Chapter 82
“Weren’t we going to see Hagrid?” Hermione asked as the boys turned away from the exit.
“That’s where we’re going,” Ron, who was walking ahead, turned around. “We’ll just run over and pick up Ginny and Luna and head straight outside; they wanted to meet our big guy too.”
“There’s a shorter way to the Raven Tower,” her best friend said, turning on her navigator. “Through the central keep, and then up the moving staircases.”
“Ginny’s in the twins’ lab right now.” Weasley pulled the Wonderphone out of his pocket and twirled it in his hand. “I wouldn’t just go into those psychos’ lair!”
“I agree, when Fred and George are carried away, they resemble maniacs.” Elvira nodded understandingly. “It’s best not to approach them at times like that. Before you know it, you’re a volunteer tester for some strange contraption.”
“I’m not talking about them!” The red-haired guy waved his hand. “The Goldsteins have taken up residence in the twins’ lab; they even do their homework there!”
– Maybe we should wait in the hallway? – I looked at the boys pitifully. – Why should the whole crowd come?
“Because we’re friends!” Justin grinned maliciously. “Especially since Anthony asked about you.”
– Okay, lead the way… – With my head down, I trudged after the boys.
The thing is, with all this studying and training, I’ve forgotten the request of one humble Jewish boy, which is why the Slytherins still don’t know about the benefits of the Miraclephone. Goldstein has already called several times and asked me to hurry, as his family is suffering losses and is very worried about the success of the joint venture. I promised every time, and every time I forgot. And anyway, I’m upset with him, that’s all!
I wanted to give two Wonderphones to the senior Weasleys, but that money-grubber flatly refused to sell the artifacts at the purchase price! I haggled for over an hour, but his speculative price was “only” 100 Galleons off the retail price. Tired of arguing, I told him to get lost and called Grandpa at the Union. Just two days later, a delighted Mrs. Weasley thanked me via video call, and that greedy Jew is now giving me sideways glances. You see, we’ve lost our profit! The cheapskate! Now he can dance for the Slytherins himself!
Soon, our group found ourselves at the entrance to the lair of the mad artificers. The twins had commandeered a rather large abandoned classroom for their own purposes and converted it into a mad scientist’s laboratory. They hadn’t forgotten about security either, only they’d rigged it up in their own style. Ron hesitated for a moment, then gathered his courage, picked his nose, and smeared the top hinge with snot. The password was accepted, the lock clicked, and the door opened. After a brief hesitation, we cautiously stepped inside. God only knows what else these inquisitive minds could have come up with. Last year, Goldstein licked the wrong nail and had long red hair for a week.
Stepping over the threshold, I instinctively glanced around, searching for any changes; after all, I hadn’t been here for several months. In the far left corner, several shelves still stood, holding various tools and blanks, all neatly arranged and labeled. Several multicolored wooden crates had been added to the floor nearby; most likely, the guys had set up a finished goods warehouse there. The work area had also changed slightly; new steel tables had replaced the old wooden desks, and even exhaust hoods hung from the ceiling. The guys were growing, or maybe Anthony had gotten around to buying professional equipment on the cheap. The lounge area was also still there; last year, Fred and George had dragged in a luxurious leather sofa, a couple of soft chairs, and a large carved table. However, loud screams prevented me from taking in all the changes.
Turning my head to the right, I saw Ginny and Anthony arguing, the twins doing their best to keep the verbal spat from escalating into a fistfight. My friends and I exchanged glances and hurried in that direction, as the red-haired brothers were almost at their wits’ end.
“Let me go!” the enraged red-haired fury screamed at Fred and George, who were holding her. “I’ll pull his eyeballs up his ass and make him blink!”
– Oh, my! Just look at this market hag! – The Jewish boy took a step back, just in case. – Guys, hold on to your crazy sister tighter, she’ll smash everything here.
– I’ll smash your insolent face in half! – Ginny didn’t let up. – It was my idea! I came up with it! And you’re a cowardly thief!
– Come on! The Goldsteins never stole anything! – Anthony shouted back. – One more slander against me, and I’ll be forced to take your loud mouth with a thrifty grin!
“Ginny, calm down!” One of the brothers barked at his enraged sister. “We haven’t decided anything yet.”
“But Morgana’s miscarriage settled everything!” The girl stopped kicking and looked at her brothers. “He’s already hired a couple of third-years!”
