The days went on, and surprisingly soon, the Hogwarts castle started seeming very much like home to Celena. She became quite friendly with most of the staff members, especially Hagrid, and Professors Flitwick, Sprout, and Trelawney. Professor McGonagall was nice too, in her own stern way; but as Headmistress she was a bit distant. The castle itself seemed more welcoming too – she stopped getting lost on her way to the dungeons or the staff room, and Peeves found it more difficult to surprise her now.
What's more, the students ceased interrogating her about being related to Nicholas Flamel, or about whether she had the faintest idea about how to make a Philosopher's Stone, and started appreciating her lessons on their own accord. They learned that the standards she used to evaluate their homework were pretty high, but still she was much more agreeable than Professor Snape, and the dungeons were so much nicer these days.
Snape, maybe because of his natural nastiness, or maybe from the dismay it caused him to hear that the subject of Potions grew much more popular than when it was taught by him, continued making his sly, acid-dripping comments whenever he could, hinting he still thinks Celena isn't skilled and experienced enough to teach – but in such a subtle way all she could do was fume silently. He did it most often in front of the compassionate audience of students from his own house, Slytherin. Indeed, the Slytherins didn't seem quite as fond of Professor Costello as the rest of the school, but didn't dare to show it openly.
Neither Uncle Remus nor the others made the slightest suggestion they were still doing work on the behalf of the Order, although Celena could swear she saw her uncle frown with hidden knowledge when she told him about the prophecy Firenze made to them in the Forbidden Forest. She decided to let it be for now. She also spent a few more times in the company of Firenze, who was the wisest and most gracious of all beings she knew. They had long discussions unlike any conversation she had before.
A couple of times she met the gargoyles again, accompanied by Hagrid, but didn't enjoy these visits as much as he did, even though Goliath, Angela and Korian were starting to grow on her.
She spent her weekends reading countless essays on the properties of moonstone and potion-preserving, visiting Hagrid in his cabin, strolling down the neat little streets of Hogsmeade with her fellow teachers. Several times she traveled home by Floo Powder.
She finally saw Timothy, even more than once, but never for long – he seemed busy. He hinted there was an important project he was involved in, an excellent opportunity. She understood. After all, she was absorbed in her work as well, and it was rewarding to know her students were doing well. To her great relief, most of her sixth-year N.E.W.T students were now more or less at the same level, and she promised the ones who have been doing extra homework that this measure will soon be stopped.
It was even more surprising, after she made this announcement – which caused an unmasked outburst of delight - in class, to receive a request for extra lessons from Dennis Creevey, who didn't have to do additional homework in the first place, and who seemed to be doing fine, except for an occasional fit of clumsiness from time to time.
She was in her office when it happened. It was the night before Halloween, and the house-elves have just finished decorating the castle for next day's feast. Hagrid grew some of the largest pumpkins Celena had ever seen, and dozens of splendid Jack-o-lanterns illuminated the Great Hall. A smaller one even stood on the desk in Celena's office, adding to the festive atmosphere. A Hogsmeade visit was to take place the next day, and Celena was happily anticipating it. She could go to Hogsmeade every weekend if she liked, of course, but it was somehow so much merrier with all the students around. She fancied a cup in The Three Broomsticks with the other teachers, and thought she'd look at some winter robes, because the mornings were becoming steadily frostier.
She was contemplating that when she heard a knock on her office's door. She threw a glance at the clock; it was getting late, about time for all the students to return to their common rooms, and she was surprised to see Dennis when she opened the door.
- Good evening, Professor Costello, - he said timidly, - may I have a word?
- Come in, Mr. Creevey. How can I help you? Would you like a cup of tea, perhaps? But be brief, unless you fancy being caught and given detention by Mr. Filch for breaking curfew. – Er, no, thank you, Professor, - mumbled Dennis. – I'll make it quick… I need your help, Professor; I think I could do with some private lessons, if you have the time… perhaps once a week? – He said hopefully, and then added as an afterthought, - whenever you find it most convenient.
- Extra lessons? – Celena frowned. – Are you certain you need them, Mr. Creevey? Sure, I could make some time for you, but I find your work in class satisfactory, and the essays you hand in are nothing short of excellent. I'm very pleased with you.
- That's the thing, Professor, - replied Dennis, blushing for some reason and looking not at Celena, but rather at the pumpkin on her desk. – I think I've learned the theory off by heart, but it doesn't help to really polish my practical work, and what's Potion-Making without a skilled hand?
Celena sighed.
- In that case, Mr. Creevey, we have no reason to put it off. If you want to truly perfect your work, I am, of course, more than willing to help you… we shall start next week, Monday night, seven o'clock, the Potions classroom. It might be a bit cold down there, but I daresay it's roomier than my office. Now off you go, Mr. Creevey, it's getting rather late.
- Thanks, Professor! – Dennis said excitedly and hurried off to Gryffindor tower, careful to avoid Filch.
… - Extra lessons? – Martin Nordholm gaped at him in disbelief, - you are taking extra lessons?
Dennis first blushed, then said defiantly:
- Yeah, I am. Celena agreed to start next Monday.
- Celena? – Martin sounded astonished. Then he said in a flat voice, - you fancy her! I don't believe it – you actually fancy her!
- Shut up! – Dennis hissed, looking around, but they were quite alone in the common room, except for two second-year girls who sat absorbed in a game of wizard chess.
- I should have known, - Martin continued in a quieter voice, - from the very moment I saw you in the Potions class. You hated Potions, you always did. You would never continue if Snape stayed –
- Oh yes I would, - argued Dennis, - I need it, a N.E.W.T in Potions is required in loads of places.
- So is a N.E.W.T in other subjects, but I never see you spend half the night working on your homework for those! I mean, you give her two rolls of parchment when she asks for twelve inches…
- Oh, shut up, - repeated Dennis exasperatedly.
- And you shouldn't forget we have the first Quidditch game in no time, and I'm sure you don't want to lose to Slytherin, and the new Beater we have, that Saunders guy, is doing lamely so far, and your cozy private lessons mean one practice less every week –
He broke off, noticing that Dennis didn't take in a word of what he was saying.
- Listen, - he said impatiently, and Dennis finally turned his head towards him, a dreamy, misty look in his eyes, - Professor Costello is cool and not half bad, but she's a teacher, do you get it? You don't think you could really –
Dennis opened his mouth to speak, but Martin raised a hand.
- Don't bother, - he said, - but whatever you do, please don't call her Celena.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
Forest Dwellers
Hagrid strode towards his cabin's door, Fang following him. Buckbeak continued to snooze in front of the fire. Celena went after Hagrid and Fang, out of the cabin and towards the dark shadow of the Forbidden Forest.
- Are we going in there? – She asked with a hint of trepidation in her voice.
- Yeah, - said Hagrid, - aren't afraid, are yeh?
