The Protector

Hagrid's home

The next few days back were rather uneventful. Nothing happened. Nothing changed.

I was walking amongst a crowd and ran into Luna. I smiled, "Hello Luna."

"Hello Bridget."

"How was your holiday?"

"It was fine," she smiled. "I got a pair of Spectrespecs."

"What are those?" I asked, slightly confused.

"They're glasses that help you see Wrackspurts."

I was about to ask what those were when Ron and Hermione grabbed me, "Hagrid's back." Harry was waving for us to go. I smiled. We ran out of the halls and courtyards. We rushed down the hill.

We arrived at the hut. I was able to hear the sound of someone all too familiar, "Do I need to make myself clear? I'm instructing you to explain to me where you have been."

I was about to trudge on inside. But Harry grabbed me and yanked me towards a window, "Sh!" We all looked through the window.

"I've just been away for meh health," Hagrid told her. "I don't know how many times I need ta say it.

"Health?" Umbridge asked.

They pulled me down as to make sure I wasn't seen.

"That's it," I whispered. "I'm going in."

"No you're not," Harry commanded. "You're going to stay right here. You could get Hagrid I'm trouble."

"Because fresh air must be hard to find, isn't it?" Umbridge asked. "If I were you, I wouldn't bother unpacking. I wouldn't get so settled just yet."

I crouch walked around the window and stood up. "Bridget!" Harry whisper-shouted at me.

I began to pretend to walk around. Umbridge opened the door. She closed it and looked at me with concern, "Ms. Meadows?"

I turned to her, "Professor Umbridge. Odd seeing you here."

"I would say the same thing," she looked me up and down. "Shouldn't you be in class."

"My next class is in an hour and a half," I smiled. "So I decided to take a stroll through the grounds. Is that forbidden just like everything else? Are you going to make breathing forbidden now?"

"I would watch your tone."

"And I would watch your time remaining," I retorted.

"I'm sorry," she took a step closer. "Was...was that a threat?"

"Oh no," I shook my head. "Every year since first year, when our Dark Arts teacher would teach, the next year they were gone. I reckon that'll happen to you too. Don't be getting too comfortable."

"Bridget?" Hagrid opened his door. "Is that you?"

"Hagrid!" I smiled.

"You know each other?" Umbridge asked.

"He was my professor at one time," I told her. "And we've been long time friends. Before I came here." A dog barked. I turned, "Fang!"

He ran up to me and jumped. He nearly knocked him on my feet. I hugged him as he licked my face. "I've missed you guys!"

Fang jumped down. He trotted back to Hagrid. I turned and saw Umbridge hurrying back to the school. I smirked. I turned back to Hagrid who was holding the door open. Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered too.

"Bridge," Hagrid sighed, "you're going to end up in loads fo trouble if you continue to talk to her like that."

"She's trash," I waved it off and sat at the table. "I could care less."

"Okay, so where have you been?" Hermione asked. "For real this time."

"Okay, but it is top secret," Hagrid was still himself. "But...Dumbledore sent me to hang out with the Giants for a little."

We were all shocked. "Like real Giants?!" 'Mione asked.

"Like Jack and the Beanstalk giants?" I asked.

"Who's Jack and the Beanstalk?" Ron asked.

Harry, Hermione, and I in unison spoke up, "Muggle thing."

"But you found some?" Hermione asked again.

"They weren't hard to find with how big they are,@ Hagrid shrugged. "My mission was to try and get them to join us and the Order but I wasn't the only one trying."

"Death Eaters?" I asked.

"Yep," he patted his forehead with the frozen steak he took out for himself. "They were trying to pursuance them to join You-Know-Who's army."

"Did they join?" Ron and Harry asked.

"Well, I delivered my message to them. Some of them remembered, others not so much."

"Did they do this to you?" Harry asked what we all must've been thinking.

"Not exactly," Hagrid shrugged. I furrowed my eyebrows. Then who did? Hagrid tossed Fang the steak. Fang gobbled it up within minutes.

The wind from outside had gotten worse. It was blowing some straw from underneath the door. The mood changed. I could feel it in my bones that the weather was changing. Not to our favor either.

Fang began to bark a couple times. He could sense it too. Glad my dog senses were working right.

"Just like last time," Hagrid shook his head. "It's changing. There's a storm coming. You better be ready when she arrives. You guys need to be getting back to the castle before it starts to rain."

Hagrid sent us on our way. My dog senses were going off everywhere. Not only was the weather changing, but so was the mood and atmosphere. It wasn't good.

•••

At lunch, I noticed the newspaper Neville was reading. They just figured out she had escaped along with others who just now have. Azkaban had been broken. About 11 had already escaped.

Neville set it down. His eyes were full of sadness. I grabbed his hand, "Everything will be alright. I understand how you feel. We'll put them back in their place."

He smiled, "Thanks Bridget."

"Fudge is going to end up getting everyone killed because he's scared," Hermione day down next to me.

"They're saying it's just like last time," I nodded. "I assume it's going to be just like last time."

"Harry," Seamus walked over to us, "Bridget. I would like to apologize. My mums been reading over the Daily Prophet and nothing is adding up. I'm sorry and I believe you."

"Thank you," I nodded. "I accept your apology."

Harry just nodded. People were starting to believe. And that was enough.