– Anthony?! – The twins looked at their companion in unison. – Why didn’t you tell us?
“I haven’t hired anyone yet!” the Jewish boy began to justify himself. “I just conducted a few interviews! So, what else could I do?! Your sister has become completely insolent!”
– What did I say? – Ginny started to struggle again. – He stole my idea and decided to make money on it!
“Honey, this is called a market economy!” Goldstein raised his index finger to the ceiling. “You yourself refused to pay for royalties and depreciation on expensive equipment! I’m a businessman, not a philanthropist!”
“Guys, hi!” I greeted loudly, but the troublemakers didn’t even notice our company.
“You’re worse than a goblin!” the youngest Weasley screamed. “I only asked to use your potions room, and you…”
“But I offered a good deal!” the Jewish boy retorted. “Everything was fair…”
– Honestly?! With percentages like that, go fuck yourself…
– Silencio! Silencio! – I was tired of being a spectator, and I decided to intervene, but to do this, the troublemakers had to “mute” themselves.
“Thank you…” One of the brothers exhaled, while holding his sister tighter.
– Oh, hi guys… – The second twin smiled. – How long have you been here?
“We’ve heard enough,” I grumbled in response. “What are these two fighting about?”
“Because of the female potions…” Fred answered, loosening his grip.
“Before she went to Hogwarts, her mother taught her the family recipe.” George let his sister go.
– I don’t understand… – I shook my head. – Those which…
– They are the ones! – The red-haired brothers nodded simultaneously.
– Women’s potions? – Ron looked at Elvira in confusion. – What’s that?
“I won’t talk about that.” The girl blushed and turned away.
Then the sixth Weasley looked at Hermione for an answer, but she shook her head, and the boy stared questioningly at me. I’m not a shy girl, but I had absolutely no desire to tell a twelve-year-old boy about the peculiarities of the female body.
“Your brothers will explain it to you later.” I pointed the finger at the twins. “It’s not polite to ask girls about such things.”
– Why not now? – Ron frowned. – And why is it indecent?
“Someone has to…” Justin sighed heavily, put his arm around his friend, and pulled him aside, all the while whispering in his ear about the peculiarities of female physiology. “Basically, once a month, girls start…”
“So,” Fred waited until the boys had moved away, “Ginny suggested we start brewing these potions and selling them to Muggle-borns.”
“But they’re sold in every wizarding pharmacy, aren’t they?” Hermione looked at the boys skeptically. “And you can find the recipe in the library. What’s the point?”
“Where are Muggle-borns going to get so many gold coins?!” Goldstein managed to shake off my Silencio. “Let’s first listen to me, the clever one, and then you can accuse me of all the mortal sins. And when I’m gone, you can even beat me up.”
“Okay, and then we’ll hear from Ginny.” I turned to the red-haired girl, and she nodded.
“Basically, most Muggle-born girls don’t know about special potions for women, and those who do can’t afford them because they’re so expensive.” Anthony nodded at the youngest Weasley. “That psychotic girl spotted this promising new direction and came to us for help, but she refuses to share the spoils! And who’s worse than a goblin?”
– How expensive? – These potions were supplied to me by the Order’s potion makers, so I didn’t even think about their cost.
“The greedy apothecaries are asking almost 40 Galleons for one bottle,” the Jewish boy continued. “And I understand them! Firstly, it contains lobalaga poison, which is very dangerous and classified as a Class B poison, meaning only adult wizards can buy this ingredient. Secondly, purebloods rarely buy such potions, as it’s customary to brew them themselves, according to family recipes. Now you understand that a Muggle-born student, no matter how hard she tried, wouldn’t be able to brew such a useful and sought-after potion! I understood this too and offered the girl a profitable partnership, for a modest percentage of the profit…”
“He demanded a whole 70 percent!” Ginny was so outraged that the mute spell wore off. “That’s pure robbery!”
– And you didn’t even bargain! – Anthony pointed his finger at the girl, offended. – You immediately started calling me names!
“Stop! Quiet!” I barked at the would-be entrepreneurs and began to reason out loud. “Ginny knows the recipe and can make a rare, expensive, and sought-after potion, and Anthony has the necessary equipment and ingredients, am I right?” Everyone present nodded. “So why can’t they come to a normal agreement? One will brew, and the other will sell, what’s the problem?”
