Play the Game ✔️

New Kid In Town

        She looked through the windows of the large black motorcar at the small quaint village; the residents were staring at the car and pointing. Typical, she thought. Her dog Romulus sniffed at the air through the cracked window as the driver opened the lid to the boot and withdrew her trunk and guitar case and placed them on the ground next to the car. She looked out the window and saw the legs of a very large man and she craned her neck and looked up. "Holy shit," she said. "That's one big man, Rommy! God! His legs are as big as trees! Check him out!"

Suddenly, the door opened and the man bent over and smiled at her. "Welcome to Hogsmeade, Miss Rhodes" He held out his hand to her and Rommy growled menacingly.

"Easy Rommy," she said in a low voice. She placed her hand in his; it was tiny by comparison and he practically pulled her out of the taxi. "Mister Hagrid," she asked.

"Yep, that's me," he said as his smile grew. "And this must be Romulus! What a handsome fellow," he said jovially as he held out of treat for the dog: a large piece of raw quail...must have been most of the bird, she thought. Her dog sniffed at the freshly caught game and snatched it from the large man's hands. Liesel Rhodes held the leash that was attached to her dog tightly.

"Is school in sesson yet," she asked.

"The students will be arriving tomorrow and classes start on Monday. Tell me, how much wolf is in your dog?"

"Maybe twenty-percent if that? Why?"

Hagrid shook his head. "Just wonderin' is all. He's certainly very large!"

"Actually the smallest of the litter I'm told," she chuckled.

"Is that right! WHOOT!"

Hagrid signed the parchment on the clipboard the driver gave to him and once having done that, he returned it and stared at him to be on his way.

"Mister Hagrid?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't mean to be rude or anything, but are you a giant?"

Hagrid chuckled quietly. "Half actually."

"Oh."

"Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering is all. I've never seen a giant before."

"Well, you still haven't. Does it matter," he asked, his brown eyes suddenly darkened a bit, appearing to almost glare.

"Oh hell no," she said as she craned her neck up to meet his gaze. "Why do you ask that?"

"It matters to some people," he replied.

"That's probably the stupidest thing I've ever heard, I think," she said as she curled her lip. "I don't much have any love for prejudicial people."

"I was told that most American witches and wizards are pureblood."

"Well, we kind of have to be. But it's not by design, if that's what you're thinking? We have to hide ourselves in plain sight of the no majes," she replied. She thought a moment and her face looked troubled. "Wow. I guess it is by design. I never really thought about it."

He asked what the term no maj was and when she told him, he explained that their word for it was muggle and she giggled...such an innocuous word for such a dangerous creature...Romulus nudged at Hagrid's pocket and he chuckled. "Ah, I'm your friend now, eh?"

"Oh hell yeah you are," Liesel said giggling. "You've got food!"

Hagrid laughed aloud and his belly shook profusely. "Come on, let's get you all settled in. Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall are waitin' fer ye!"