Into The Light (Golden Trio Era) {2}

Umbridge's Cold Greeting

Hagrid pushed Fang out to the way of the door with his foot and opened it. Umbridge was standing there with a pained smiling.

She leaned back to see his face, she was miniature compared to him. "So," she said slowly and loudly as if Hagrid was deaf or illiterate. "You're Hagrid, are you?" She didn't wait even a moment for an answer before entering the hut. "Get away," she hissed, swinging her handbag at Fang, he was trying to lick her face, excited by the presence of another person. "Er- I don' want ter be rude," said Hagrid, staring at her, "but who the ruddy hell are you?" "My name is Dolores Umbridge." She scanned the hut, her eyes lingered for a moment on the corner where the foursome were basically on top each other as to not be seen. "Dolores Umbridge?" Hagrid said, having no idea why she would be here at the school."I thought you were one o' them Ministry- don' you work with Fudge?" "I was Senior Undersecretary to the Minister, yes," said Umbridge, she paced across the cabin, hands linked behind her back, looking pompous. "I am now the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher-" "Tha's brave of yeh," said Hagrid, "there's not many'd take tha' job anymore-" "-and Hogwarts High Inquisitor," said Umbridge, giving no sign that she had heard him. "Wha's that?" said Hagrid, frowning. "Precisely what I was going to ask," said Umbridge, pointing at the broken shards of porcelain on the floor that had been Hermione's mug. "Oh," said Hagrid, glancing toward them in the corner "oh, tha' was... was Fang. He broke a mug. So I had ter use this one instead." Hagrid pointed to the mug on the table he was using beforehand, Umbridge turned to face him, looking at him suspiciously now instead of the hut. "I heard voices," she said quietly. "I was talkin' ter Fang," said Hagrid with a grunt. "And was he talking back to you?" "Well... in a manner o' speakin'," said Hagrid, looking uncomfortable with being interrogated. "I sometimes say Fang's near enough human-" "There are four sets of footprints in the snow leading from the castle doors to your cabin," said Umbridge sleekly. Hermione gasped, Mikayla swung a hand around her and covered her mouth, Mikayla stopped breathing for a moment. Luckily, Fang was sniffing loudly at Professor Umbridge's feet so she didn't hear. "Well, I on'y jus' got back," said Hagrid, gesturing to the large haversack Mikayla noticed earlier. "Maybe someone came ter call earlier an' I missed em." "There are no footsteps leading away from your cabin door." "Well I... I don' know why that'd be..." said Hagrid, tugging nervously at his beard continuing to glance at them, "Erm..."

She turned back around and observed the single room, looking in every corner. She bent and peered under the bed, she even opened his cupboards. She came within the path of the foursomes breath at one point, Mikayla turned her head sideways to get closer to the wall. She was sure her heart was beating so loud she would hear it. "What has happened to you? How did you sustain those injuries?" She asked after looking into a large cauldron he used for cooking. "Oh, I... had a bit of an accident," he said unconvincingly. "What sort of accident?" "I-I tripped." "You tripped," she repeated coolly, not believing him one bit. "Yeah, tha's right. Over... over a friends broomstick. I don' fly, meself. Well, look at the size o' me, I don' reckon there's a broomstick that'd hold me. Friend o' mine breeds Abraxan horses, I dunno if you've ever seen 'em, big beasts, winged, yeh know, I've had a bit of a ride on one o' them an' it was-" "Where have you been?" asked Umbridge, interrupting him. "Where've I... ?" "Been, yes," she said. "Term started more than two months ago. Another teacher has had to cover your classes. None of your colleagues has been able to give me any information as to your whereabouts. You left no address. Where have you been?" There was a pause where Mikayla assumed he was trying to think of an answer. "I- I've been away for me health," he said. "For your health," said Umbridge. Her eyes traveled up and down him, taking in the sight that was a "healthier" Hagrid. "I see." "Yeah," said Hagrid, "bit o'- o' fresh air, yeh know-" "Yes, as gamekeeper fresh air must be so difficult to come by," said Umbridge sweetly, smiling again. "Well- change o' scene, yeh know-" He said hastily. "Mountain scenery?" said Umbridge swiftly. Mikayla's heart lurched, she knew. "Mountains?" Hagrid repeated, picking up the pace on his lies now. "Nope, South of France fer me. Bit o' sun an'... an' sea." "Really?" said Umbridge. "You don't have much of a tan." "Yeah... well... sensitive skin," said Hagrid, trying to give a convincing smile. Two of his teeth were missing. Umbridge looked at him sternly, he was clearly intimidated by her, regardless of stature.