“Anthony asked for too much…” The red-haired girl lowered her head. “And I really need the money… I swore that…”
– Ginny! – One of the twins hugged his sister.
“Not here!” His brother supported him and looked at the recreation area. “Outsiders don’t need to know about our problems.”
I turned around and only now noticed the motley group of first-years, who were completely oblivious to us. Luna was lying on the sofa, her bare feet dangling as she drew something in her sketchbook, her tongue even sticking out in her eagerness. Colin was nestled next to her, the budding photographer busy assembling his camera, the parts of which were neatly laid out on the table. The soft armchairs were occupied by Izya and the younger Malfoy, playing cards, the young aristocrat holding a notebook in his lap and periodically jotting down notes. How had I not noticed them immediately?
“And since when did we become strangers?” Junior Goldstein looked up from his game and in our direction. “We have a joint business, by the way. Grandpa Monya says that such a relationship is stronger than marriage! You’re not brothers yet, but you’re almost like lovers!”
“No, I’m not talking about you.” Fred glanced sideways at the blond Ravenclaw.
“We’ll finish the game later…” The younger Malfoy nodded understandingly and began to get ready.
“Don’t kick Romulus out, he’s a good guy and you can trust him!” Luna paused. “And he already knows about Bill.”
“What a secret,” the younger Goldstein grumbled and began shuffling the deck. “Everyone who needs to know about this guy has known about him for a long time.”
“Not all.” Under my demanding gaze, the twins lowered their heads. “Will you tell me?”
“Rigel, it’s not that simple…” Ginny spoke quietly. “Bill’s very talented. After school, he got a job in the Department of Mysteries as a curse breaker. He was the best at it, but then he quit and opened his own business installing wards on houses, even renting a shop in Diagon Alley… At first, everything was fine, he had a lot of clients, Bill even decided to buy the building and hired assistants.” Ginny sniffled. “And then it all went downhill… People started avoiding his shop, and former clients started refusing work and demanding their money back…”
– Why? – I handed the first-year student a handkerchief. – What happened?
“It’s all Malfoy’s fault!” Fred glared at Romulus. “His dad opened a similar shop, but he charged a lot less!”
“He even came up with a promotion!” George chimed in. “He gave a huge discount to all the Weasleys’ former clients!”
– And what happened next? – I looked at the twins sympathetically.
“That bastard took out a loan from the goblins, that’s what,” Anthony chimed in. “But he couldn’t pay the huge interest and ended up enslaved by those green-skinned freaks, you idiot!”
– Don’t say that! – the girl screamed. – Those greedy creatures deceived him!
– Could you elaborate? – Hermione looked at Fred. – Didn’t your brother read the magical contract?
“I read it, I even went to the Ministry lawyer, but the greenskins fooled everyone!” Fred clenched his fists angrily. “The loan was only at 109% interest, but Malfoy had even more, so Bill agreed.”
“And then it turned out that the office where the contract was signed operated on the Mercurian calendar, which has only eighty-eight days in a year!” George continued. “So interest is calculated completely differently!”
“Bill paid for a few months,” Ginny sobbed, “but then the amount became simply unbearable… The goblins offered to work off the debt, and now he works for them…”
– By whom? – A predatory grin involuntarily appeared on my face. – I hope not…
– No! – the twins screamed simultaneously. – He’s not a trapper!
“Who is this?” Colin asked from his seat, but quickly lowered his head. “I’m just curious.”
“They kidnap people and sell them to the goblins,” Elvira began to explain to the first-year. “The greenskins are very fond of human flesh, but they are forbidden to hunt it themselves.”
“Bastards like that have a distinctive brand on their neck, in the form of a spiked collar.” Mia turned her head to the side. “If you meet one, fight to kill or run.”
“Got it, thanks.” The boy nodded thoughtfully, and then took a photo of my friend. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I’ll give you the photo in a week.”
“Bill works as a treasure hunter,” Fred said. “Goblins explore underground tombs and burial sites…”
– And they send the suicide bombers first! – George continued.
– He disarms various traps…
– It’s a miracle that our brother is still alive!
– And he also looks for different values…
– But the goblins evaluate the finds…
– Therefore, the amount of debt has hardly changed in recent years.
“I swore I would free my brother,” Ginny said, looking me in the eye with confidence. “That’s why every knut is important to me.”
– And how much does Bill owe the goblins? – I had an idea, I think Mom will approve, but first we need to find out the price.
