The naive Blaise Zabini and Sean Avery were actually walking even farther ahead than the Aurors.
Of course, there were others who shared Jon's opinion. Draco Malfoy had quietly slipped toward the back of the group… then met Jon's eyes and forced out an awkward smile.
Professor Umbridge wasn't paying any attention to the rear. Her focus remained entirely on Rubeus Hagrid up ahead. Even though night had fallen, he was such a large target that keeping up wasn't difficult.
After about ten minutes in the Forbidden Forest, the trees began to thin. Hagrid stopped, set down the sack he was carrying, and walked up to a huge, smooth mound of earth. The trees surrounding the mound had been ripped up by their roots, leaving it in a small clearing. Piles of trunks and branches ringed the area, looking like deliberately arranged fences or barricades.
Principal Umbridge's face lit with excitement—she felt she was finally about to uncover the secret Dumbledore had been hiding in the Forbidden Forest.
While everyone's attention was locked on Hagrid and the "mound," Jon quietly pulled out his emerald bamboo wand, aimed it at Montague's backside, and whispered a spell under his breath.
He cast a Stinging Jinx.
"Aaah—!"
Poor Montague let out a pained howl, like a werewolf mid-transform. Clutching his rear, he hopped around wildly, shouting:
"Professor, something bit my bum!"
Hagrid, of course, heard the noise. He turned, saw Umbridge and the fully armed Aurors behind him, and his expression changed instantly. Umbridge had no time to scold Montague.
"Quick, move in!" she shrieked. "Take down that half-giant first!"
"Stupefy!"
The Aurors sprinted forward and shouted together. Five red beams struck Hagrid squarely in the chest, catching him completely off guard… The Hogwarts Care of Magical Creatures teacher staggered back several steps but didn't fall.
"Get him! Get him!" Umbridge screeched, charging forward with her wand raised.
More red beams hit Hagrid. Every Stunning Spell forced him back several steps… but his half-giant resilience kicked in. With his powerful resistance to magic, he endured more than a dozen spells and still didn't go down.
"He's nearly down—keep attacking!" Umbridge cried, her voice shaking with excitement.
Avery, Zabini, Malfoy, even Montague—still holding his injured backside—rushed after her. From all angles they fired different spells at Hagrid. Jon spared them a sympathetic glance, staying perfectly still as he hid behind an oak…
Hagrid looked like he couldn't hold out much longer. He leaned back against the smooth mound.
The mound shifted slightly. It was alive… The "mound" slowly stood up.
It looked like a misshapen monster: a round head covered in thick, windgrass-colored hair; almost no neck; a body wrapped in crudely stitched animal hides; two filthy bare feet anchored in the mud like sled runners.
"Hagrid…" the creature growled roughly.
Both the Aurors and the Slytherin students froze in fear. This wasn't a mound of earth at all, but a giant—an actual giant. It was Grawp, Hagrid's younger brother, whom he had secretly been raising in the Forbidden Forest since returning to Hogwarts.
...
"Disillusionment!"
Jon whispered, casting the spell on himself with practiced ease. His body faded, blending into the surroundings. In the dim night, he was nearly invisible.
He stayed hidden behind the oak, watching the chaos unfolding ahead.
After shouting "Hagrid" a few times without getting a response, the furious Grawp glared at the people around him… Even as a child, he could sense their hostility.
"Take it down!" Professor Umbridge seemed unaware of the danger, perhaps thinking this giant was as easy to handle as Hagrid.
Two Aurors gathered their courage and fired Stunning Spells at the giant… but the spells bounced off his skin. Seconds later, Grawp barreled into them and knocked each out with a single punch.
Professor Umbridge ran for her life, but she was nowhere near as fast as a giant… A bare foot slammed into her back, and the Ministry's Senior Undersecretary was sent flying like a ragdoll, landing dozens of yards away.
Auror Dawlish had almost escaped Grawp's reach, but he stumbled suddenly… Then came a sickening crunch as the giant's huge foot crushed him.
Draco Malfoy ran while crying for his mother… He was probably the fastest runner among them, but he'd chosen the worst possible direction—deeper into the Forbidden Forest…
Montague and another Auror were almost out of Grawp's sight when stones hurtled toward them… Montague, crushed beneath a boulder larger than he was, had already lost consciousness.
The remaining few scattered in panic, fleeing in all directions. They narrowly avoided Grawp's blows, but who knew what dangers waited deeper in the Forbidden Forest?
Grawp didn't notice Jon hiding behind the tree under the Disillusionment Charm. As an immature child, he didn't mean to kill anyone. After knocking out all his foes, he scooped Hagrid up like a doll and trudged toward the far side of the Forest.
Jon, who had been hiding nearby, finally stood and headed back the way he came.
...
By eight o'clock that evening, only a few students remained in the Great Hall. Argus Filch stood by the entrance, feeling irritated, when he suddenly heard knocking from outside.
Filch hurried to open the castle doors and found Christopher Patrick standing there… His face was pale, covered in several bruises.
"Headmaster Umbridge… Forbidden Forest… danger…" Patrick stammered weakly, his voice barely audible.
Then he collapsed onto the ground.