When Hermione Fights

Blow Upon Blow

Chapter beta: Dani

Chapter translator: Aivy & Sophie

~WHF~WHF~WHF~WHF~WHF~WHF~WHF~

Of course, I arrived late after my memorable confrontation with Snape. Our little interlude had lasted longer than I had expected.

I smirked at the thought of his perplexed face when he recoiled in front of me; his mask had clearly slipped. I enjoyed it and knew I couldn't keep my hands off this man. It excited me to annoy him and my pride didn't allow me to let him think he could impose himself on me mentally because when he tried my resistance spirit and my will to fight sprang to life. I liked to cross blades with him. I was not afraid and even his hidden threat to repeat what had happened didn't frighten me. Now I could say: 'So what?' I had endured it once and stood up with my head held high. That would happen the same way every time. Yes, my dear Snape, you'll have to come up with something else to draw me out.

Slightly rushed, I reached the game and sat next to Harry in the overcrowded stand of Gryffindor. He raised his brow questioningly but I only shook my head and he shrugged. We saw Ron concede Ravenclaw's first goal and Harry tried to keep the disappointment off his face. That moment, something touched our shoulders and we turned around so we could look at Hagrid's face, which had been glowing in all the colours of the rainbow this year.

He looked awful. In his thick, grey, bristly cloak and with his straw-like, brittle, brown hair interspersed with single white strands and the bushy, half-face-covering beard he appeared like something very dangerous and evil. Not like the good-natured, slightly scatterbrained Hagrid we knew he was.

He signalled us to follow him inconspicuously and we threw Ron, who bravely struggled on his broom not to let a Quaffle through his hoops, one last uncertain look and descended the stairs of the high stands.

We walked swiftly and silently towards the Forbidden Forest. Given that the forest was forbidden, I was sojourning pretty often into it I thought deeply amused. We, Harry and I, followed Hagrid along the path, which was stony and made hard to traverse by roots, ever deeper into the forest which seemed very diffuse despite the sun's rays.

After we had left behind the border of the forest and therefore no longer had to be afraid of eavesdroppers, he began to tell us how he saved Firenze from his herd when they had almost trampled him to death, calling him a 'traitor'.

We were deeply disturbed by the relentless nature of the centaurs and showed it. He continued:

"I need your help, you know. Surely I'll get fired soon." This insight, in turn, made us nod resignedly. We were astonished that he had even lasted so long. He said sadly:

"Umbridge is pinning the Nifflers on me. She found some in her office a couple of times and now thinks that's me."

Nifflers were really amazing animals. They were small, fluffy, black burrowing animals with long muzzles and spade-like forepaws that resembled a mole. Very cute but annoying beasts. They just couldn't stop digging. And they did it with so much enthusiasm that they could even bring whole houses to collapse. We knew Hagrid had not foisted the Nifflers on her. It had been students of all four houses. One at a time, just every now and then. She represented the perfect prey for these animals with her wealth of glittering knick-knacks and her terrible shrieks were just too delightful as they echoed through the halls of Hogwarts.

"Whatever it is, Hagrid, you can count on our help!" Harry promised rashly and I could hardly believe my ears. Since then, I've seriously considered strangling him and banging his skull against a tree for good measure to bring life to the dead brain cells. Whatever we were going to encounter, as I knew Hagrid it couldn't be good if it was hidden so far in the magical forest.