“Almost 35 thousand gallens…” the girl whispered. “We’ve been saving for years, but for us, this sum is simply enormous…”
– 175,000 pounds, hmm… – I thought about it. – Not that expensive, a heavy infantry fighting vehicle costs a million and a half, and here…
“Rigel, if you…” The red-haired girl began to babble and gasp with excitement. “Then we… I… Curse…”
– Wham! – I slapped the girl. – No vows! I’ll consult with my mother this evening, and then we’ll see.
– Thank you! – The twins nodded gratefully.
“Not yet.” I nodded in response and stepped aside, I had something to think about.
Buying Bill back from the goblins is definitely worth it, especially given his talents and experience. A wizard like him would be very useful to the Order, since Weasley would have to earn his freedom and the money invested in him. I think forty or fifty years of service in the Order would be fine; we’d even pay him a salary. Then, when he’s settled in, the twins could be recruited. Let them serve alongside their brother, and then the rest of the family would work for Hellsing. This all needs to be carefully considered and consulted with my mother; there are few strong and skilled wizards in the Order, so she should agree.
Meanwhile, the guys calmed down a bit and began to solve pressing problems.
“Ginny, I propose peace.” Anthony approached the red-haired girl and extended his hand. “Perhaps we should renegotiate the terms of our mutually beneficial cooperation?”
“Okay,” the youngest Weasley shook the outstretched hand. “15 percent for you, the rest for me.”
“We’re friends, of course, but not that much!” the Jewish boy exclaimed. “At least 30 percent. I still have to sell these potions, and that won’t be easy!”
– Why is that? – the girl was surprised. – You won’t have any competition!
– And if they ask me about the potion maker? – Anthony answered. – What should I answer?
“Tell them the Potions Master’s apprentice brewed them.” Elvira approached the boys and continued with a smile. “I’ll help Ginny, and you won’t have to come up with anything.”
– You? – Goldstein stared at the black-haired girl in disbelief. – When? And who is this master?
“This morning I signed an apprenticeship contract with Professor Prince,” Smith said, lifting her nose proudly. “Now Diana Malfoy and I are his students.”
“It’s true,” I supported Elvira. “We were shocked at first, too.”
– Greasy-haired never took on students! – The red stereo started working.
– And this means that…
– Someone very big died in the forbidden forest!
– Or maybe he fell and hit his head…
– Or he inhaled the fumes of a toxic potion!
– Or maybe…
– Dumbledore forced him. – I intervened in the reasoning of these jokers. – They threatened to expel the prince from the guild, so he had to take on apprentices.
“Not only that, the Minister ordered that one of the students must be Muggle-born.” Romulus looked up from his maps and in our direction. “It has something to do with politics. By the way, reporters will most likely arrive tomorrow, so put on your ceremonial robes and don’t forget your jewelry.”
– Thank you, – Elvira sighed heavily. – You made me happy.
– Don’t get distracted! – The younger Goldstein flicked Malfoy’s face. – Where are you going like this? You’re left without a trump card again!
“There’s still some in the deck…” Romulus muttered in response and buried his face in the cards.
“There’s only one unfortunate nine left!” Izya gave his friend another flick. “Who did I ever teach to count cards?!”
“That’s just fantastic!” Anthony considered the information and broke into a wide grin. “When you give your interview, don’t forget to promote our products! We’re ready to ship nationwide! Especially since school owls are free!”
“We were actually going to see Hagrid,” Hermione said, bumping her shoulder with a smile. “At this rate, we’ll miss dinner.”
– Agreed. – I nudged her back and looked at the guys.
The twins had already returned to their workstations and, cursing quietly, began making their crafts. Goldstein Sr. was gesticulating wildly, arguing with Elvira and Ginny, while a cheerful Justin and an extremely thoughtful Ron stood off to the side. It seemed the sixth Weasley had learned a lot today. I hope his parents told him where babies come from, otherwise Justin would have to explain that too.
About twenty minutes later, we finally set off to visit the forester, but not with the group we’d originally planned. Ginny and Elvira stayed in the workshop, starting to prepare the future potion room with Goldstein. Luna also refused to go, citing the sofa’s excessive softness and comfort; I liked its simplicity. In the end, Mia, Justin, and Ron left the castle. The latter was very thoughtful and looked at me and my friend with an extremely strange expression; I was afraid to even turn on my empathy.