- Oh, not at all, - said Celena, thinking privately it will be all right as long as they stay away from gremlins and acromantula that, as she heard, were lurking somewhere in the depths of the Forest.
They followed a winding path under the dark shadows of ancient trees, their wands alight. The path looked as though it was made recently by a large animal that fought its way through thick bushes.
- Is it far yet? – Celena asked, panting and drawing her cloak tighter around her shoulders. She liked forests, but this one seemed very eerie. She thought she could hear two pine trees behind them bending closer and whispering to each other, but thought it would be best not to mention it.
And then, there was a sound of hooves and a very strange being stepped into the clearing from between two trees. He had a lean, muscular torso of a man and a palomino body of a horse. There was a bow and quiverful of arrows attached to one of his shoulders.
- Hullo, Firenze, - said Hagrid. The centaur inclined his magnificent golden head in welcome. Indeed, it was Firenze, who after the final battle with Voldemort was mercifully forgiven by his herd for "meddling in affairs of humans" and allowed to return to the Forest.
Celena looked at him in awe. She had never seen a centaur before, but of course she knew all about them. She approached and stretched out a hand. Firenze took it, and two pairs of equally dazzling blue eyes met.
- Tha's Celena Costello, Firenze, - said Hagrid. – She's a teacher at the school, on'y just started.
Firenze continued looking intently at Celena, with his sparkling, penetrating gaze, as if he could see something no one else could. He seemed to find her just as interesting as she found him.
- The stars have spoken, Hagrid. – He said finally, after a long pause. – Wizardkind will have to follow, yet again, a dark and twisting road, although the danger isn't quite like it was last time – not yet, at least.
- If there's one thing I wish, - interrupted Hagrid, looking unimpressed, - an' I mean, on'y one thing – it's that the stars'd be more specific when they speak. He Who Must Not Be Named is gone –
- Past and future, blended together, - continued Firenze, paying little attention to Hagrid's words. – A great opportunity and a great peril. The humans might not have noticed it yet, but every single tree in this Forest speaks about it in the rustle of its leaves.
He looked directly at Celena when he said this, and she looked back and gave the tiniest of nods.
She was wondering if the whole point of going this deep into the Forest was to meet Firenze, who was of course fascinating, but provided no explanation to why Snape had a disagreement with Professor McGonagall. But then Hagrid cleared his throat and asked:
- Anyway, Firenze, we were going ter go a bit further in. I hope somebody's there?
- They woke at dusk and went hunting, - replied Firenze, - I think Ronan and Magorian went to show them our best spots. I believe I heard Goliath come back a little while ago, though.
After saying this phrase, of which Celena understood very little, he raised a hand in goodbye and disappeared once more into the trees.
Celena decided not to ask anything, and they went on along the winding path. After a few minutes, she thought she saw a flickering light, and then they stepped onto another clearing, much larger than the one where they met Firenze. There was a bright fire burning in the middle of it, and someone sat in front of it, devouring something raw and bloody Celena didn't wish to examine from a closer distance. She turned to Hagrid and opened her mouth only to find out speech has temporarily left her. She looked instead at the creature that now got up and approached to greet them.
It was clear he wasn't a man, although his face was almost human, with a broad jaw and a wide, low forehead. As tall and wide as Hagrid, wearing nothing but a loincloth held by a thick leather belt, he looked somewhat frightening. Celena saw now that what was wrapped around his shoulders was not a cloak, but his own enormous, bat-like wings. His long, neatly braided hair fell almost to his waist.
There was something definitely reptilian about him; his lavender skin was scaly, and Celena noticed with a jolt he had a mighty lizardish tail. At the same time, there was something feline about his hands and feet with sharp, tiger-like talons.
- Hello, Hagrid, - he said in a deep, booming voice. – Good to meet you again. I see you brought a friend along?
- Yeah, - Hagrid said casually, as if they were talking over drinks at a cocktail party, and shook one of the enormous taloned hands. – I thought she's like ter meet yeh. Celena, tha's Goliath.
Celena was never prejudiced against different races, but Goliath, whatever he was, looked positively wild. She thought she was starting to understand what the conflict between Professors Snape and McGonagall was about. She resisted, however, the temptation to round on Hagrid and ask, "What is he?" – Instead, she turned to the lavender, scaly creature and asked:
- Who are you?
- I am the leader of this clan, - he said, - residing now in this forest with the kind permission of Professor McGonagall, the Headmistress of Hogwarts.
- Oh, - she was unable to say anything else. Goliath looked, in fact, quite friendly if she ignored his menacing, powerful tail that swished from side to side, his sharp talons and his love for raw meat, but she could privately understand why Snape wasn't exactly eager to have an entire clan – she wondered how numerous – of huge lizard-like men prowling the school grounds.
She looked at him, trying to figure out where she might have seen something like him before, having a weird feeling it was something very basic and obvious she was failing to recognize.
- Goliath's a gargoyle, Celena, - Hagrid finally said, peering at her face and seeing no comprehension.
- Oh! – Celena exclaimed, taking a step back and looking at the lavender giant's face. – Of course!
She knew now. She must have head of these creatures, if not seen them, at least once. But where? And then, she remembered - Fleur and Bill's wedding, over a year ago, a freckly, good-natured face, hands covered with burns and scratches…
- You don't happen to know Charlie Weasley, do you? – She asked tentatively.
To her surprise, Goliath gave her what was undoubtedly a wide smile. She noticed with a shudder his mouth was full of long, sharp, pearly-white teeth that were now covered with blood from his interrupted meal. She felt her knees weaken but pulled herself together. Goliath seemed to have noticed it too, because she licked his teeth with a flexible, cat-like tongue.
- I met and befriended Charles Weasley years ago, when I wasn't a leader of this clan yet. – He said, staring absent-mindedly at Fang, who was now devouring what remained of his dinner. – He gathered knowledge and researched different creatures that can be found in Wyvern Wood, where we resided until recently. I helped him. He is a good man, and it was him I turned to when I realized our clan needs a new place to stay in.
- What happened, then? – Celena asked. Hagrid looked like he was already familiar with the story.
- There were attacks. – Goliath replied darkly. – One of our numbers was killed, and two were kidnapped. We never found them or the attacker.
- But who could?! – Celena was puzzled. Who in their right mind would risk attacking the likes of Goliath, who not only were armed with steely talons, fangs and muscles, but who could also fly? And the scaly skin, she figured, would probably provide protection against most spells and jinxes. Well, a dragon could beat them, she supposed, but that wouldn't be so hard to figure out…
- Could have been the supporters of He Who Must Not Be Named, - said Goliath, patting Fang, who was now sniffing hopefully at his heels. – They knew we were not on their side during the two Wars. We fought against them. They might have come to seek revenge. But that's just one suggestion – we never found out, because it happened during daytime.
