Fred and George and the Toilers of Trouble (Year 1) ✔

Chapter 20:6

Fred and George were drinking down their tea as he spoke, and instantly felt their sickness passing.

"All better?"

"Yeah, straight away."

"Thanks!"

"Gettin' expelled don' mean I can' go learnin' summat on Herbology. It's the magic wand they want."

"What happened to your wand, Hagrid?"

"And why are you banned from the shops?"

"Well, they snap 'em in half when they expel yeh, don' they?" he replied, returning the battered umbrella to its spot beside the fire poker.

"Mister Filch snapped Fred's in half on purpose," said George fiercely.

"Argus...right. Yeh don' wanna get on his bad side."

"Filch has a good side?" Fred asked doubtfully. "Is he the one who snapped your school wand?"

"He would've...given the chance. Nah, Mister Filch wasn' the caretaker in my day. It was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who'd dun it. Thought me somebody I'm not, he did," said Hagrid, lifting his chin in a moment of pride. "But it's not all bad. I can perform a few spells — the easy ones. The bits yeh learn in Charms yer firs' year."

"We're not in Charms," said George softly.

"Can't afford the book," Fred explained.

"I couldn' afford much either. Not after second year. Tha's when my pappy died." Hagrid looked sorrowfully down at Witherwings and lifted him to his chest. "Lots o' good memories, though, 'ere at Hogwarts. 'Specially as a student. Yeh make dear friends. Tha's wha' I remember most. I had a really close friend 'ere. She helped me through it all."

The young Hippogriff clawed up the right side of Hagrid's shabby moleskin coat and mounted his great shoulder, where it could peck playfully at his ear. The twins locked eyes shrewdly, reaching the same conclusion without a word passing between them.

"Hagrid...was her name Aruzula, by chance?" asked Fred.

"How'd yeh know tha'?!" he bellowed. His voice boomed so loudly that Witherwings took flight. The beast landed on the bed, causing Fang to cower even deeper into the pillows.

"We've...heard things..." said George.

"Bloomin' house-elves," he sighed. "Aruzula was her name. Aruzula Darc."

"Was she the one you helped get into Hufflepuff?"

"Yeah, she's the one. Deserved her spot, too!" Hagrid shook his finger knowingly. "Even though tha' house weren' fer her. She would've fared better with Slytherin's lot."

"What can you tell us about her?" asked Fred in a level voice.

"Aruzula Darc was thumpin' clever. She could do all sorts o' magic before the firs' day o' class. Tha's why Slughorn took such a likin' ter her. Had his favorites, Slughorn. I weren' on the list...no, sir. He thought I was dangerous." Hagrid stopped to remove a grey feather from his beard. "She was right dangerous, as well. Slughorn didn' know tha'. But I did. She was jus' confused, is all. Not bein' a...a proper student. Aruzula didn' know her purpose exactly. I tried ter help her, but...had ter find her own way."

They watched as the face of the joyful gamekeeper turned mournful.

"Who's Slughorn?" asked Fred brusquely.

Hagrid jumped to his feet, causing the hut to tremble beneath them. He gave the boys a powerful nod. "I've — er — I've said too much. Glad yer feelin' better, an' all. The tea, an' that. Future reference, that was Snoggle Sprig."

"But Hagrid...!" George protested.

He put a giant hand to their backs and walked the twins to the door. "Thanks fer stoppin' by ter see Witherwings. An' look at tha'! Rains cleared up nicely, it has."

"We just —"

"Nope...no more talkin' 'bout the past. Fang'll tell yeh wha' happens when yeh poke yer nose where it don' belong."

"At least tell us if Aruzula Darc had anything to do with Myrtle dying?" Fred attempted, speeding through the question.

Hagrid was so stunned that his hand missed the doorknob entirely. He wouldn't meet their eyes as he spoke. "I...I don' know much more'n what I already told yeh."

"You can trust us, Hagrid."

"Not with this I can'," he said, his voice not much above a whisper. "Leave tha' name in the past where it belongs. I won' hear no more 'bout it."

"But who is she?" George asked impatiently.

"You need ter be along now, lads. Sorry..."

The door closed heavily behind them. The twins stood in the bleak drizzle, unsure of how to interpret their meeting with Hagrid.

"I know that look. That's our look," said Fred intuitively. "It's the expression we get every time a joke's been taken too far and someone gets their feelings hurt."

"Or worse," said George, eyeing the grim clouds overhead. "There's a reason Aruzula Darc was not allowed to attend Hogwarts. And if she's responsible for Moaning Myrtle's death, it's Hagrid's fault for sneaking her into the school."

"That's why Dandy feels so guilty. He helped."

"Right, but how could she have been permitted to enter the castle without receiving an acceptance letter to the school? And who's Slughorn?"

"First I've heard of him," muttered Fred. "We need more answers."

They stepped out from the thatched eave and climbed the slippery hill toward the Entrance Hall doors. Moments later, they heard an awful yelp coming from the hut and were certain that Fang had, once again, made the poor decision to play with Hagrid's pet hippogriff. When the boys turned back, they could see the sloping rooftops and gently smoking chimneys of Hogsmeade peeking out from above the trees.

"Zonko," said George firmly. "His shop has been around for ages, and he was a student once. Maybe he's heard of Aruzula Darc."

"What's left, honestly — other than going to Dumbledore...?"