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Hagrid Says Too Much



Ermalene stared across the table at the half-giant as he pulled out his chair and set himself down, picking up a napkin that looked like it was probably more usually used as a bed sheet in the Weasley house. She couldn’t believe that Hagrid was there, really there, in the flesh, and appearing not a day older than he’d seemed in the wizarding photographs she’d seen in her textbooks at Flamel Academy, all taken nearly half a century before.

“This roast looks good, Fleur,” Hagrid said, tucking the bedsheet into his shirt collar and daintily lifting the fork from the table with two of his thick fingers. Bill was cutting up the roast that she’d made and serving up slices onto the plates all ‘round the table. Hagrid grinned over at Andy, “And there yeh are, Andy, ain’t seen yeh since yeh family moved ter the States,” he said, “Missin’ the Weasley family at Hogwarts, we are. Care of Magical Creatures just ain’t the same without yeh.” His eyes landed on Ermalene, who had looked away only long enough to pour sauce over the roast Bill had just plopped onto her plate, and he asked, “And who’re you then?”

Andy spoke up as Ermalene set down the gravy boat. “This is my best friend, Ermalene Talon.”

“Ermalene Talon, ‘ey?” Hagrid’s eyes squinted thoughtfully, “I’ve heard of yeh, I’m sure of it,” he mused. “Where have I heard that name?” he asked himself.

“I doubt you’ve heard it anywhere, sir,” she replied, “At least not referring to me. I’m not famous. But you certainly are. I’m really honored to meet you.”

Under his thick beard, Hagrid pinkened in the face and said, “Gorsh, I dunnat know if I could be considered famous meself.” He was obviously quite pleased with the suggestion, though.

“Finest Care of Magical Creatures professor that Hogwarts ever saw, once you took the Blast-Ended Skrewts out of the rotation,” Bill said with a wink.

“Some people just don’t got the stomach for sommat as wild as the Skrewts,” Hagrid agreed.

Fleur served out great spoonfuls of baked apples and pears and poured them onto the platters next to the slices of roast and potatoes and they all started eating happily as Hagrid and Bill talked about the baby thestral, making plans for how to go on about training it and making plans for the next time Hagrid was to visit to check on the thestral’s progress.

Andy turned to Ermalene as he lifted the pitcher of pumpkin juice to refill her glass. He smiled when she looked at him and she gave him a teeny smile back. “You feeling better?” he asked her, and filled his own glass with the pitcher as he awaited her answer.

“Yeah,” Ermalene answered, “I’m okay. I feel kind of stupid for reacting so crazy before. I didn’t mean to practically assault that lady.” She paused. “You and that little girl seemed to be getting along pretty well.”

“Barb? Yeah, we got on alright,” Andy agreed. “I produced my patronus to entertain her. She was rather amused, ran ‘round the living room after it. She was a nice kid. Reminded me a bit of Paisley when she was that size.”

Ermalene smiled. She’d never had siblings, never really spent any time around children, either, and as a result she was rather awful at entertaining them and easily annoyed by them when she was forced to interact with them. She’d been quite glad when Andy had distracted the kids at the orphanage. It had been pretty cute, though, how the little girl had clung onto him, though.

“Thanks,” Ermalene said and she picked up her glass of pumpkin juice.

Andy laughed, “You’re welcome.”

Ermalene smiled, and noticed Fleur smirking at the two of them as she ripped a french roll into pieces. Something about the smirk made Ermalene flush and she turned away from Andy.

“My favorite, rock cakes,” Hagrid was saying as he dipped a half of a rock cake into a large container of coffee. “‘specially drizzled with toffee,” he said, smacking his lips together as he tossed the cookie into his mouth.

Ermalene, who had never had rock cakes, took hold of one from the platter before her and broke it in half. “It’s a bit like an oatmeal cookie?” she asked.

“Oatmeal raisin, p’raps,” Hagrid agreed, “Bit harder, more flavor.”

“Six times more likely to break your teeth,” Bill joked with a wink as Ermalene bit into the cookie. It was a bit like a shortbread with a lot of fruit and nuts inside, she thought, and yes, much harder than an oatmeal cookie. No wonder they were dipping them in coffee.

Hagrid had crumbs in his beard. “Mighty good ‘uns, Fleur, I’ll have to get yer recipe before I go.”

“Eet eez Molly’s,” Fleur said, breaking the gaze she’d held on Andy and Ermalene to look to Hagrid.

“Shoulda known, I reckon,” Hagrid said, still smacking his lips and happily taking another few cookies from the serving plate and refilling his coffee with the other hand.

“Hagrid,” said Andy suddenly, “Do you know anything about the Hall of Ancestors?”

Hagrid, caught midway between the serving plate and his own froze midair and poured over the brim of his coffee.

“Hagrid!” Bill said, jumping forward with a napkin.

“What? Oh sorry, sorry,” he said, noticing the coffee spilling all over. He used the bed sheet’s corner to wipe it up quickly, swiping the remainder with the edge of his sleeve. Once he’d cleaned up, he quickly dropped the cookies onto his dish.