- Yeh see, Celena, the special thing abou' gargoyles's that they freeze ter stone with the firs' ray o' sunshine an' stay that way 'til sunset, - explained Hagrid, seeing the puzzled expression on her face.
- Oh! – Celena nodded in comprehension, - I understand, then – but it leaves you in a very vulnerable position, doesn't it?
- Indeed, - Goliath inclined his head in agreement. – Unless we have something or someone to protect us during daytime, we choose the darkest, deepest, most secret hiding places. What happened was a blow, but we didn't lose hope. We didn't want to leave Wyvern Wood, where our ancestors, hunters and warriors, led happy lives for centuries. We went into the very depths of the forest and lived there for a while longer. We were very careful. We spread around for our day hibernation, in twos and threes, so that the enemy, if he reached us again, wouldn't at least find all of us at once.
- But then something else happened, right? – Celena asked, her attention involuntarily captured by the story. – Because eventually you left Wyvern, right?
- The enemy, whoever he was, found our rookery. One night, there were three eggs – the other night, they were gone.
Celena opened her mouth to ask, but then thought it makes sense, considering their reptilian appearance, that gargoyles lay eggs, like dragons or salamanders.
- So I knew it was not a time for pride, - continued Goliath. – I contacted Charles Weasley. I flew to Wales to see him and he promised to help us. He mobilized a few of his friends, to protect us during daytime, while he was negotiating and making arrangements with the Headmistress of Hogwarts to allow us to live here. Minerva McGonagall met me and told me we may live here, if we treat the other creatures of this forest with kindness and respect. In return, we patrol the Forest, the school grounds, and Hogsmeade. We miss Wyvern Wood, but it's not bad here. The centaurs have been generous enough to share their hunting places with us. And hopefully, more eggs will soon appear in our new rookery…
Goliath was interrupted by a group of his fellow gargoyles, who emerged into the clearing carrying deer, birds and even snakes – apparently, tonight's hunt was profitable.
Celena was relieved to see that Goliath was easily the largest of them. No one else was quite as tall and broad, although most of the gargoyles were taller and clearly stronger than humans. There were many of them, males and females, elders and hatchlings, with different colors of skin and hair. Celena also noticed that not all of them looked as human-like as Goliath. Many had beak-like faces or horns.
The clearing was now very crowded; the gargoyles spoke to each other (with strong Scottish accent), examining each other's prey and glancing curiously at Hagrid, Celena, Fang and Goliath. Three of the gargoyles approached them. Two of them were clearly siblings, a male and a female with delicately blue skin, ruby-red hair and of a fair, light complexion, much shorter and smaller than Goliath. The third was a young female who was built along the same lines as the first two, but actually resembled the gargoyle leader with her lavender skin and a long, wild mane of black hair. Celena noticed that despite the variety of sizes and colors, all the gargoyles had the same slanted, black eyes. The blue, red-haired male looked the friendliest of the lot, and somehow the most civilized, although just like the rest, he wore only a loincloth on his hips (the females also wore something like a halter-top), and was carrying several large chunks of raw meat spiked on a sharp stick. He stretched out a hand and Hagrid shook it.
- Hello, Korian, - he said.
- We are one clan, - said Goliath, - but that is my closest family. Here's my wife, Demona, - he gestured towards the female with blue skin and red hair, who was holding what looked like a sack of dead birds, - my daughter, Angela, - the young female gave Celena a friendly nod, - and my wife's blood brother, Korian.
- Humans, - hissed Demona, looking up at her husband and leader and ignoring the rest of them, the end of her long, flexible tail twitching. – Humans were the ones who forced us into hiding, yet you, Goliath, still seek the protection of humans and insist on inviting them here, into our midst…
- You must remember Hagrid, my heart, - said Goliath, all of a sudden not looking that big anymore.
- I remember him, - said Demona, shooting a nasty glance at Hagrid. – But not her. Who is this human female? – She asked, glaring openly at Celena.
Celena was forcefully reminded of the welcome she received from Snape.
- That's Celena Costello, Demona, - said Hagrid, looking rather taken aback. – She's a teacher up at the school…
But he stopped, because he saw Demona was staring at Goliath, and he was glaring back.
- I thought it was discussed by all of us, - said Goliath, towering over his wife, who drew herself to her full height but still looked tiny next to him, - and I thought we all agreed that humans and gargoyles, despite stupid old-age misunderstandings, are natural allies!
- We didn't all agree with that, oh no, - said Demona, baring her teeth, he eyes flashing dangerously. Angela and Korian wisely retreated.
- And I thought, - Goliath spoke louder, - that Professor McGonagall and her fellows, who offer us shelter, are our friends with whom we are linked by bonds of mutual protection, not intruders who –
- Um, well, now yeh've met Celena an' all, - said Hagrid, who was clearly starting to feel uncomfortable, - an' we'll drop by sometimes… so… bye for now, Goliath.
But the pair of gargoyles paid no attention to him. Goliath and Demona were deeply in what looked like one of many rows, hissing and spitting like a pair of angry cats. Demona actually looked more like a feline than a reptile. Her skin didn't resemble dragon hide so much, and her movements were graceful. She would be quite pretty for a gargoyle, Celena thought, if not that contorted, Snape-ish expression, and those sharp, bared teeth.
They left the clearing unnoticed and went back by the narrow, winding path, Fang at their heels.
- So, how'd' yeh find them? – Hagrid asked, looking rather pleased with himself now that they have left the scene of fight.
- Um, alright, I mean, Goliath is just fine, Korian and Angela seemed quite nice too…
- Demona's a bit rough, - he admitted, - yeh see, one o' the eggs that have bin stolen was theirs, Goliath told me, an' she took it pretty hard –
- Understandable, - Celena nodded.
- Yeah, an' she's mad at Goliath fer not makin' her his Second, an' she's prejudiced agains' humans jus' like some o' us wizards are against them gargoyles. Some make a link between them an' vampires, just because gargoyles hunt at night…
As she wished Hagrid goodnight at the doors of his cabin and walked through the dark, cold grounds and upstairs to her office, Celena thought it was very unlikely she would ever visit the gargoyles on her own. True, Goliath seemed somewhat like Hagrid - big and mean-looking, but of a much kinder nature than you could think – Demona, however, was not someone you'd like to corner in the darkness.
It was very late already – the stroll took more time than she thought it would – but she didn't go to bed right away. Instead, she sat down at her desk, lost in thought. She left the window open before she left, but no sign of Wilbert's visit could be seen. He didn't come. There was still no word from Timothy. Disturbed, her head heavy, she finally went off to bed.
- Are we going in there? – She asked with a hint of trepidation in her voice.
- Yeah, - said Hagrid, - aren't afraid, are yeh?
- Oh, not at all, - said Celena, thinking privately it will be all right as long as they stay away from gremlins and acromantula that, as she heard, were lurking somewhere in the depths of the Forest.
