Thanks, Lieutenant Kennedy. I-I look forward to it, too."

Jeff Kennedy tipped his hat at the four of us and motioned for us to be seen out. Officer Norris lead us towards a van with the Animal Control Center logo on it and ordered us to wait whilst she got a driver.

I turned to Pansy to find she wasn't facing us. She was staring at the tall walls of the facility, probably wishing she could dissappear behind them.

"Pansy?" Hermione whispered. "You're engaged?!" Ron blurted out and Hermione smacked his arm.

Pansy's head fell. "Yeah, I am."

I frowned. "But you aren't ha-ooooh," I said, realizing the situation. "What?" Ron asked. "It's an arranged marriage," I clarified and Ron and Hermione faltered. Pansy wiped her face and faced us, crest fallen.

"To Theo,"

My eyes widened. "You mean your friend, Theo? The one we met the other day who just called you?" I asked and she nodded. "Our parents are seriously traditional. We were told we'd get married to each other when we were fourteen. The perks of being part of the Bellator tribes," She grumbled.

"At first, Theo and I were excited. We even dated when we were 16. But then we both realized-"

She held her breath. "You both realized what?" Hermione persisted. Pansy sighed. "We both realized how gay we were."

The silence that followed wasn't necessarily tense, but it was quite morbid. Pansy stared at the dirt around her feet and it began to trickle like leaves on a bouncing trampoline.

"I love Theo, so much. He's my best friend and has been since we were born. But-"

"You could never lie to yourselves, and to your families like that?" Hermione asked and she nodded, pursing her lips. "You can't possibly go on with the wedding," Ron yelled defiantly. Pansy shook her head dismally. "Carrot cake, you don't understand. The Nott's, Theo's family, basically own this city. Theo's mother is President Zabini's advisor. If the Cheif of Police's daughter marries the son of the President's advisor-"

"Pansy, it's a power play!" Hermione's voice rose to a level I'd never heard her utter. A furious fire burnt in her eyes that I couldn't place. "Hermione-" Ron started softly but she interrupted him.

"No!" She smacked Ron away. "Your parents are using you, Pansy! You have to see that."

Pansy stared at Hermione a long time. Long enough for Officer Norris to come back.

My eyes widened.

Standing behind her was a massive  man. When I mean massive I mean his hands were the size of carbage can lids. He stood at around, what? Seven or eight feet tall? Most of his face was obscured under bushes of large, curly dark hair. His eyes like black beads in the center of his nest of hair, which greatly obscured his pudgy face.

When the giant man looked around, his gaze fell on me and his eyes widened. His mouth fell open in a silent gasp and I took a step back.

"Hagrid, you alright?" Officer Norris asked and the man named Hagrid sniffed. "Yeh, I'm alrigh'" he said, his deep voice Irish and nasaly, as if he were crying.

Ron and Hermione looked at me and I shrugged. "Alright then. Take 'em to the North side. Kennedy's orders."

Norris turned around and left, leaving us with the large man.

"Harry?" He asked, astounded and my eyes widened.

"H-how do you know my name?" I asked, my heart thrumming in my chest.

The man wiped a tear away, looking stricken.

"Me names Rubues Hagrid. I-I knew yer parents. An-an I know yer the Avatar."