Percy Jackson and the Department of Mysteries [Book 5]

147) A Murder of Armadillos

"So what exactly is it that you want us to do?" I asked. "Get the cops off your tail? Maybe set up a ransom?"

Hagrid didn't seem to mind my jab, and instead croaked, "Look after him. After I'm gone."

The three of us shared uncomfortable looks. Not one of us wanted to do that (I'm pretty sure we were already accomplices in Hagrid's little kidnapping), but we'd promised we'd do whatever he asked. And none of us were of the sort to break promises (I myself am the product of a broken promise, and that has brought me nothing but suffering).

"What — what does that involve, exactly?" Hermione nervously stared at the giant.

"Not food or anythin'!" Hagrid smiled. "He can get his own food, no problem. Birds an' deer an' stuff... No, it's company he needs. If I jus' knew someone was carryin' on tryin' ter help him a bit... teachin' him, yeh know..."

Teaching him would be difficult, as Grawp kind of made me nervous. I'd never had the courage to ask Hagrid if he had the more monster giant tendencies, and I don't think he did, as he didn't know I was a demigod until after it had been revealed at Gringotts, but his brother definitely did. Giants and demigods had been on shaky ground since forever, but for the most part they'd kept separate for the past several centuries. I didn't know how he'd react if and when he woke up, smelling fresh Poseidon meat. I didn't really want to find out.

But, as I had long since figured out, just being a monster didn't make you monstrous. My brother, Tyson, a cyclops and probably the sweetest person I know. Mrs. O'Leary, my knight in shining fur, with teeth as big as my forearm. The Ophiotaurus only wanted to play, and so did Cerberus. There'd even be some that I'd meet later on — like Ella the bookish harpy and Damasen, our sacrificial hero.

So, I wasn't going to let myself define Grawp before meeting him — though I was a little afraid.

It was easier to think of Hagrid as human — he looked human, just bigger. Giants, however, had a tendency to look a little different, which made it all the harder to not turn on sissy mode and book it for the nearest safe haven. Giants were disproportionate — heads too big, facial features too wide, hands and feet long and wide and skinny, yet muscled arms. His fleshy ears were in the wrong spot, or maybe he just had no actual neck, but they rode close to his shoulders. His feet were flat and large, and dirty. The sort of caked in dirt that just made you want to itch your skin off. Worst part is? The rest of him was that way, too, but I suppose being restrained in a forest would do that.

"You want us to teach him," I said loosely, imagining how Grawp would look when towering over us, whenever he realized who I was, what I was.

"Yeah — even if yeh jus' talk ter him a bit," Hagrid said eagerly. "'Cause I reckon, if he can talk ter people, he'll understand more that we all like him really, an' want him to stay..."

"Want him to stay trapped," I muttered glumly.

Harry turned back to Hermione, who had hidden her face behind her fingers, and laughed nervously, "Kind of makes you wish we had Norbert back, doesn't it?"

"Yeh'll do it then?" Hagrid asked hopefully.

"We'll..." Harry hesitated, looking at the two of us. "We'll try, Hagrid..."

"I knew I could count on yeh, Harry," Hagrid clapped his big hands onto Harry's shoulders, nearly buckling my friend in his excitement. "An' I don' wan' yeh ter put yourself out too much, like.... I know yeh've got exams.... If yeh could jus' nip down here in your Invisibility Cloak maybe once a week an' have a little chat with him... I'll wake him up, then — introduce you —"

"Oh Zeus's thunder thighs, please do not, Hagrid, there's no need —"

Hagrid had already stepped over the trunk in front of us and made his way towards Grawp. Ten or so feet away, he stopped, picked up a long, broken branch, smiled at us reassuringly (love Hagrid to bits, but he doesn't know how to do a comforting smile), and poked him in the middle of the back.