They followed a winding path under the dark shadows of ancient trees, their wands alight. The path looked as though it was made recently by a large animal that fought its way through thick bushes.
- Is it far yet? – Celena asked, panting and drawing her cloak tighter around her shoulders. She liked forests, but this one seemed very eerie. She thought she could hear two pine trees behind them bending closer and whispering to each other, but thought it would be best not to mention it.
And then, there was a sound of hooves and a very strange being stepped into the clearing from between two trees. He had a lean, muscular torso of a man and a palomino body of a horse. There was a bow and quiverful of arrows attached to one of his shoulders.
- Hullo, Firenze, - said Hagrid. The centaur inclined his magnificent golden head in welcome. Indeed, it was Firenze, who after the final battle with Voldemort was mercifully forgiven by his herd for "meddling in affairs of humans" and allowed to return to the Forest.
Celena looked at him in awe. She had never seen a centaur before, but of course she knew all about them. She approached and stretched out a hand. Firenze took it, and two pairs of equally dazzling blue eyes met.
- Tha's Celena Costello, Firenze, - said Hagrid. – She's a teacher at the school, on'y just started.
Firenze continued looking intently at Celena, with his sparkling, penetrating gaze, as if he could see something no one else could. He seemed to find her just as interesting as she found him.
- The stars have spoken, Hagrid. – He said finally, after a long pause. – Wizardkind will have to follow, yet again, a dark and twisting road, although the danger isn't quite like it was last time – not yet, at least.
- If there's one thing I wish, - interrupted Hagrid, looking unimpressed, - an' I mean, on'y one thing – it's that the stars'd be more specific when they speak. He Who Must Not Be Named is gone –
- Past and future, blended together, - continued Firenze, paying little attention to Hagrid's words. – A great opportunity and a great peril. The humans might not have noticed it yet, but every single tree in this Forest speaks about it in the rustle of its leaves.
He looked directly at Celena when he said this, and she looked back and gave the tiniest of nods.
She was wondering if the whole point of going this deep into the Forest was to meet Firenze, who was of course fascinating, but provided no explanation to why Snape had a disagreement with Professor McGonagall. But then Hagrid cleared his throat and asked:
- Anyway, Firenze, we were going ter go a bit further in. I hope somebody's there?
- They woke at dusk and went hunting, - replied Firenze, - I think Ronan and Magorian went to show them our best spots. I believe I heard Goliath come back a little while ago, though.
After saying this phrase, of which Celena understood very little, he raised a hand in goodbye and disappeared once more into the trees.
Celena decided not to ask anything, and they went on along the winding path. After a few minutes, she thought she saw a flickering light, and then they stepped onto another clearing, much larger than the one where they met Firenze. There was a bright fire burning in the middle of it, and someone sat in front of it, devouring something raw and bloody Celena didn't wish to examine from a closer distance. She turned to Hagrid and opened her mouth only to find out speech has temporarily left her. She looked instead at the creature that now got up and approached to greet them.
It was clear he wasn't a man, although his face was almost human, with a broad jaw and a wide, low forehead. As tall and wide as Hagrid, wearing nothing but a loincloth held by a thick leather belt, he looked somewhat frightening. Celena saw now that what was wrapped around his shoulders was not a cloak, but his own enormous, bat-like wings. His long, neatly braided hair fell almost to his waist.
There was something definitely reptilian about him; his lavender skin was scaly, and Celena noticed with a jolt he had a mighty lizardish tail. At the same time, there was something feline about his hands and feet with sharp, tiger-like talons.
- Hello, Hagrid, - he said in a deep, booming voice. – Good to meet you again. I see you brought a friend along?
- Yeah, - Hagrid said casually, as if they were talking over drinks at a cocktail party, and shook one of the enormous taloned hands. – I thought she's like ter meet yeh. Celena, tha's Goliath.
Celena was never prejudiced against different races, but Goliath, whatever he was, looked positively wild. She thought she was starting to understand what the conflict between Professors Snape and McGonagall was about. She resisted, however, the temptation to round on Hagrid and ask, "What is he?" – Instead, she turned to the lavender, scaly creature and asked:
- Who are you?
- I am the leader of this clan, - he said, - residing now in this forest with the kind permission of Professor McGonagall, the Headmistress of Hogwarts.
- Oh, - she was unable to say anything else. Goliath looked, in fact, quite friendly if she ignored his menacing, powerful tail that swished from side to side, his sharp talons and his love for raw meat, but she could privately understand why Snape wasn't exactly eager to have an entire clan – she wondered how numerous – of huge lizard-like men prowling the school grounds.
She looked at him, trying to figure out where she might have seen something like him before, having a weird feeling it was something very basic and obvious she was failing to recognize.
- Goliath's a gargoyle, Celena, - Hagrid finally said, peering at her face and seeing no comprehension.
- Oh! – Celena exclaimed, taking a step back and looking at the lavender giant's face. – Of course!
She knew now. She must have head of these creatures, if not seen them, at least once. But where? And then, she remembered - Fleur and Bill's wedding, over a year ago, a freckly, good-natured face, hands covered with burns and scratches…
- You don't happen to know Charlie Weasley, do you? – She asked tentatively.
To her surprise, Goliath gave her what was undoubtedly a wide smile. She noticed with a shudder his mouth was full of long, sharp, pearly-white teeth that were now covered with blood from his interrupted meal. She felt her knees weaken but pulled herself together. Goliath seemed to have noticed it too, because she licked his teeth with a flexible, cat-like tongue.
- I met and befriended Charles Weasley years ago, when I wasn't a leader of this clan yet. – He said, staring absent-mindedly at Fang, who was now devouring what remained of his dinner. – He gathered knowledge and researched different creatures that can be found in Wyvern Wood, where we resided until recently. I helped him. He is a good man, and it was him I turned to when I realized our clan needs a new place to stay in.
- What happened, then? – Celena asked. Hagrid looked like he was already familiar with the story.
- There were attacks. – Goliath replied darkly. – One of our numbers was killed, and two were kidnapped. We never found them or the attacker.
- But who could?! – Celena was puzzled. Who in their right mind would risk attacking the likes of Goliath, who not only were armed with steely talons, fangs and muscles, but who could also fly? And the scaly skin, she figured, would probably provide protection against most spells and jinxes. Well, a dragon could beat them, she supposed, but that wouldn't be so hard to figure out…
- Could have been the supporters of He Who Must Not Be Named, - said Goliath, patting Fang, who was now sniffing hopefully at his heels. – They knew we were not on their side during the two Wars. We fought against them. They might have come to seek revenge. But that's just one suggestion – we never found out, because it happened during daytime.
- Yeh see, Celena, the special thing abou' gargoyles's that they freeze ter stone with the firs' ray o' sunshine an' stay that way 'til sunset, - explained Hagrid, seeing the puzzled expression on her face.
