Echo | Harry Potter - George Weasley

Chapter 66: There's a Storm Coming

There was always a certain thrill associated with returning to Hogwarts after a break, even a break as short as the holidays. With the snow melted and the days longer, everyone felt refreshed and ready to start the second half of the school year. Shaye, however, was more excited to continue the pursuit of a different kind of knowledge: the ever-lasting mystery surrounding her sister. 

Slowly, over Shaye's years of searching, clues had cropped up left and right. First Hattie, then the Lost Wanderer, then the knowledge that Lorelei had been working against Voldemort, and now the discovery of the Room of Requirement. As much as Shaye tried to connect these many pieces, however, she could not figure out what it all had to do with each other. She had wracked her mind over the holiday break but still could not fathom why Lorelei's map had led to the Room of Requirement; or what, in turn, the room meant to her. 

With her bag slung over her shoulder, Shaye absentmindedly followed along with the rush of students flocking toward the castle doors. Physically, she was getting ready to dive headfirst back into her studies; but mentally, her thoughts were a million miles away. 

"You guys," Hermione called as she and Ron pushed their way through the crowd of students. "Hagrid's back."

A light that Shaye hadn't seen in a while returned to Harry's eyes at the mention of their friend. Turning on their heels, the group of friends began heading in the opposite direction as everyone else. Breaking into a jog, they made their way across the bridge and down the winding path to Hagrid's hut, where smoke billowed from the chimney once more. 

Before reaching the hut's front door, the four students stopped in their tracks at the sound of Umbridge's voice coming from inside the small homestead. 

"I will say this one last time." Umbridge could be heard through one of the open windows. "I'm ordering you to tell me where you've been."

"I told you. I've been away for me health," Hagrid responded just as Shaye and the others peaked through the window to get a glimpse inside. 

"Your health?" Umbridge questioned.

Hagrid nodded. "Yeah. Bit of fresh air, you know."

"Oh, yes. As gamekeeper, fresh air must be difficult to come by." It was obvious Umbridge wasn't buying Hagrid's excuse. "If I were you, I shouldn't get too used to being back. In fact, I mightn't bother unpacking at all."

As Umbridge strolled toward the front door, indicating that she was done with the conversation, Shaye and her friends ducked around the side of the hut so as to avoid being seen. Exciting the hut, in her usual outfit of bright pink, Umbridge drew in a deep breath before wrinkling her nose at the smell. Pulling out a small bottle of perfume from her pocket, she sprayed herself before misting the shape on an X in front of Hagrid's front door, as if the action would ward off whatever was causing the stench. 

Once Umbridge had ventured far enough up the path back to the school, Harry rounded the hut and knocked on the door. Within seconds, Hagrid had greeted the students and ushered them inside for a cup of tea. Naturally, Shaye and the others were curious about Hagrid's mysterious disappearance.

"This is top-secret, right?" Hagrid was holding a raw steak to the bruised and purple skin surrounding his left eye. He had yet to tell the children how he had acquired the injury. "Dumbledore sent me to parley with the giants."

"Giants?" Hermione exclaimed. Hagrid shushed her. "You found them?"

"Well, they're not that hard to fine, to be perfectly honest," Hagrid said. "They're so big, see? I tried to convince them to join the cause. But I wasn't the only one that was trying to win them over."