Chapter 656 Hagrid's Anger!!
Since it was Harry's first time hosting a Gryffindor Quidditch tryout, Darren was also dragged along.
Hermione, of course, could only follow.
Then Hermione regretted it.
Because of Darren's appearance, many girls showed up on the Quidditch pitch. The only purpose of these girls seemed to be to say a few words to Darren—
or ask for a few signed photos of him.
This made Hermione extremely angry.
She almost gritted her teeth and glared furiously at every girl who came over to take a picture with Darren.
When Harry finished interviewing some people, she finally exploded.
"Can you seal up the Quidditch pitch next time and not let in girls who aren't even here for the tryouts?"
"Are you trying to say I'm the problem? You just can't stand me, can you?"
Ron huffed.
Because he had been distracted by girls just now and let so many of them in, he felt Hermione was targeting him again. After all, Darren hadn't said anything.
"But I also feel a little troubled!"
Darren quickly frowned and said.
Ron was a little stunned.
But he still felt Hermione was making a fuss and forcing Darren to say this.
This made Hermione dislike him even more.
"You think you played well? I think Harry is definitely showing favoritism. That McCall just now was obviously better than you!"
Hermione said angrily.
Harry felt a little guilty.
He hurriedly said, "Don't say that. McCall and Ron played about the same, and Ron had one move that was really good…"
"Hmph!"
Hermione glared fiercely at Harry.
Then she angrily dragged Darren away.
Only Harry and Ron were left looking at each other.
Finally, Ron said in disgust, "I suspect she's menopausal. She's always picking fights."
"No way. She likes Darren, so of course she doesn't want other girls getting close to him."
Harry said helplessly.
He felt a little troubled.
He almost wished he had never realized Hermione liked Darren.
Then he could be as clueless as Ron and just assume Hermione was being unreasonable—
instead of worrying that her feelings for Darren might tear their little group apart.
---
Even though Hermione had been overly sensitive about anything related to Darren,
after lunch she was still coaxed by him.
She agreed to visit Hagrid with them.
Outside Hagrid's hut, Buckbeak was being kept in the open.
Because of Black's acquittal and Lucius' imprisonment,
Buckbeak no longer had any problems.
Hagrid could finally raise him freely.
Darren walked up to Buckbeak, and the hippogriff bowed his head slightly.
Harry and the others happily touched Buckbeak's beautiful feathers.
"Hey, it'll bite off your finger!"
Hagrid shouted from afar.
But when Harry turned his head so Hagrid could see his face,
Hagrid angrily went back inside the house.
Clearly, he didn't want to say a word to them.
"Hagrid, open the door! We were wrong!"
Harry banged on Hagrid's door.
But Hagrid didn't answer.
Hermione looked a little sad.
She hadn't spoken properly to Hagrid for a long time.
She raised her wand and threatened,
"If you don't open the door, I'll use my wand to blast it open!"
"No need to tell him—watch me, four and five—"
Harry hadn't even finished the spell.
The door to Hagrid's room suddenly opened.
He roared, "I'm a professor, Potter! You dare blow up my door!"
"I'm sorry, sir!"
Hagrid froze.
"You actually called me sir…"
"Well, you called me Potter first!"
Harry angrily put his wand away.
Then he stormed straight into Hagrid's cabin.
Darren followed last.
Hagrid looked at him helplessly.
"You just watched them try to blow up my door?"
"I closed my eyes…"
"Oh my God, Darren, you're actually joking!"
Hagrid was stunned.
Darren showed a helpless expression.
"So what should I do? I really want you to make up with them!"
"I don't think reconciliation should look like this at all!"
Hagrid said angrily at Harry.
By then, they had already poured tea for themselves—and even poured cups for Darren and Hagrid.
"Oh, so you think this is your home now?"
Hagrid said sarcastically.
"Hagrid, we really wanted to take your class, but… our schedules are full, and we can't handle everything as easily as Darren…
We're really busy… so busy we barely sleep…"
Hermione said, pretending to be pitiful.
Hagrid's expression softened a little.
"So you're just not as smart as Darren!"
"Yes, exactly. Haven't you noticed that after all these years?"
Harry sighed.
But Hagrid still didn't seem ready to forgive them.
Instead, they heard something making noises behind Hagrid's hut.
They wanted to look, but Darren quickly stopped them.
"Cough… don't rush…"
He seemed about to warn them, but Harry and the others didn't understand.
Hagrid had already brought the thing out.
Darren immediately covered his eyes.
He heard Hermione scream.
"What is that!"
"It's a giant grub."
Hagrid fiddled with the maggots.
Harry and Ron nearly threw up.
They finally understood what Darren had meant earlier.
He had been telling them not to look.
It was truly disgusting.
"Why are you raising this thing?"
Harry stared at it in horror.
He suddenly worried that Darren's Care of Magical Creatures class involved raising these monsters.
"I'll let first and second years raise them…
Darren goes into the Forbidden Forest with me. We need to learn about all kinds of creatures.
These giant grubs—I'm going to feed them to the Acromantulas…"
Hagrid said, then suddenly burst into loud sobs.
"Aragog was with me for so many years, and then he died…
I don't blame you. He deserved it. I kept another Acromantula behind.
I named it Aragog as well, in memory of him—but now this Aragog is dying too…
I really can't accept it…
I wanted to see him one last time before he died…"
Harry and the others were completely at a loss.
They didn't know how to comfort him.
Because honestly, in their hearts, they felt that this Aragog should have been burned by Darren too and never left alive.
That kind of creature—they truly couldn't find any reason to keep it.
It ate people!
Darren thought it was lucky their expressions weren't too obvious—
otherwise the fragile peace between Hagrid and them might collapse again.