- Oh! – Celena nodded in comprehension, - I understand, then – but it leaves you in a very vulnerable position, doesn't it?
- Indeed, - Goliath inclined his head in agreement. – Unless we have something or someone to protect us during daytime, we choose the darkest, deepest, most secret hiding places. What happened was a blow, but we didn't lose hope. We didn't want to leave Wyvern Wood, where our ancestors, hunters and warriors, led happy lives for centuries. We went into the very depths of the forest and lived there for a while longer. We were very careful. We spread around for our day hibernation, in twos and threes, so that the enemy, if he reached us again, wouldn't at least find all of us at once.
- But then something else happened, right? – Celena asked, her attention involuntarily captured by the story. – Because eventually you left Wyvern, right?
- The enemy, whoever he was, found our rookery. One night, there were three eggs – the other night, they were gone.
Celena opened her mouth to ask, but then thought it makes sense, considering their reptilian appearance, that gargoyles lay eggs, like dragons or salamanders.
- So I knew it was not a time for pride, - continued Goliath. – I contacted Charles Weasley. I flew to Wales to see him and he promised to help us. He mobilized a few of his friends, to protect us during daytime, while he was negotiating and making arrangements with the Headmistress of Hogwarts to allow us to live here. Minerva McGonagall met me and told me we may live here, if we treat the other creatures of this forest with kindness and respect. In return, we patrol the Forest, the school grounds, and Hogsmeade. We miss Wyvern Wood, but it's not bad here. The centaurs have been generous enough to share their hunting places with us. And hopefully, more eggs will soon appear in our new rookery…
Goliath was interrupted by a group of his fellow gargoyles, who emerged into the clearing carrying deer, birds and even snakes – apparently, tonight's hunt was profitable.
Celena was relieved to see that Goliath was easily the largest of them. No one else was quite as tall and broad, although most of the gargoyles were taller and clearly stronger than humans. There were many of them, males and females, elders and hatchlings, with different colors of skin and hair. Celena also noticed that not all of them looked as human-like as Goliath. Many had beak-like faces or horns.
The clearing was now very crowded; the gargoyles spoke to each other (with strong Scottish accent), examining each other's prey and glancing curiously at Hagrid, Celena, Fang and Goliath. Three of the gargoyles approached them. Two of them were clearly siblings, a male and a female with delicately blue skin, ruby-red hair and of a fair, light complexion, much shorter and smaller than Goliath. The third was a young female who was built along the same lines as the first two, but actually resembled the gargoyle leader with her lavender skin and a long, wild mane of black hair. Celena noticed that despite the variety of sizes and colors, all the gargoyles had the same slanted, black eyes. The blue, red-haired male looked the friendliest of the lot, and somehow the most civilized, although just like the rest, he wore only a loincloth on his hips (the females also wore something like a halter-top), and was carrying several large chunks of raw meat spiked on a sharp stick. He stretched out a hand and Hagrid shook it.
- Hello, Korian, - he said.
- We are one clan, - said Goliath, - but that is my closest family. Here's my wife, Demona, - he gestured towards the female with blue skin and red hair, who was holding what looked like a sack of dead birds, - my daughter, Angela, - the young female gave Celena a friendly nod, - and my wife's blood brother, Korian.
- Humans, - hissed Demona, looking up at her husband and leader and ignoring the rest of them, the end of her long, flexible tail twitching. – Humans were the ones who forced us into hiding, yet you, Goliath, still seek the protection of humans and insist on inviting them here, into our midst…
- You must remember Hagrid, my heart, - said Goliath, all of a sudden not looking that big anymore.
- I remember him, - said Demona, shooting a nasty glance at Hagrid. – But not her. Who is this human female? – She asked, glaring openly at Celena.
Celena was forcefully reminded of the welcome she received from Snape.
- That's Celena Costello, Demona, - said Hagrid, looking rather taken aback. – She's a teacher up at the school…
But he stopped, because he saw Demona was staring at Goliath, and he was glaring back.
- I thought it was discussed by all of us, - said Goliath, towering over his wife, who drew herself to her full height but still looked tiny next to him, - and I thought we all agreed that humans and gargoyles, despite stupid old-age misunderstandings, are natural allies!
- We didn't all agree with that, oh no, - said Demona, baring her teeth, he eyes flashing dangerously. Angela and Korian wisely retreated.
- And I thought, - Goliath spoke louder, - that Professor McGonagall and her fellows, who offer us shelter, are our friends with whom we are linked by bonds of mutual protection, not intruders who –
- Um, well, now yeh've met Celena an' all, - said Hagrid, who was clearly starting to feel uncomfortable, - an' we'll drop by sometimes… so… bye for now, Goliath.
But the pair of gargoyles paid no attention to him. Goliath and Demona were deeply in what looked like one of many rows, hissing and spitting like a pair of angry cats. Demona actually looked more like a feline than a reptile. Her skin didn't resemble dragon hide so much, and her movements were graceful. She would be quite pretty for a gargoyle, Celena thought, if not that contorted, Snape-ish expression, and those sharp, bared teeth.
They left the clearing unnoticed and went back by the narrow, winding path, Fang at their heels.
- So, how'd' yeh find them? – Hagrid asked, looking rather pleased with himself now that they have left the scene of fight.
- Um, alright, I mean, Goliath is just fine, Korian and Angela seemed quite nice too…
- Demona's a bit rough, - he admitted, - yeh see, one o' the eggs that have bin stolen was theirs, Goliath told me, an' she took it pretty hard –
- Understandable, - Celena nodded.
- Yeah, an' she's mad at Goliath fer not makin' her his Second, an' she's prejudiced agains' humans jus' like some o' us wizards are against them gargoyles. Some make a link between them an' vampires, just because gargoyles hunt at night…
As she wished Hagrid goodnight at the doors of his cabin and walked through the dark, cold grounds and upstairs to her office, Celena thought it was very unlikely she would ever visit the gargoyles on her own. True, Goliath seemed somewhat like Hagrid - big and mean-looking, but of a much kinder nature than you could think – Demona, however, was not someone you'd like to corner in the darkness.
It was very late already – the stroll took more time than she thought it would – but she didn't go to bed right away. Instead, she sat down at her desk, lost in thought. She left the window open before she left, but no sign of Wilbert's visit could be seen. He didn't come. There was still no word from Timothy. Disturbed, her head heavy, she finally went off to bed.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Tea with Hagrid
Madam Pomfrey managed to get rid of Celena's flowery appearance fairly quickly. The rest of the first week of term wasn't quite that exciting. The students were much more respectful, she thought, than they could be expected to be to such a young and inexperienced teacher. Celena's relation to Nicholas Flamel, the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone, played a part in that of course. Many of the students were familiar with "Costello Concoctions", the older ones might have even seen her behind the counter a few summers ago. Her classes were interesting – she tried to leave most of the theoretical part for homework (which, she admitted, placed a rather large load on her students), and during her lessons she gave occasional fun treats that weren't included in the study program.
