A Second Life

24. Growing Suspicions

Hey beautiful people! How are you? I want to apologize again for the inconsistent pov's and switches to third person.... to first person...

Harry

After speaking with Hermione, it was as if my head had been taken out from a haze. Like a winter's morning fog had finally cleared from my thoughts. I had been so stupid, hadn't I? It was no wonder they'd get put into Slytherin - I'd acted so shamefully they probably never considered the worth of being a Gryffindor. I hung my head in my hands, groaning in embarrassment and regret.

I don't know how I ever could've considered using it against him. I should've known that abuse isn't a joke. I have no idea how severe it was. I should've asked before invading his mind.

I browsed through the books in the library, trying to find one on spells for particular uses. Maybe one that could magic up an apology letter? That was until I saw Draco and Apollo leaving the library, both completely tense. A flash of panic arose in me. There was no way they could've heard, right? Me and Hermione had gone to our usual quiet corner, and the library was empty when we entered. They had probably just been searching for someone. Right?

Silena

She twirled a blade of grass between her fingers, absentmindedly wondering about everything and nothing. She had resigned herself to the fact that Ares wouldn't want to speak to her anymore. No one wants to speak to someone so defiled.

The grass below her was slightly damp and dewy, and she could feel it seeping through he skirt. It would probably be muddy. She looked up, at the water, and the sun, and the sky. On such a beautiful day, why was she wasting her time like this?

She stood up, ignoring the growing heaviness in her heart. She had lessons to get to, anyway. She started to walk by the Greenhouse, before slamming into a wall she could've sworn wasn't there a second ago.

"Are ye' okay, miss? Why yer crying for? There, there, it's ok now."

Silena looked up at the giant in front of her, who was now tapping her shoulder comfortingly.

"I'm not crying. And who are you?" She looked up at him, crossing her arms and shrugging his hand off of her.

"Well, yer red eyes tell me ye' were crying, all right. Me name's Hagrid." He shocked her immediately with his sweetness. He seemed like the type of person who seriously could not harm a fly.

He placed a hand on her back, guiding her to a little hut. "Lemme give ya a cup o tea, then ya can tell me wots going on, ok?"

(I'm so sorry if the informal accented dialogue annoys you guys, but I cannot imagine Hagrid not speaking like Hagrid.)

"I wasn't crying!" Silena repeated, but it was less angry than she thought she'd sound like.

"Yer hair is very pretty. I always wanted to dye me hair, but me mama said no one wants a big brute with dark green hair." He opened the door to his hut, welcoming her in.

"Well Hagrid," Silena looked around at the scorch marks inside, choosing to ignore them, but silently taking note to ask him later, "I think that you shouldn't care what your mama said. I think you'd look amazing with dark green hair and a slightly different style of clothes." She looked him up and down. "Okay, maybe after a complete makeover you'd pull it off, but it's not impossible!"

"Really?!"

She hummed in response. It felt like for once in her life she was proud of her inner Aphrodite. She could totally picture him rocking some dark green hair with a bit of exercise to fix his posture and a better style sense.

While he was boiling the water, she saw a drakon egg, one of Arachne's spawn and bed for a human sized dog all in one corner. "Hagrid, what exactly is your job?"

"Dumbledore made me the Professor for Care of Magical Creatures. I love me job. I'm showing the first years Buckbeak tomorrow. They'll love him."

"Buckbeak?"

"He's my hippogriff. Feathered creatures with beautiful wings."

Aphrodite scrunched her brows. "Like a Pegasus?"

"Merlin's beard Silena, no! Pegasi are devilish creatures and untameable as the centaurs. They killed me spider, Aragog."

"But I love Pegasi. And centaurs. Although, I'm really not a fan of spiders. They have too many legs in my opinion."

"What do they feed you in Ilvermorny?! You'll see, spiders are sweethearts, just mistaken as evil is all."

"Same with pegasi and centaurs."

"Not those in the Forbidden forest."

Silena perked up, her eyes shining with unbidden excitement.  "Forbidden Forest?"

"It's Forbidden, so stop smilin' like I gave yer a bucket of chocolate frogs."

She groaned and tugged on his arm, stopping him from sipping his tea. "I know, I know so tell me more about it."

"If Dumbledore hears me telling eighth years anything more he'll have me banished. " He sipped his tea, using it as an excuse not to speak any more.

"Who's going to tell him? And it's not like I'm going to go marching in there all alone, Hagrid, it's only the first day of School."

"Oh alright. After the war, many dark spirits and forces escaped into the Forbidden Forest. The Forest grew in a magical sense. It radiates power, that's why Dumbledore had to set up defences around it. So no one and nothing escapes. If a dark force enters the school..."

She leaned forward, listening intently. "Then what?"

However, Hagrid cleared his throat. "None of that now. It's getting late, you have lessons to go to, little miss."

"Aw, but Hagrid-"

"Off you go now."

She smiled at him, waving bye and ran out. She raced towards the school. Forbidden Forest, huh? She knew exactly where she would be spending her time from now on.

Silena skipped through the halls, smiling brighter than she had all day. She slowed to a walk as she passed by the bathrooms, almost sure she could hear sobs.

"Sil!" A voice behind her called.

"Lester?"

Apollo looked more distressed than she had ever seen him. "I need your help."