The Older Potter // HP Older Sister

39

C H A P T E R  39

Ginny stared at the page even long after the words had disappeared. Finally, she snapped out of her daze and quickly wrote back.

Oh Tom, you really are amazing! Who was it? How did you capture them? Ginny wrote quickly, anxious to know more about what happened fifty years ago.

It was really quite by accident did I ever find this out. It was in my sixth year when there were several attacks. Tom wrote back to her quickly, as if he were just as anxious to tell her what had happened as she was to hear it.

A few Muggle-borns were attacked and petrified.

Just like now? Ginny couldn't help but interrupt.

Just like now. Tom repeated in his elegant hand-writing. Anyway. They were cured by the end of that year, but you have no idea just how much fear was inspired during those few months. No one knew who would be attacked next... until at long last, a girl had finally been killed by the monster.

Oh, Tom. Ginny wrote sadly. I'm so sorry...

It's alright, Ginny. Tom wrote back. But thank you for your kind words. You see, it was right after the killing of this girl that compelled me to try and solve this mystery before anyone else got hurt. I had just finished a conversation with headmaster Dippet and he had told me that they were going to close the school if nothing was done. I knew then that I had to do something. That night, when I was heading back to my dorm, I noticed another student walking about in the halls on his own.

As a school Prefect, naturally I followed him to make sure that he made it back to his dorm safely. But he did not go back to his common room like I thought he would. You see, instead he made his way to the dungeons... to where he was keeping the monster. When I confronted him, he swore it was only a pet, but I knew better. I turned him in to the headmaster, and he was immediately expelled. The attacks stopped right after that and they all warned me to keep my mouth shut about what happened here.

Ginny could hardly stand it anymore. She had to know. Oh, Tom! That's amazing! You're amazing! But who was it Tom? Who would release that monster onto everyone?

His name is Rubeus Hagrid.

Ginny's eyes widened in disbelief, and her jaw dropped open in shock. It couldn't be... Hagrid? But he had always seemed so kind to her and all the students here... but then... she remembered the stories that Ron had told her about Hagrid and his obsession with large and dangerous monsters... it wouldn't surprise her that Hagrid might've had a creature that could attack other kids. But she could never have imagined that he would want to intentionally hurt anyone with it. He had been so nice to her... and she knew that Ron, Hermione, and Harry thought highly of him.

But Tom, she wrote slowly. Hagrid is still here at Hogwarts. He's the gamekeeper! How could they let him stay here if he really did kill that girl?

Like I said Ginny, Hagrid was expelled. His wand was broken and he was forbidden to ever learn magic. But at the time, he was also an orphan with nowhere else to go. He was far too young to be sent to Azkaban Prison. And so, Dumbledore stood up for him and convinced headmaster Dippet to let him stay and be trained as the gamekeeper. I think that they did that so that they could keep an eye on him.

But now with all the new attacks, why haven't they taken him to Azkaban yet? Ginny wrote fearfully. Wouldn't he have been the first suspect? They would've questioned him by now and get him to stop if he was behind it. I don't see why he how he could do all this... besides, after fifty years, why would he be attacking everyone now?