On her third day as a Hogwarts teacher, she gave a detention for the very first time, an act she hoped to put off longer; there was no choice, though. A third-year Hufflepuff boy thought it would be fun to make his classmate's cauldron explode, and believed his involvement would go unnoticed if he pointed his wand from under his desk and muttered the incantation quietly. It was lucky that the Shrinking Solution they were making wasn't ready yet, because the bubbling liquid spluttered the walls, floor, ceiling and most of the students and their possessions. No real damage was done, but the guilty Hufflepuff student was made to scrub the mess off all by himself, without using magic, which took most of the evening and left Argus Filch, the caretaker, absolutely delighted.
She had no post all week, since Remus Lupin's and her parents' short notes, but on Friday afternoon two owls arrived, tapping their beaks impatiently on the window of her office, and holding a large parcel between them. The parcel contained a large quantity of homemade pies and a few jars of her mother's excellent fudge. There was also a letter from her parents, written by her father, telling nothing but that everything was as usual at home, and asking her about all the details they could possibly think of.
For a long minute, she gazed out of her window, vaguely hoping to see another owl, a handsome tawny named Wilbert that belonged to her fiancé, Timothy. But there was no sign of Wilbert on the clear horizon. Why hasn't he written? She knew Timothy was very busy at the moment with the perspectives of his new job at the regulation and control of cauldron-making industry, and that was why she resolved not to pester him with owls every day. She expected him to send her a word that day, though, inquiring how her first week in Hogwarts had gone, and possibly attempting to arrange the next time they meet, for exciting discussions of wedding preparations – the guests, the dress, the cake, the musicians and the party.
She and Timothy met when she was fresh out of Beauxbatons Academy. With only vague plans as to what she should do next, she was spending time with her parents, helping them at "Costello Concoctions". Brewing potions was natural and easy for her, so she hummed merrily on one rainy day, when the shop was empty, without the promise of too many customers. She prepared for long, undisturbed hours of counting supplies, balancing books, and replenishing stocks, when the doorbell suddenly rang and a tall, handsome young wizard entered, his traveling cloak dripping water all over the floor. He threw back the hood of his cloak and gave her a charming smile that made her feel as though her knees were made of marshmallow, soft and about to bend any moment. She was determined not to let him notice, though. She steadied herself against the counter and tried to sound businesslike and efficient as she said:
- How can I help you, young man?
- I came to ask a few questions about the cauldrons you use here in your shop, - he replied. He had a very rich, very male voice that made her feel as though her heart was beating in her throat. – But not before you tell me your name, my lady!
… Timothy came every day of that week, making more and more notes about cauldrons on a clipboard he always carried with him. He charmed Celena and her parents, and when his pretexts for visiting ran out, he continued coming anyway. Celena, with her beauty – which wasn't obscured even in Beauxbatons by the constant presence of Fleur, a dazzling part-Veela, near her – was used to male attention, but no one courted her as persistently and artistically as Timothy had. He proposed to her several times, but she felt something was stopping her. I'm too young; she tried to explain, even though she had to privately admit to herself this wasn't the whole story, maybe not even the most significant part of it – what was it, then? Why did she decline the proposal of a man who took hold of her thoughts from the moment she saw him? She didn't have a clear answer. Only during the summer before she started her job in Hogwarts, she accepted Timothy's proposal and was now engaged to be married to him. The wedding was supposed to be held next summer. Why didn't he write?
Celena placed the letter from her parents on top of the stack of essays she was supposed to check and rate that weekend. She decided to leave both the essays and the letter for tomorrow morning, and now go and visit Hagrid. She could see the light in his cabin through her window.
A magnificent sunset colored the sky gold and scarlet while she walked across the grounds towards the crude, large cabin where Hagrid lived. It was a warm evening for the season, but she took her cloak just in case she would stay out for a long time and it would get chilly as night falls.
- C'min, c'min, - said Hagrid after he peered through the half-open door to see who this was. He looked clearly pleased to see her, which she was rather relieved to see, as she got no invitation.
Everything in Hagrid's cabin seemed about twice the size it would be for a normal man. The quilt-covered bed could accommodate at least three people. A bucket-sized cup stood on the vast wooden desk, and Hagrid's enormous boots, wide and deep enough for a child to hide in, stood by the door. His boarhound, Fang, was looking strangely small here, even though he was almost equal to Celena in height when he stood on his hind legs in an attempt to lick her face.
Celena knew, of course, that Hagrid had giant blood – his mother was none other than the fearsome giantess Fridwulfa, who went into hiding many years ago. She didn't mind the chair she sat on was so high for her that her feet were actually dangling from it, unable to touch the ground – in fact, she felt almost the same way whenever she visited Madame Maxime's office in Beauxbatons…
- Oh! – she exclaimed, glancing at the huge, winged, sharp-beaked grey creature curled up on a rug in front of the fire and looking upon her with one of his fierce, orange eyes. Celena, getting a grip on herself and remembering what she was supposed to do, gave a small bow, more like a nod. The creature returned it and seemed satisfied.
- Uncle Remus told me you keep a Hippogriff here, - Celena told. Hagrid beamed.
- Tha's Buckbeak, - he said, - we've bin tergether fer years. 'Course, he stayed with Sirius Black fer a while… until…
There was a moment when none of them could think of anything else to say. Celena never had the chance to meet Sirius Black, but she, of course, knew all about one of her uncle's best friends, unjustly accused of mass murder, imprisoned in Azkaban for many years, forced into hiding and eventually killed by one of Voldemort's most faithful supporters…
- My mother sent sweets, Hagrid, look, - she said finally, showing him the parcel she got earlier. – Only it's boring to eat them alone. Why don't you make tea and we try some of these?
- Lookin' good, - Hagrid said eagerly and busied himself with the kettle. When Celena was given a mug of boiling tea she could drown herself in if she tried really hard, she took a strawberry-jam filled tart and bit into it. It was fresh-made and delicious. Hagrid swallowed his in one mighty bite and reached for another one.
- So, how was yer firs' week as a teacher? – He asked through a mouthful of tart. Celena thought of the cauldronful of half-brewed Shrinking Solution smeared all over the classroom, of her flowery appearance after the application of Beauty Balm, of Snape's snide remarks and of being interrogated non-stop about being a great-great-great granddaughter of Nicholas Flamel.
- It was as fine as I could expect, I guess, - she finally said, smiling brightly. – What about you, Hagrid? Is it difficult, being Head of House?
