Out of The Shadows (Golden Trio Era) {1}

Dumbledore's Giant Mistake

DUMBLEDORE'S GIANT 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-Auror, to teach Defense 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 alarmingly large and ferocious-looking man, Hagrid has been using his newfound 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-year student. Avery O'Brien informs the Daily Prophet that, "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 Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical 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 You-Know-Who's supporters, into hiding. Perhaps Harry Potter is unaware of the 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 part-giants.

"How did that horrible cow even find out about Hagrid? You don't think he told her?" Mikayla asked, her cheeks flushing with anger. "No." Harry shook his head, leading the way over to the Gryffindor table and furiously throwing himself into a chair. "He never even told us, did he? I reckon she was so mad he wouldn't give her loads of horrible stuff about me, she went ferreting around to get him back." "Maybe she heard him telling Madame Maxime at the ball," Hermione said quietly. "I'd have seen her in the garden!" Ron said. "Anyway, she's not supposed to come into school anymore, Hagrid said Dumbledore banned her..."  "Maybe she's got an Invisibility Cloak," Harry said as he ladled chicken casserole onto his plate and splashing it everywhere in his anger. Mikayla sighed when some of the broth hit her in the face. "Sorry, Mikayla. It's the sort of thing she'd do, isn't it, hide in bushes listening to people." "Like Ron did, you mean," Hermione pointed out. "I wasn't trying to hear him!" Ron said indignantly. "I didn't have any choice! The stupid prat, talking about his giantess mother where anyone could have heard him!"  "We've got to go and see him," Harry said. "This evening, after Divination. Tell him we want him back... you do want him back?" He shot a suspicious glare at Hermione. "I - well, I'm not going to pretend it didn't make a nice change, having a proper Care of Magical Creatures lesson for once- but I do want Hagrid back, of course I do!" Hermione added hastily, quailing under Harry's furious stare.

In walked a very merry group of fourth year Slytherins. Mikayla slowly got up and advance towards them, Prophet in hand and anger plastered on her face. Avery quickly blocked Mikayla from her first victim, Draco Malfoy, "Mikayla don't do something stupid." Avery spoke sternly, Mikayla scoffed at the insinuation, "I was wanted to show Draco what injuries he would've gotten from Buckbeak if I hadn't shielded him." Mikayla pushes past her sister pinned Draco against the wall. "Thinks it's funny to ruin someone's life, eh?" Mikayla asked as Draco cowered in front of her wand, "Think you and your slimy, snakes of friends are ever going to amount to anything if you don't cop on? hmm? Think I'm afraid to curse you right here and now in front of all these people? Well I'm not, ferret." Mikayla continued her stance. "MISS BLACK WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MR MALFOY?" McGonagall's voice filled Mikayla's ears, she didn't even flinch or move from her spot. "Thinking of how I'm going to give him some well earned Karma." Mikayla spoke truthfully and threateningly. "Step away from him Miss Black now, or you'll earn yourself a months worth of detentions." McGonagall warned, Mikayla leaned towards Draco's ear. "Keep an eye out Malfoy, because if you talk to Rita Skeeter again about anyone I care about, you'll never see me coming. I owe you a curse, don't make it two." she whispers before straightening herself up and backing away from the boy. "Words are just as dangerous as War. Be careful, little sis." Mikayla warned Avery before returning her friends. "What did you whisper to him?" Ron questioned, Mikayla spun and sent daggers to a frightened looking Draco. "Just if anyone else I know pops up in the Daily Prophet and he has something to say about it, that he'll never see me coming to curse him." Harry beams giving Mikayla a high five. Hermione sends a fleeting look but a prudish smile appears on her face.

That evening after dinner, the foursome left the castle once more and went down through the frozen grounds to Hagrid's cabin. Harry knocked and Fang's booming barks answered. "Hagrid, it's us!" Harry shouted, pounding on the door. "Open up!" Hagrid didn't answer. Mikayla could hear Fang scratching at the door, whining, but it didn't open. They hammered on it for ten more minutes; Ron even went and banged on one of the windows, but there was no response.  "What's he avoiding us for?" Hermione asked when we had finally given up and were walking back to the school. "He surely doesn't think we'd care about him being half-giant?" But it seemed that Hagrid did care. They didn't see a sign of him all week. He didn't appear at the staff table at mealtimes, they didn't see him going about his gamekeeper duties on the grounds, and Professor Grubbly-Plank continued to take the Care of Magical Creatures classes.