As we approached the gamekeeper’s hut, Ron stepped aside and started telling us all about Bill, how wonderful, smart, and talented he was. Sixth Weasley was excitedly telling us how they still couldn’t get into his older brother’s room; he’d done such a thing there that even Mr. Weasley’s friends couldn’t break the intricate, multi-layered wards. I listened to these stories with half an ear, wondering how I could ask Hagrid about Myrtle Warren and the Chamber of Secrets. He’d been to school with Filth, after all; maybe he remembered or knew anything interesting. Mom had compiled dossiers on many professors, but she’d left out the gamekeeper, so I know next to nothing about him; I need to rectify this unfortunate omission immediately.
We met the half-giant on the street. Upon seeing us, he beamed and began waving his arms, simultaneously giving directions to a pair of house-elves in orange pillowcases who were levitating a huge wooden vat.
“Hey, kids! It’s been a while since you guys came by.” The big guy stroked his beard and barked at the big-eared freaks. “Be careful out there! Don’t spill!”
“Yes, furry forester,” squeaked one of the house-elves. “Rav and Jam will do everything!”
“Hello, Hagrid,” I greeted back. “Sorry, I’ve been really busy with all this studying.”
– I understand, you have a lot of things to do, tavo, – the forester nodded. – The pumpkins are almost ripe, oh yeah, and a unicorn mare just gave birth, yes. Now I go every morning and check on the foals, tavo.
– Great! – Ron tugged the half-giant by the hem of his coat. – Hagrid, are unicorns pretty?
– Of course! – The forester proudly straightened his shoulders. – These horses, these, are the cleanest in the world, yeah. I’ll make you some tea now and, you know, I’ll tell you everything. I just need to finish one thing, it’s really important, you know.
The boys and I watched as the house elves, under the forester’s command, dragged that very same massive vat into the hut and then placed it in the back room, next to the homemade moonshine still. Through the open door, I spotted the coil, the vat itself, a cabinet with empty bottles, and a couple of sacks of sugar. It turns out our forester has many talents; he’s not only interested in animals but also in potions… Specialized ones, admittedly, but potions nonetheless.
– Hagrid, do you do alchemy? – Ron also saw the impressive device and asked a question.
– What? – The forester got distracted and tripped over the bottles on the floor.
The half-giant waved his arms and collapsed on the floor, right on top of one of the house-elves. In a past life, I handled the case of a construction worker killed by a poorly secured concrete slab falling on him. When our big forester rose, the unfortunate house-elves reminded me of that poor fellow. The tiny body had become almost flat, its insides had been squeezed out, and its eyes were bulging. Well, the parasite was unlucky.
“You killed Jam!” the house elf screamed, jumping back in time. “You’re a fucking animal! Poor Jam…”
– It’s… Tavo… – Hagrid scratched the back of his head and tried to push the dead body away with his foot. – It didn’t turn out well…
“Oh, Jam! You were a good house-elf!” The second parasite ran up to his dead comrade and fell to his knees. “The rabbi will grieve, as will the entire community…”
– You… – The forester nudged the house elf with his foot. – Sorry, yes, it was an accident, yeah.
– Jam died a hero… – The surviving parasite stood up. – Jam fought with a large, furry animal…
– You, that, tavo! – Hagrid grabbed the house-elf by the ears. – Don’t call him names, yeah!
“Sorry, furry forester, Rav didn’t mean to offend you!” squeaked the lop-eared misunderstanding. “Rav will clean everything up now!”
The half-giant released the parasite, who landed nimbly on his feet and, looking at the body of his dead brother, snapped his fingers, causing the flattened carcass to disappear.
– Shaggy forester, Rav will do everything. – The brownie sniffled. – Can Rav go?
– Yeah, right. – The forester looked at the vat and nodded. – This one, tell the elder that I, this one, did it by accident.
“Okay, Rav, pass it on!” The little parasite broke into a satisfied smile. “The line for sex has gotten shorter!”
With a loud pop, the house-elf disappeared, and Hagrid picked up a large bottle and headed for the table. Mia and I didn’t seem to care, but Ron continued to stare, open-mouthed, at the spot where the house-elf had gone from three-dimensional to flat. Meanwhile, the gamekeeper filled the kettle from a bucket, hung it in the fireplace, and then lit the fire with his wand.