Andy cleared his throat, “Do you?” he asked.

Hagrid cleared his throat, “The Hall of Ancestors? Why would I know anything abou’ that?” he questioned, focusing all too much on the cookies.

Ermalene and Andy shared a glance at one another.

“Because you know everything about the castle,” Andy said.

Bill raised an eyebrow.

Hagrid suddenly became very, very interested in his plate.

“Who’s your favorite for the World Cup this year, Hagrid?” Bill asked, changing the subject.

Andy frowned but took the hint and let the conversation turn to whether the Holyhead Harpies or the Montrose Magpies were more likely to go against Puddlemere United, which neither doubted would secure the first place in the Cup as they were ahead by more than half a season.


-*-*-*-*-*-



That night, after Andy and Ermalene had gone to bed and Fleur was upstairs washing and doing her hair, Hagrid and Bill were left alone in the sitting room, drinking some mead together. They’d talked of the old days, when Bill had attended Hogwarts and Hagrid was gamekeeper and how Bill’s brother, Charlie, was still in possession of Hagrid’s dragon, Norbert, in Romania. Bill took the last sip of the mead in his goblet as Hagrid filled his for the third time and he rubbed his chin, considering how to approach the topic he wanted to bring up.

“So Andy’s friend - what do you think of ‘er?” Bill asked suddenly.

“Right pretty, she is,” Hagrid said with a hiccup, “Andy seems ‘appy with ‘er, too, I reckon, the way he kept lookin’ at ‘er all through dinner.” Little drips clung to his whiskers.

“Indeed…” Bill nodded, “He’d be happier, of course, if she knew how much he liked her.”

“She don’ know? How can she not?” Hagrid asked, looking displeased.

“You know how young people are, Hagrid,” said Bill, “Never noticin’ what’s right in front of ‘em. But he sure is doing his very best to show her. You know he brought her here himself, earned his own muggle money, he told me, just to help her find out about her heritage?”

Hagrid put down his goblet, empty once again. “Find out abou’ her heritage?” he asked.

Bill nodded, “Yeah… She’s the one the Notts adopted before they moved overseas, you see. She doesn’t know who her real folks are. Desperate to find out, she is. The orphanage they adopted her from lost the records, so she’s got no way of knowing… I think that’s what made Andy bring up the legendary Hall of Ancestors earlier. Bit of wishful thinking, you might say. If only there was such a thing, then maybe he could help her and make her see just how much she means to him --”

“But there is a Hall of Ancestors,” Hagrid said, his voice clumsy with drunkenness. “Hidden, though, like the Room of Requirement was. Only a few know of it. I suspect only Dumbledore had found it before he told Professor McGonagall.”

Bill sat up a little straighter, grabbed hold the bottle of mead and poured another glass for Hagrid, who sipped it without protest.

“So Dumbledore knew where the room was?” Bill asked.

“Knew indeed,” Hagrid said, “Where his portrait’s at, too, ain’t it?”

Bill raised an eyebrow, “Oh?”

“But I’m sayin’ too much already,” Hagrid said, “I wasn’t supposed to tell nobody that ‘til the prophecy’s bein’ filled.”

“Prophecy?”

Hagrid looked uncomfortable, “Now I’m definitely sayin’ too much,” he muttered, “I wasn’t supposed to tell nobody a thing about that.” He sighed and put down the goblet.

“It’s okay, Hagrid, I’m not going to tell anybody,” Bill said, “You can trust me.”

Hagrid said, “Just that I’ve been hearin’ rumors that make me think it’s goin’ ter be startin’ soon and I’m a bit worried ‘bout it. I bin through two wizarding wars, I’m not sure I’m up ter livin’ through a third.” He shook his head.

“Another war?” Bill asked. “What rumors, Hagrid?”

“Well truth be told I’m not sure ‘ow much of it we can take for truth, they are comin’ from Luna Lovegood,” Hagrid said, his voice low, “But bin hearin’ that she says her son -- Lysander Schmander, the one’s been dead s’long as ol’ Xeno’s been hauntin’ the school -- Luna’s bin sayin’ Lysander’s patronus came to ‘er deliverin’ a message, askin’ fer help. Says he’s bin trapped in the Great North Woods for seventeen years by a Gorgon and her witch daughter is what the rumors say.”

Bill made a face, “A Gorgon? In the Great North Woods?” He shook his head, “Luna’s that friend of Ron’s that used to run the Quibbler, isn’t she?”

“Aye,” Hagrid nodded. “But ain’t jus’ Luna what’s bin talkin ‘bout the Great North Woods. ‘pparently there’s bin reports that them woods ain’t safe. Wizards and Muggles alike go into the woods an’ don’t come back out ter speak of. Closest thing is old Xeno and he don’t remember what killed him in there. Could be beast, could be sorcery. Ain’t a blessed soul alive that knows what’s in there killin’ all the livin’ things.”

Bill leaned back. “What’s this got to do with the Hall of Ancestors?”

Hagrid said, “Only Dumbledore knows fer sure.”