- Well, I always got along fine with them Gryffindors, - said Hagrid thickly, for her just took another pie from the pile in front of him, - my old House, ye see. But it's one hell of a responsibility, ye have ter sort all sorts o' problems an' make decisions, an' if anyone gets in trouble with one of the teachers they get sent straight ter me an' I'm supposed ter decide what next… what with classes an' bein' gamekeeper, there's quite enough ter be goin' on with, as ye can imagine. But this is somethin' I've dreamed of fer years.
- Have you considered moving into the castle and finding someone else for the gamekeeping duties? – Celena asked.
- Nah, nobody's up ter the job, - Hagrid waved an enormous hand in dismissal, - Charlie Weasley mighta done it, but he's too busy righ' now, with…
He stopped abruptly, and the part of his face that wasn't covered by tangled black beard or hair reddened slightly. Celena pretended to not have noticed, although it confirmed something she had been thinking about all week, ever since she received that note from Uncle Remus. She continued talking as if she didn't hear anything interesting.
- We didn't have houses in Beauxbatons, you know, - she said, - it spared a good deal of rivalry and competition that exists between the different Houses here, and instead we could dedicate ourselves to gaining knowledge and mastering our magical skills… not that it's not an interesting tradition, the Sorting and everything. But I think the pupils whose names are down to Ravenclaw for example are crafted more or less of the same material anyway, it's all about intelligence and determination…
- I think ye'd be in Ravenclaw if ye went ter Hogwarts, - observed Hagrid, drinking deeply from his mug of tea. – They're like yeh, all intelligent an' serious, trust their brains more'n anythin' else.
- I like the Ravenclaws. – Celena agreed, nodding. – I've noticed it's them who try the hardest and take classes more seriously. I just don't understand what's the reason of pairing their classes with the Hufflepuffs, they don't get along really well… and Gryffindor and Slytherin students clearly dislike each other, and they're always paired up too.
- I think 'tis part o' the strategy o' bringin' the different Houses closer. Create bonds, more like… have them make friends with each other… pity it's not workin'.
Both of them pondered this while they ate and drank some more. And then, all of a sudden, Celena asked:
- Hagrid, why does Professor Snape dislike me so much?
Hagrid choked on his tea, then chuckled.
- What's so funny? – Celena demanded.
- Hasn' bin nice ter anyone, s'long as I know him, now, has he? I remember Snape as a kid, lonely an' broodin', up his neck in the Dark Arts. Talented, no doubt 'bout that, but a nasty little piece o' work all the same.
- What's he got with me, though? – Celena frowned. – He ignored me most of the time and I'm fine with that, but sometimes he tries to make me look bad in front of my students. It's clear he was against my appointment in the first place. And he always favors the Slytherins.
- Not any fairer than nice, - said Hagrid. – Yeah, I s'pose he thought yeh're too young ter teach. An' he sees yeh do things differently than he used to do – givin' everyone a chance and encouragin' everyone – an' people like it, an' it irritates him. I know he thinks tha's a bad move.
- Professor Snape underestimates me. – Celena said. – I know more than he thinks about Potions.
- With a family like yours, how could yeh not? Don't mind Snape an' go on with yer business. Besides, he's bin in bad spirits fer another reason as well… they had a disagreement with Professor McGonagall.
There was a look in Hagrid's eyes that stated only too clearly he is dying to tell more, but is waiting to be persuaded.
- Please, go ahead, Hagrid. – Celena encouraged him. – I won't tell anybody, I promise.
She didn't say anything else, but privately thought it might have something to do with what her uncle and another member of the Order, Fleur's brother-in-law Charlie Weasley, were up to in the past weeks. She was very eager to know. And Hagrid cracked.
- Oh, all righ'. I'll show yeh. Let's go.
On her third day as a Hogwarts teacher, she gave a detention for the very first time, an act she hoped to put off longer; there was no choice, though. A third-year Hufflepuff boy thought it would be fun to make his classmate's cauldron explode, and believed his involvement would go unnoticed if he pointed his wand from under his desk and muttered the incantation quietly. It was lucky that the Shrinking Solution they were making wasn't ready yet, because the bubbling liquid spluttered the walls, floor, ceiling and most of the students and their possessions. No real damage was done, but the guilty Hufflepuff student was made to scrub the mess off all by himself, without using magic, which took most of the evening and left Argus Filch, the caretaker, absolutely delighted.
She had no post all week, since Remus Lupin's and her parents' short notes, but on Friday afternoon two owls arrived, tapping their beaks impatiently on the window of her office, and holding a large parcel between them. The parcel contained a large quantity of homemade pies and a few jars of her mother's excellent fudge. There was also a letter from her parents, written by her father, telling nothing but that everything was as usual at home, and asking her about all the details they could possibly think of.
For a long minute, she gazed out of her window, vaguely hoping to see another owl, a handsome tawny named Wilbert that belonged to her fiancé, Timothy. But there was no sign of Wilbert on the clear horizon. Why hasn't he written? She knew Timothy was very busy at the moment with the perspectives of his new job at the regulation and control of cauldron-making industry, and that was why she resolved not to pester him with owls every day. She expected him to send her a word that day, though, inquiring how her first week in Hogwarts had gone, and possibly attempting to arrange the next time they meet, for exciting discussions of wedding preparations – the guests, the dress, the cake, the musicians and the party.
She and Timothy met when she was fresh out of Beauxbatons Academy. With only vague plans as to what she should do next, she was spending time with her parents, helping them at "Costello Concoctions". Brewing potions was natural and easy for her, so she hummed merrily on one rainy day, when the shop was empty, without the promise of too many customers. She prepared for long, undisturbed hours of counting supplies, balancing books, and replenishing stocks, when the doorbell suddenly rang and a tall, handsome young wizard entered, his traveling cloak dripping water all over the floor. He threw back the hood of his cloak and gave her a charming smile that made her feel as though her knees were made of marshmallow, soft and about to bend any moment. She was determined not to let him notice, though. She steadied herself against the counter and tried to sound businesslike and efficient as she said:
- How can I help you, young man?
- I came to ask a few questions about the cauldrons you use here in your shop, - he replied. He had a very rich, very male voice that made her feel as though her heart was beating in her throat. – But not before you tell me your name, my lady!
… Timothy came every day of that week, making more and more notes about cauldrons on a clipboard he always carried with him. He charmed Celena and her parents, and when his pretexts for visiting ran out, he continued coming anyway. Celena, with her beauty – which wasn't obscured even in Beauxbatons by the constant presence of Fleur, a dazzling part-Veela, near her – was used to male attention, but no one courted her as persistently and artistically as Timothy had. He proposed to her several times, but she felt something was stopping her. I'm too young; she tried to explain, even though she had to privately admit to herself this wasn't the whole story, maybe not even the most significant part of it – what was it, then? Why did she decline the proposal of a man who took hold of her thoughts from the moment she saw him? She didn't have a clear answer. Only during the summer before she started her job in Hogwarts, she accepted Timothy's proposal and was now engaged to be married to him. The wedding was supposed to be held next summer. Why didn't he write?
