Harry Potter & How Time Began

Chapter 5 - Facing Giants

'They were laughing, him more than her , she seemed to be a comedian'-Harry Potter and The Time Keeper

Christmas time.

It wasn't snowy yet but freezing still. Horatia was leaving The Great Hall when something scampered across her feet. She yelped loudly. Looking down she saw it, a little niffler. A baby one, no bigger than a teaspoon. She gaze the hall she was in, practically empty. It was scurried under a thick velvet curtain and was shaking a lot from the bitter cold. She went quiet, bending down and raised the tiny bit of curtain it was hiding under.

"Hello" She said softly. It paused, it's tiny feet over it's eyes. "Don't be afraid" She lowered her hand, a single finger touching it's face. Stroking it from forehead to nose she soothed the baby. "There, see not so bad" She laughed lightly. It's nose twitched, sniffing the air. "Now I know, you little buggers like shiny things" She put her hand in her pocket and took out a sickle. "So how'd you like that" She placed it on the middle of her palm. It's tiny eyes gazed at it for a moment, a twinkling covering it's fear. She offered it to.. him? or her? She wasn't sure. It slowly but surely crawled on top of her hand and picked up the coin. She stood from the floor, holding the baby close to her chest with a single hand, wrapping her robe around them with the other.

"C'mon, wer ye of ter" She heard a quiet whisper. " 'aven't the time fer this" He said. She turned around, gazing the hallways to find were the voice was coming from. "C'mon 'ittle fellar"  When suddenly she felt a great bump into her back. She turned to find the groundskeeper on his knees looking under a set of armour. He turned sharply around, knocking over the suit of armour and made it much worse by trying to fix it. "Sorry bout that" He said, covering up a redding face through his thick hair and beard.

"I apologise sir, it was my fault, I was looking were I was going" She smiled. Something shifted in his mind and like Dumbledore had told her, a canvas painted it's self in the beetle eyes of Hagrid. She had only known him by name and knew he was very respected in the Slytherin House; neither was Dumbledore and she adored him, so this man must be the same.

"Oh" He cleared his throat and fiddled with his long shabby coat.

"Lost something?" She asked quickly. Seeing he was struggling to find something in his mind and soon after the question was asked, his brain whizzing to find a excuse for his strange behaviour.

"Uh" Was all he could say. "I-er"

"Because, I found the most adorable little thing" She smiled, walking slightly closer the giant. She opened her hand to see the Niffler bitting on the sickle. Hagrid gasped.

" Ye found him, a mean-wha's that ter then" He tried miserably. She looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. "O a'right don't tell Dumbledore"

"Why would I, hardly done anything wrong" She smiled and placed the baby in his large hand. The Niffler yawned, stretching, he spread out like a starfish his sickle on his belly and fell right to sleep.

" 'aint he just lovely" He said with a great smile. Horatia smiled too, looking at Hagrid.

"Certainly is" She looked to the gentle giant and then back to the Niffler. "What's his name?"

"Not sure yet, avent given him one" He shrugged as they began to walk together.

"How old is he?" She asked.

"One day old" He answered with a sigh. "look at him, he was blind a few hours ago" He shook his great face. "They grow up so fast"

"They really do, what about Noel, since he was born near Christmas" She offered.