When I first saw his wand concentrator, I immediately thought of Boris from the Union, as this magical instrument resembled a baseball bat or a polished club. The forester even boasted back then that Ollivander had made him a custom wand because the standard ones were, well, too small.
“Hagrid, you killed the house-elf,” Ron said to the gamekeeper. “You won’t get into trouble?”
“Oh, don’t worry about it,” the half-giant waved his hand and filled his bucket mug. “Better, come on, come sit at the table, yeah. I smoked some fresh wings here, and dried some meat.”
– What did he say about sex? – The red-haired boy didn’t let up, – before he disappeared?
– There are a lot of them, yeah, they’re incredibly prolific. – The forester took a sip from his mug. – Well, Dumbledore, he’s a great man, controls their fertility, yeah. So these parasites have made a line for this… – The bearded fellow blushed. – For this, well, fertility, yeah.
– Hagrid, what do you make moonshine from? – I decided to change the subject and started chopping up the vegetables that were lying in a pile on the table.
“Of course it’s made from pumpkin juice!” The half-giant was glad to talk about something else. “There’s a lot left over because, you know, kids don’t drink it well, yeah.”
“It’s delicious and healthy!” The younger Weasley calmed down and sat down at the table. “I’ve loved it since I was a kid.”
– That’s what I’m talking about, but not everyone understands it, right? – The forester made a large loaf of bread from the mug. – So I asked the house elves to, you know, collect the strips in a vat, and then I, you know, cook Pervak from it.
“That’s a strange name,” I looked at my bearded friend. “Where did it come from?”
– Many years ago, yeah, at a foresters’ meeting I met Kuzmich, yeah, he looks after Sherwood Forest, yeah. He’s really smart, yeah, he taught me a lot, yeah. – Hagrid looked at the bottle. – I’m really big, I need a lot, and this, the salary, well, it’s really small. So he showed me how to make clear firewhiskey, he even came to visit, can you imagine? He came, yeah, showed me how and where, and why, and then he stayed with me for another week, yeah. It was fun, yeah.
– Where is he from? – Mia looked up from slicing bread. – Is Kuzmich a first or last name?
“The manticore knows.” The half-giant shrugged. “He’s been with the KAL (Author’s Note: College of English Foresters) for a long time, no one even asks anymore, yeah. I remember he told Trelawney about Siberia, they became fast friends then, yeah, they were friends every night. Kuzmich wanted to take her with him then, but Dumbledore, great man that he is, wouldn’t let him. Of course, yeah, she’s a professor, it’s not right to leave children without a teacher. That’s how it is.
– By the way, Hagrid, how was your holiday? – Justin asked and reached for the tea mugs. – Where did you go?
– That’s right! Kids, it’s me, that’s it! I brought you some treats! – The forester jumped up and rushed to the chest. – I, you know, brought it especially for you!
Hagrid threw back the heavy lid, pulled out a huge paper bag, and placed it on the table. It turned out to be filled with various exotic sweets, and just in time, the kettle began to whistle.
For the next couple of hours, we listened to stories about Greece, the contented half-giant sharing his impressions of the weather, the people, the wonderful nursery and the cute animals living there, and how wonderful everything was there in general. Along the way, we studied the photographs, of which there were quite a few, enough to fill a couple of albums. In the pictures, our bearded giant sported shorts, a colorful T-shirt, and a cute purple sunhat against a backdrop of vibrant landscapes or dangerous monsters. In one picture, he was hugging a terrified griffin, in another, he was hand-feeding a chimera, and in a third, he was cuddling a black Cerberus. The surprised expressions of the nursery keepers could often be seen in the background, but they paled in comparison to Hagrid’s happy face.
– … and in the end, Dimisos… Demitri… Di-mi-tri-os, that’s it! He offered me to stay, yeah, and work for them. – The half-giant’s tongue was already starting to slur. – But I refused, yeah.
– Why? – Ron washed down his chocolate baklava with tea. – You liked it, didn’t you?
– How can I leave you? – Hagrid patted the red-haired boy on the shoulder, which almost made him fall. – And Dumbledore? He’s a great man, yeah, I owe him, you know.
– And with what? – I moved forward. – He is great, of course, but to that extent?
– Everyone, yeah! Dumbledore, you know, got me out of Azkaban, yeah. – The Forester realized he’d said too much and drained his mug in one gulp. – I, you know, ended up there by accident, yeah. I didn’t mean to!
