Malfoy Neighbors

In Trouble Again-Year 4 Chapter 18

The Christmas break was over and classes resumed. Draco was talking to you again and life was good once more. Draco had been helping you get your potions grade back up. Snape was allowing you two to use the class room on the weekends. One morning, while in Care of Magical Creatures, you discovered that Hagrid wasn't there. Instead there was an elderly witch standing at Hagrid's door.

"Hurry up, now, the bell rang five minutes ago." She hallered at you all. The snow was so think, it made it hard to work through it.

"Who are you? Where's Hagrid?" Ron Weasley asked while staring at her.

"My name in Professor Grubbly-Plank. I am your temporary care of magical creatures teacher." She announced briskly.

"Where's Hagrid?" Potter repeated, annoyed that she blew the qustion off.

"He is indisposed." She answered softly. Draco gave an unpleasant laugh. You gave him a dirty look as he and the other Slytherins came walking threw the path made by the other students.

"This way please." Grubbly-Plank said. You and the others fallowed her around the paddock. Standing there was a few unicorns. They were so white the snow looked light gray.

"Boys keep back!" You heard Grubbly-Plank say as you walked up to them. The beautiful creatures standing in front of you had your full attention. You stopped listening to that the teacher was saying.

"Hello there." You said softly to one of the unicorns. "You are so majestic." You put you hand out to pet the creature. You looked back to the boys. Draco had just handed Potter the Daily Prophet. 'Now what's going on?' You thought annoyed. You rolled your eyes and went back to petting the unicorn.

When class was over and you all ended up in the Great Hall for lunch, you walked over to Potter to get the paper Draco had given to him.

"I don't understand how you can be so nice to him." Granger said.

"Because someone has to be." You said talking the Daily Prophet.

"Malfoy's made up all kinds if lies about Hagrid." Potter said angrily.

"He did what?!" You said flipping around to face the Slytherin table. Draco was laughing mischievously with Crabbe and Goyle. You opened and read the article.

'Dumbledore's Greatest Mistake
Albus Dumbledore, eccentric Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has never been afraid to make controversial staff appointments, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. In September of this year, he hired Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, the notoriously jinx-happy ex-Aurror, to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts, a decision that caused many raised eyebrows at the Ministry of Magic, given Moody's well-known habit of attacking anybody who makes a sudden movement in his presence. Mad-Eye Moody, however, looks responsible and kindly when set beside the part-human Dumbledore employs to teach Care of Magical Creatures. Rubeus Hagrid, who admits to being expelled from Hogwarts in his third year, has enjoyed the position of Gamekeeper at the school ever since, a job secured for him by Dumbledore. Last year, however, Hagrid used his mysterious influence over the headmaster to secure the additional post of Care of Magical Creatures teacher, over the heads of many better-qualified candidates. An alarming large and ferocious-looking man, Hagrid has been using his new-found authority to terrify the students in his care with a succession of horrific creatures. While Dumbledore turns a blind eye, Hagrid has maimed several pupils during a series of lessons that many admit to being "very frightening." "I was attacked by a hippogriff, and my friend Vincent Crabbe got a bad bite off a flobberworm," says Draco Malfoy, a fourth years student. "We all hate Hagrid, but we're just too scared to say anything." Hagrid has no intention of ceasing his campaign of intimidation, however.

In conversation with a Daily Prophet reporter last month, he admitted breeding creatures he has dubbed "Blast-Ended Skrewts," highly dangerous crosses between manticores and fire crabs. The creation of new breeds of magical creature is, of course, an activity usually closely observed by the Depart of the Regulation and Control of Maggical Creatures. Hagrid, however, considers himself to be above such petty restrictions. "I was just having some fun," he says, before hastily changing the subject. As if this were not enough, the Daily Prophet has now unearthed evidence that Hagrid is not --- as he has always pretended --- a pure-blood wizard. He is not, in fact, even pure human. His mother, we can exclusively reveal, is none other than the giantess Fridwulfa, whose whereabouts are currently unknown. Bloodthirsty and brutal, the giants brought themselves to the point of extinction by warring amongst themselves during the last century. The handful that remained joined the ranks of He-who-must-not-be-named, and were responsible for some of the worst mass Muggle killings of his reign of terror. While many of the giants who served He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named were killed by Aurors working against the Dark Side, Fridwulfa was not among them. It is possible she escaped to one of the giant communities still existing in foreign mountain ranges. If his antics during Care of Magical Creatures lessons are any guide, however, Fridwulfa's son appears to have inherited her brutal nature. In a bizarre twist, Hagrid is reputed to have developed a close friendship with the boy who brought around You-Know-Who's fall from power --- thereby driving Hagrid's own mother, like the rest of the Death Eaters, into hiding. Perhaps Harry Potter is unaware of this unpleasant truth about his large friend --- but Albus Dumbledore surely has a duty to ensure that Harry Potter, along with his fellow students, is warned about the dangers of associating with half-giants'

You calmly walked over to Draco who hadn't noticed you. You slammed the paper down on the table in front of him. Draco and the other Slytherins at the table jumped and they all got silent.

"Care to explain?" You said coldly. Draco looked at Crabbe and Goyle for help, but they didn't dare say anything. "Well?"

"I..." Draco studdard. "It's the truth." You gave him an 'oh really?' Look. "Well, the part of the hippogriff is." He said, looking down at the paper. You kept giving him the same look. "Ok, ok, I wanted Hagrid out of the school. He shouldn't be teaching students. You have to admit that class today was the best one yet."

"I like Hagrid. He's kind. Fix these lies and get Hagrid back at the school." You said harshly before walking off.

"How am I supposed to do that?" Draco called after you.

"Try saying your sorry for once!" You called back and stormed off out of the Great Hall.