Coup de Foudre [Fred Weasley] [5]

⚡️ Chapter 60 ⚡️

It was then that Vega heard a distant, rhythmic rumbling that sounded like a pair of enormous lungs at work. Her mind worked over time as she tried to process what was in front of her, rushing down a long list of creatures until it came to a stop at – a giant. With her grey eyes wide as the moon, Vega turned to look at Hagrid in shock.

"Hagrid..." Vega breathed. "Who is this? I thought you said that none of the giants wanted to come with you – so where did this one come from?"

"Well – no – he didn' want ter come," Hagrid replied, sounding desperate. "But I had ter bring him, Vega, I had ter! I couldn' leave him!"

"What do you mean?" Vega asked, completely at a loss.

"I knew if I jus' got him back," Hagrid said, sounding close to tears. "An' – an' taught him a few manners – I'd be able ter take him outside an' show ev'ryone he's harmless!"

"Harmless...?" Vega repeated before blinking. "Wait – is he the one who has been hurting you since the day you got back? All those injuries that you had!"

"He don' know his own strength!" Hagrid answered earnestly. "An' he's gettin' better, he's notfightin' so much anymore –"

"Is that why it took you so long to come home?" Vega asked. "You were trying to bring him without him being seen... but maybe he wanted to live with the other giants, is it really okay for him to be here when he doesn't want to be?"

"They were all bullyin' him, Vega, 'cause he's so small!" Hagrid informed her. "I couldn' leave him," There were tears now trickling down his bruised face into his beard. "See – he's my brother!"

"Brother?" Vega said, shocked. "Wait, wait, wait, Hagrid – what do you mean, brother?"

"Well – half–brother," Hagrid amended quickly. "Turns out me mother took up with another giant when she left me dad, an' she went an' had Grawp here –"

"Grawp?" Vega asked quickly, trying to wrap her mind around this.

"Yeah... well, tha's what it sounds like when he says his name," Hagrid replied anxiously. "He don' speak a lot of English... I've bin tryin' ter teach him... anyway, she don' seem ter have liked him muchmore'n she liked me... see, with giantesses, what counts is producin' good big kids, and he's always been a bit on the runty side fer a giant – on'y sixteen foot – he was bein' kicked around by all o' them – I jus' couldn' leave him –"

"Did Madame Maxime help you hide him on your journey?" Vega inquired, knowing that Hagrid couldn't use a lot of magic but the giantess could. "Did she even want to?"

"She – well, she could see it was right importan' ter me," Hagrid said, twisting his enormous hands. "Bu' – bu' she got a bit tired of him after a while, I must admit... so we split up on the journey home... she promised not ter tell anyone though..."

"Then, how did you did you get back without being noticed?" Vega asked.

"Well, tha's why it took so long, see," Hagrid replied. "Could on'y travel by nigh an' through wild country an' stuff. 'Course, he covers the ground pretty well when he wants ter, but he kep' wantin'ter go back..."

"What if he hurts someone else...?" Vega trailed off. "What if he tries to leave this place and ends causing harm to others? What will we do then?"

"He won't do that, Vega," Hagrid said, still twisting his hands agitatedly. "I'll admit he mighta taken a couple o' swings at me when he's bin in a bad mood, but he's gettin' better, loads better, settlin' down well..."

"If that's the case, then why are there ropes tying him up?" Vega asked, pointing at the ropes thick as saplings stretching from around the trunks of the largest nearby trees toward the place whereGrawp lay curled on the ground with his back to them. "Must you keep him tied up?"