“Hagrid, we believe you.” I took my bearded friend’s hand, while Mia filled his mug to the brim. “We’re not judging you, we’re just curious. We’re friends, right?”
– Friends, of course, yeah… – The Half-Giant sighed heavily and began to tell his story. – I was really young then, yeah, and I was celebrating my OWLs with friends at the Hog’s Head, yeah. I drank three barrels of dwarven ale on a dare, yeah, and got really drunk. Then some other guys came over, yeah, it was fun, yeah, then Scott started calling me names, yeah. He was a nasty boy, yeah, even though he was Muggle-born, he, yeah, always served purebloods… I really didn’t mean to! And he, yeah, called my mom a bad name, insulted my dad all sorts of things, yeah, and everyone started laughing… So I couldn’t take it anymore and, yeah, I got really angry…
– And what happened? – Mia looked sympathetically at the half-giant.
– I hit him, yeah, just once! – The forester sniffled. – It was pretty hard, yeah… I hit him, his head burst like a pumpkin and flew all over the room, there was a lot of blood. I really didn’t mean to!
Hagrid took a sip from his mug and burst into tears, and we immediately rushed to comfort him. As I hugged the weeping giant, I couldn’t help but admire Dumbledore. After all, the maximum sentence for killing a Muggle-born is five years, and if you’re pureblood, you can get off with a fine. So it wasn’t difficult for the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot to release the half-giant on parole, and in return, he received a loyal and devoted assistant. He’s a cunning old man, no doubt about it.
Half an hour later Hagrid calmed down, poured himself some Pervak and us some tea, and continued his story.
– When I realized what I’d done, I ran straight to Hogwarts, I had to set Aragosh free, yeah. I barely made it… – the Gamekeeper took a sip from his mug. – I just got back from the forest, yeah, and then they arrested me right away. Then there was a trial, yeah, they called me a dangerous animal and demanded to kill me! Like, I should be tried differently. For what? – Tears streamed down Hagrid’s face again. – Someone even suggested testing me for this, what’s it called, intelligence, that’s it! I didn’t want to, yeah, he started it… He’s been calling me names since my first year, yeah…
– Hagrid, you’re sensible! – Ron hugged the big guy tightly. – They’re all unreasonable fools!
“Yeah, yeah, that’s what Dumbledore told me, yeah.” The Gamekeeper smiled warmly. “Everyone stood up for me then, can you imagine? The professors and prefects spoke in my defense, yeah, I especially liked what Tom Riddle said. He was a good guy, yeah. Tavo, he never called me names, and he was always polite, yeah. Probably because he was a half-blood himself, yeah, too bad he disappeared somewhere later…”
“He disappeared, of course…” I muttered quietly. “Good boy, yeah, I’ll find him and strangle the creature.”
– Rigel, what are you mumbling there? – The forester turned his attention to me. – What happened?
“Everything’s fine,” I smiled back. “You better tell me how it ended?”
– There’s nothing to tell there, yeah, – the Big Man sighed heavily, – they gave me ten years in the lower levels, the shameful werewolves, yeah. – Hagrid remembered something and shuddered, and then took a swig from the bottle. – Kids, mark my words, yeah, Azkaban is a scary place! So many years have passed, and I still have nightmares. I’ll never go back there, I’d rather die. I only spent three years there, yeah, but it feels like a hundred years have passed, yeah, maybe more! Dementors are terrible creatures, yeah, they need to be destroyed! They’re not alive, they’re practically demons, or whatever the correct word is?
“Why didn’t you come home after you were released?” Justin looked thoughtfully at his big friend. “Why did you go to Hogwarts?”
– Well, by that time, I didn’t have a home anymore. While I was in Azkaban, my dad, you know, died, and the Ministry pocketed the house, yeah. – The half-giant put the empty bottle under the table. – They, you know, thought I’d die in prison, bad people work there, yeah. Except Dumbledore, he’s a great man! He, you know, managed to get me a stone, yeah, and built this house, and, you know, hired me, yeah! I’ve been living here ever since, now my home is Hogwarts, yeah.
– Hagrid, do you know anything about the Chamber of Secrets? – I decided to change the subject once again. – Maybe someone managed to find it when you were a student?
“I’ve heard of one, yeah, I know.” The half-giant straightened up and smoothed his beard. “According to legend, Salazar Slytherin placed a school guardian there, yeah, they said it was a huge basilisk, can you imagine? I’d love to meet one! I’ve snuggled with horned snakes in Greece, yeah, they’re so cute!”
