Supported & Torn (HP) {Book 3 of the Wild & Free Series}

26. O.W.L. Examinations

Ron's euphoria at helping Gryffindor scrape the Quidditch Cup was such that he could not settle to anything next day. All he wanted to do was talk over the match; none of us keen to be the one to bring Ron back to reality.

As it was another fine, warm day, Harry and Hermione persuaded Rowan, Lucy, Ron and me to join them in studying under the beech tree on the edge of the lake, which I found rather odd, since Harry was never so eager to study.

Ron was not particularly keen on this idea at first; he was thoroughly enjoying being patted on the back by Gryffindors walking past his chair, not to mention the occasional outbursts of "Weasley Is Our King," but agreed after a while that some fresh air might do him good.
We spread our books out in the shade of the beech tree and sat down while Ron talked us through his first save of the match for what felt like the dozenth time.

"We won," said Ron slowly, savouring the words. "Did you see the look on Chang's face when Ginny got the Snitch right out from under her nose?"

"I suppose she cried, did she?" said Harry bitterly.

"Well, yeah — more out of temper than anything, though..." Ron frowned slightly. "But you saw her chuck her broom away when she got back to the ground, didn't you?"

"Er —" said Harry and I looked at him accusingly.

"Well, actually... no, Ron," said Hermione with a heavy sigh, putting down her book and looking at him apologetically. "As a matter of fact, the only bit of the match Harry and I saw was Davies's first goal."

Ron's carefully ruffled hair seemed to wilt with disappointment.

"You didn't watch?" he said faintly, looking from one to the other. "You didn't see me make any of those saves?"

"We did," I told Ron, grinning and Rowan and Lucy nodded.

"Well — no," said Hermione, stretching out a placatory hand toward him. "But Ron, we didn't want to leave — we had to!"

"Yeah?" said Ron, whose face was growing rather red. "How come?"

"It was Hagrid," said Harry. "He decided to tell us why he's been covered in injuries ever since he got back from the giants. He wanted us to go into the forest with him, we had no choice, you know how he gets... Anyway..."

And he proceeded to tell us that Hagrid had brought a giant back; his half-brother Grawp. He had showed him to Harry and Hermione and had told them he was the only family he had left and if they would take care of Grawp if... actually, when... Hagrid would get expelled.

The story was told in five minutes, by the end of which Ron's indignation had been replaced by a look of total incredulity.

"He brought one back and hid it in the forest?" Rowan asked.

"Yep," said Harry grimly.

"No," said Ron, as though by saying this he could make it untrue. "No, he can't have..."

"Well, he has," said Hermione firmly. "Grawp's about sixteen feet tall, enjoys ripping up twenty-foot pine trees, and knows me," she snorted, "as Hermy."

Ron gave a nervous laugh.

"And Hagrid wants us to...?" I asked.

"Teach him English, yeah," said Harry.

"He's lost his mind," said Ron in an almost awed voice.

"Yes," said Hermione irritably, turning a page of Intermediate Transfiguration and glaring at a series of diagrams showing an owl turning into a pair of opera glasses. "Yes, I'm starting to think he has. But unfortunately, he made Harry and me promise."