Celena placed the letter from her parents on top of the stack of essays she was supposed to check and rate that weekend. She decided to leave both the essays and the letter for tomorrow morning, and now go and visit Hagrid. She could see the light in his cabin through her window.
A magnificent sunset colored the sky gold and scarlet while she walked across the grounds towards the crude, large cabin where Hagrid lived. It was a warm evening for the season, but she took her cloak just in case she would stay out for a long time and it would get chilly as night falls.
- C'min, c'min, - said Hagrid after he peered through the half-open door to see who this was. He looked clearly pleased to see her, which she was rather relieved to see, as she got no invitation.
Everything in Hagrid's cabin seemed about twice the size it would be for a normal man. The quilt-covered bed could accommodate at least three people. A bucket-sized cup stood on the vast wooden desk, and Hagrid's enormous boots, wide and deep enough for a child to hide in, stood by the door. His boarhound, Fang, was looking strangely small here, even though he was almost equal to Celena in height when he stood on his hind legs in an attempt to lick her face.
Celena knew, of course, that Hagrid had giant blood – his mother was none other than the fearsome giantess Fridwulfa, who went into hiding many years ago. She didn't mind the chair she sat on was so high for her that her feet were actually dangling from it, unable to touch the ground – in fact, she felt almost the same way whenever she visited Madame Maxime's office in Beauxbatons…
- Oh! – she exclaimed, glancing at the huge, winged, sharp-beaked grey creature curled up on a rug in front of the fire and looking upon her with one of his fierce, orange eyes. Celena, getting a grip on herself and remembering what she was supposed to do, gave a small bow, more like a nod. The creature returned it and seemed satisfied.
- Uncle Remus told me you keep a Hippogriff here, - Celena told. Hagrid beamed.
- Tha's Buckbeak, - he said, - we've bin tergether fer years. 'Course, he stayed with Sirius Black fer a while… until…
There was a moment when none of them could think of anything else to say. Celena never had the chance to meet Sirius Black, but she, of course, knew all about one of her uncle's best friends, unjustly accused of mass murder, imprisoned in Azkaban for many years, forced into hiding and eventually killed by one of Voldemort's most faithful supporters…
- My mother sent sweets, Hagrid, look, - she said finally, showing him the parcel she got earlier. – Only it's boring to eat them alone. Why don't you make tea and we try some of these?
- Lookin' good, - Hagrid said eagerly and busied himself with the kettle. When Celena was given a mug of boiling tea she could drown herself in if she tried really hard, she took a strawberry-jam filled tart and bit into it. It was fresh-made and delicious. Hagrid swallowed his in one mighty bite and reached for another one.
- So, how was yer firs' week as a teacher? – He asked through a mouthful of tart. Celena thought of the cauldronful of half-brewed Shrinking Solution smeared all over the classroom, of her flowery appearance after the application of Beauty Balm, of Snape's snide remarks and of being interrogated non-stop about being a great-great-great granddaughter of Nicholas Flamel.
- It was as fine as I could expect, I guess, - she finally said, smiling brightly. – What about you, Hagrid? Is it difficult, being Head of House?
- Well, I always got along fine with them Gryffindors, - said Hagrid thickly, for her just took another pie from the pile in front of him, - my old House, ye see. But it's one hell of a responsibility, ye have ter sort all sorts o' problems an' make decisions, an' if anyone gets in trouble with one of the teachers they get sent straight ter me an' I'm supposed ter decide what next… what with classes an' bein' gamekeeper, there's quite enough ter be goin' on with, as ye can imagine. But this is somethin' I've dreamed of fer years.
- Have you considered moving into the castle and finding someone else for the gamekeeping duties? – Celena asked.
- Nah, nobody's up ter the job, - Hagrid waved an enormous hand in dismissal, - Charlie Weasley mighta done it, but he's too busy righ' now, with…
He stopped abruptly, and the part of his face that wasn't covered by tangled black beard or hair reddened slightly. Celena pretended to not have noticed, although it confirmed something she had been thinking about all week, ever since she received that note from Uncle Remus. She continued talking as if she didn't hear anything interesting.
- We didn't have houses in Beauxbatons, you know, - she said, - it spared a good deal of rivalry and competition that exists between the different Houses here, and instead we could dedicate ourselves to gaining knowledge and mastering our magical skills… not that it's not an interesting tradition, the Sorting and everything. But I think the pupils whose names are down to Ravenclaw for example are crafted more or less of the same material anyway, it's all about intelligence and determination…
- I think ye'd be in Ravenclaw if ye went ter Hogwarts, - observed Hagrid, drinking deeply from his mug of tea. – They're like yeh, all intelligent an' serious, trust their brains more'n anythin' else.
- I like the Ravenclaws. – Celena agreed, nodding. – I've noticed it's them who try the hardest and take classes more seriously. I just don't understand what's the reason of pairing their classes with the Hufflepuffs, they don't get along really well… and Gryffindor and Slytherin students clearly dislike each other, and they're always paired up too.
- I think 'tis part o' the strategy o' bringin' the different Houses closer. Create bonds, more like… have them make friends with each other… pity it's not workin'.
Both of them pondered this while they ate and drank some more. And then, all of a sudden, Celena asked:
- Hagrid, why does Professor Snape dislike me so much?
Hagrid choked on his tea, then chuckled.
- What's so funny? – Celena demanded.
- Hasn' bin nice ter anyone, s'long as I know him, now, has he? I remember Snape as a kid, lonely an' broodin', up his neck in the Dark Arts. Talented, no doubt 'bout that, but a nasty little piece o' work all the same.
- What's he got with me, though? – Celena frowned. – He ignored me most of the time and I'm fine with that, but sometimes he tries to make me look bad in front of my students. It's clear he was against my appointment in the first place. And he always favors the Slytherins.
- Not any fairer than nice, - said Hagrid. – Yeah, I s'pose he thought yeh're too young ter teach. An' he sees yeh do things differently than he used to do – givin' everyone a chance and encouragin' everyone – an' people like it, an' it irritates him. I know he thinks tha's a bad move.
- Professor Snape underestimates me. – Celena said. – I know more than he thinks about Potions.
- With a family like yours, how could yeh not? Don't mind Snape an' go on with yer business. Besides, he's bin in bad spirits fer another reason as well… they had a disagreement with Professor McGonagall.
There was a look in Hagrid's eyes that stated only too clearly he is dying to tell more, but is waiting to be persuaded.
- Please, go ahead, Hagrid. – Celena encouraged him. – I won't tell anybody, I promise.
She didn't say anything else, but privately thought it might have something to do with what her uncle and another member of the Order, Fleur's brother-in-law Charlie Weasley, were up to in the past weeks. She was very eager to know. And Hagrid cracked.
- Oh, all righ'. I'll show yeh. Let's go.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