“XXXXXX hazard class, fifteen meters long, and poison that kills almost instantly… It’s just so cute…” Justin, sitting opposite him, began to grumble. “It’s a good thing they don’t live around here.”
– How do you know all this? – Hermione leaned forward. – Did they teach you about it in History of Magic?
– Oh, no… – The forester waved his hand. – There was an old man in the next cell, quite a talkative one, yeah. He was probably about three hundred years old, I forgot his last name, but I remember he was also imprisoned for murder, yeah. He killed his great-granddaughter’s fiancé, yeah. He was a real bad guy, yeah, he beat the girl badly, so the old man turned him into ingredients, yeah. He was fair, yeah. So the old man told me all sorts of things, yeah, he was a good storyteller. I learned a lot of interesting things then, yeah.
“And I heard that Slytherin brought this monster in to rid the school of Mudbloods.” Ron stared at the half-giant. “But Slytherin hated Muggle-borns! That’s why he fell out with the other founders and left Hogwarts!”
“Don’t believe that nonsense, it’s the purebloods of today who have changed everything, yeah.” Hagrid frowned. “The old man said Godric and Salazar were best friends, yeah, and that was, like, a thousand years ago. Back then, Muggle-borns weren’t even allowed home for the holidays, yeah, and after school, they almost all became vassals of the purebloods, yeah. Back then, there was no trace of the Statute, yeah, and there was no such nonsense about purebloods. Wizards lived among Muggles, so they stuck together and valued each other, that’s it!”
– I see… – Ryzhik nodded thoughtfully. – So that’s it.
“So, no one tried to find the Chamber of Secrets?” I asked the question I was interested in. “Maybe someone did succeed?”
“I don’t know, there were all sorts of rumors going around the school, yeah.” The gamekeeper turned the empty bottle over in his hands. “I think they said Tom Riddle succeeded, yeah, but I don’t believe it. He may be a Slytherin, but he was incredibly upright. And the way he was upset about Myrtle’s death, yeah, he was absolutely terrified, yeah, and he was always chasing after the DMV investigators, yeah. He was a good guy, conscientious, yeah.”
– How did she die? – Hermione pricked up her ears. – I read old newspapers, but there was no mention of it.
– Yeah, what’s there to write about, – the half-giant waved and uncorked another bottle, – it was an accident, that’s all. She slipped on the wet floor in the toilet and broke her neck, yeah. I remember that Myrtle was always running after Tom, yeah, but that’s understandable, he was a handsome guy, stately. Even pureblood girls glanced at him, yeah. There were rumors that her competitors killed that one, but Headmaster Dippet said it was all lies, yeah.
“I see,” Mia nodded and reached into the envelope for the sweets, while also looking at her wristwatch. “Wow!”
“What did you see there?” the half-giant asked lazily, tipsy and relaxed. “Everything there was fresh, yeah, everything was stored under that, what’s it called, stasis, yeah.”
– It’s already half past seven! – The girl showed everyone the silver accessory. – We’ve been sitting here too long!
“What did you want?” Hagrid’s smile widened. “Time flies in good company, you know. Okay, let’s get ready, I’ll walk you to the castle. Yeah, it’s already dark outside, you know.”
Our merry company, accompanied by the gamekeeper, set off for Hogwarts. On the way, I thought about how much new and interesting I’d learned today, but none of it brought me a single centimeter closer to finding the diary with the Scumbag inside. I won’t even mention the Chamber of Secrets, and to hell with it, I had more important things to do.
There’s an important competition ahead, and I must uphold the honor of the Hellsing family, so I only need to win! And today I need to talk to Mom about Bill’s fate; that way, we’ll help the Weasleys and swell the Order’s ranks. And then there’s school—in addition to Hogwarts, I’m also attending Regal Academy! Crying and giving up are for the weak, but I’m strong and I have to cope, and I can’t do it any other way; I’m used to it.
With these thoughts in mind, my friends and I returned to Hogwarts. A nagging thought lingered in the back of my mind: the school had become a bit too quiet and calm. This fueled my paranoia and nervousness even more. Fine, we’ll deal with problems as they arise, but let’s not forget that we always need to be, tavo, on our guard. For now, off to the shower and a soft bed…
