Christmas had passed, and everyone's spirits seemed to have settled down. The grounds were still covered in thick snow, and the greenhouse windows were beaded with fine droplets of condensation—they couldn't see outside during Herbology lessons.
In weather like this, nobody wanted to attend Care of Magical Creatures, though Ron said the Blast-Ended Skrewts would probably warm them up, either by chasing students around or by exploding into showers of sparks and setting Hagrid's hut ablaze.
However, when they arrived at Hagrid's hut, they found an elderly witch standing by the door. Her graying hair was cropped short, and she had a very prominent chin.
"Hurry up, hurry up, the bell rang five minutes ago," she barked at them as they trudged through the snow toward her.
"Who are you?" Ron demanded, staring at her. "Where's Hagrid?"
"I'm Professor Grubbly-Plank," she said briskly. "I'm your temporary substitute for Care of Magical Creatures."
"Where has Hagrid gone?" Harry called out again.
"He's unwell," Professor Grubbly-Plank replied curtly, clearly unwilling to elaborate.
Orli felt her heart sink with a jolt of dread. Just then, she heard a malicious chuckle beside her. It was Draco Malfoy, leading all the Slytherins over and pulling a newspaper from his pocket.
"See for yourself," he said with a smug grin. "Hate to be the bearer of bad news."
Orli snatched the newspaper and unfolded it. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville all crowded around to read with her. On the front page of The Daily Prophet was an article featuring a photograph of Hagrid looking shifty and uncomfortable.
The text read:
"DUMBLEDORE'S GIANT MISTAKE—HALF-BREED ENTERS SCHOOL"
Special correspondent Rita Skeeter reports.
Albus Dumbledore, the eccentric and rule-flouting Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has always dared to employ controversial staff members. This September, he hired Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher—a decision that shocked many at the Ministry of Magic. Moody is a notorious and fearsome former Auror, known to attack anyone who moves suddenly in his presence.
However, compared to the half-human, half-monster Dumbledore hired to teach Care of Magical Creatures, Mad-Eye Moody seems positively conscientious and kindly.
Rubeus Hagrid, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher, is a massive, fierce-looking man who has abused his newfound authority by bringing in a succession of terrifying creatures to frighten the students under his care—one incident nearly resulted in a student's death. More seriously, Hagrid is not the pure-blood wizard he has always pretended to be. In fact, he isn't even pure-blood human.
We can exclusively reveal that his mother is none other than the giantess Fridwulfa, currently whereabouts unknown. Giants are naturally brutal and bloodthirsty, nearly extinct from mutual slaughter in the last century. The surviving dozen joined You-Know-Who's ranks and participated in some of the most savage Muggle massacres.
Many giants serving You-Know-Who died at the hands of Aurors fighting the Dark forces, but Fridwulfa was not among them. She likely escaped to one of the giant settlements that still exist in foreign mountain regions. However, if we analyze the bizarre incidents in Care of Magical Creatures classes, it appears Fridwulfa's son may have inherited his mother's savage nature.
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