"I shall, of course, be informing the Minister of your late return." "Righ'," said Hagrid, nodding. "You ought to know too that as High Inquisitor it is my unfortunate but necessary duty to inspect my fellow teachers. So I daresay we shall meet again soon enough." She turned and marched toward the door, not saying any farewells. "You're inspectin' us?" Hagrid repeated, looking at her as she left. "Oh yes," she answered with her hand on the door handle. "The Ministry is determined to weed out unsatisfactory teachers, Hagrid. Good night." She marched out of the doorway and it closed with a loud snap into place. Harry started to tug the cloak off, but Mikayla pulled at his arm. "Not yet," Mikayla said quietly to him. "She might not be gone yet." Hagrid had a similar idea and peered out of the curtains he closed earlier. "She's goin' back ter the castle," he said in a low voice. "Blimey... inspectin' people, is she?" "Yeah," said Harry, tugging the cloak off of them in a manner that it dragged Hermione and Mikayla's hair with it and left a mess atop their heads. "Trelawney's on probation already..." "Um... what sort of thing are you planning to do with us in class, Hagrid?" asked Hermione. "Oh, don' you worry abou' that, I've got a great load o' lessons planned," said Hagrid enthusiastically, "I've bin keepin' a couple o' creatures saved fer yer O.W.L. year, you wait, they're somethin' really special." "Erm... special in what way?" asked Hermione cautiously. "I'm not sayin'," said Hagrid happily. "I don' want ter spoil the surprise." "Look, Hagrid," said Hermione urgently, dropping all pretense,"Professor Umbridge won't be at all happy if you bring anything to class that's too dangerous-" "Dangerous?" said Hagrid, looking puzzled, as if nothing he had ever introduced to them before had be dangerous. "Don' be silly, I wouldn' give yeh anythin' dangerous! I mean, all righ', they can look after themselves-" "Hagrid, you've got to pass Umbridge's inspection, and to do that it would really be better if she saw you teaching us how to look after porlocks, how to tell the difference between knarls and hedgehogs, stuff like that!" pleaded Hermione. "But tha's not very interestin', Hermione," said Hagrid. "The stuff I've got's much more impressive, I've bin bringin' 'em on fer years, I reckon I've got the on'y domestic herd in Britain-"

"Hagrid... please..." said Hermione desperately. "Umbridge is looking for any excuse to get rid of teachers she thinks are too close to Dumbledore. Please, Hagrid, teach us something dull that's bound to come up in our O.W.L. ..." But Hagrid ignored her with a long yawn and a glance toward his massive bed. "Lis'en, it's bin a long day an' it's late," he said, patting Hermione as gently as he could on the shoulder, but no matter how gently it was her knees gave way and she stumbled to the floor. "Oh- sorry-" He lifted her back up by her robes the the scruff on a dog's neck. "Look, don' you go worryin' abou' me, I promise yeh I've got really good stuff planned fer yer lessons now I'm back... Now you lot had better get back up to the castle, an' don' forget ter wipe yer footprints out behind yeh!"

"I dunno if you got through to him," Ron said as they were walking back through the snow, Hermione was using the Obliteration Charm to clear their tracks. "Then I'll go back again tomorrow," said Hermione determinedly."I'll plan his lessons for him if I have to. I don't care if she throws out Trelawney but she's not taking Hagrid!" Mikayla nodded agreeingly, "I'll go two. He might listen if it's the both of us."