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Chapter 990: Return and Persuasion
🕑 Added 2024-01-11 02:30:35 +0000 UTC"Alrigh’ then, what exactly happened at Hogwarts? Can someone explain it ter me?" Hagrid didn't dwell on Animagus, but Harry and Ron looked enviously at Evan and Hermione.
Especially Ron, unlike Harry, it was the first time for him to see Evan and Hermione transform; and it was truly amazing!
They had been squeezed into the corner like a sandwich just now, and almost caught when Umbridge passed in front of them.
If they could transform into cats, they could easily fool Umbridge just like Evan and Hermione.
Not to mention, Animagus had many uses, and it was not just as simple as being good at hiding.
Look at what Evan and Hermione had done. If Harry and Ron turned into other animals, maybe they would develop some new uses...
Harry's Patronus and his father's Animagus form were both a stag. If he could learn Transfiguration, he might become a stag too.
As for Ron, he would probably be the same as his Patronus, a Jack Russell terrier or a weasel.
Of course, this was not necessarily true. Hermione’s patronus was an otter, but she turned into a cat in the end.
It was also a white cat, completely opposite to Evan's Animagus form, a black cat, commonly known as Snow!
If she said that her transformation was not affected by Evan, no one would believe it.
These things were all related to the soul. The more they came into contact with each other, the greater their impact and the deeper the imprint.
“Blimey … inspectin’ people, is she?” said Hagrid in a low voice, looking at Umbridge’s back outside the window.
“Yeah,” said Harry, "You will soon know that that woman has done many things in the school. One of them is to inspect the professors' teaching abilities. Trelawney’s on probation already!"
"Um … what sort of thing are you planning to do with us in class, Hagrid?" Hermione asked, returning to normal.
The settlement with Evan could be postponed. There was plenty of time in the evening, but it was still important to remind Hagrid to be careful now.
“Oh, don’ you worry abou’ that, I’ve got a great load o’ lessons planned,” said Hagrid enthusiastically, scooping up his dragon steak from the table and slapping it over his eye again. "Yeh think I haven' made any preparations? I found a lot o’ wonderful creatures on the way this time. Don’ worry, 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 tentatively.
“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 genially bemused. “Don’ be silly, I wouldn’ give yeh anythin’ dangerous! I mean, all righ’, they can look after themselves … don't worry, they’re not dangerous at all, just as cute as yer Snow just now..."
Hermione blushed visibly, and she said earnestly, “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!”
“But tha’s not very interestin’, Hermione,” said Hagrid, moving the dragon steak up. “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, a note of real desperation in her voice. “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 merely yawned widely and cast a one-eyed look of longing toward the vast bed in the corner.
“Lis’en, it’s bin a long day an’ it’s late,” he said, patting Hermione gently on the shoulder, so that her knees gave way and hit the floor with a thud. Evan hurried over to help her up.
“Hagrid!”
“Oh — sorry — " he said apologetically, "Grawp must be like this, he can't always control his strength. Poor little guy, he doesn't know how strong he is. “Look, don’ you go worryin’ abou’ me, I promise yeh I’ve got really good stuff planned fer yer lessons now I’m back, it's time fer yeh to go to bed!"
“I dunno if you got through to him, and he has no idea what kind of person that woman is.”
On the way back, they discussed the matter worriedly.
“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!"
"It won't work, you know Hagrid!" Evan said, and he was going to come over tomorrow to discuss the training with magical creatures.
"As long as we make it clear to him, he’ll listen. And there's that giant hiding in the forest!" Hermione paused for a moment, looked angrily at Evan, lowered her voice, using a volume that Harry and Ron couldn't hear, "What happened in the cauldron earlier, don't think it's over. Come out tonight in your Shadow form..."
Evan blinked, wondering if Hermione liked narrow spaces, but there wasn't such a large cauldron in the common room.
Hagrid’s reappearance at the staff table at breakfast next day was not greeted by enthusiasm from all students.
Some, like Fred, George, and Lee, roared with delight and sprinted up the aisle between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables to wring Hagrid’s enormous hand; others, like Parvati and Lavender, exchanged gloomy looks and shook their heads.
Many of them preferred Professor Grubbly- Plank’s lessons to Hagrid's.
And it was true that they had good reason: Grubbly-Plank’s idea of an interesting class was not one where there was a risk that somebody might have their head ripped off.
Even though he worked very late last night, Evan was dragged to Hagrid's cabin by Hermione early in the morning.
Hagrid had woken up a long time ago. He had just returned from the Forbidden Forest after watching Grawp, and he had a few new wounds on his face.
He told the two people about Grawp’s situation, and also said that he would find a place for him to live so that he would not be exposed to the rain.
That was indeed very important, considering that winter was approaching in a few days and temperatures would drop, bringing snow!
Giants usually lived in caves, but there were no caves near Hogwarts. Evan suggested that Hagrid use Aragog's lair and let Grawp live in the underground cavern. Although it had collapsed at its deepest point, the space inside was still large, and there was even a hot spring. The Acromantulas had left the place by now.
