Chapter 616 His Name Is Grawp!!
Not to mention Harry's worry about Hagrid's current situation—even Darren was more concerned about whether Hagrid could withstand the beating.
Sensing their gazes, Hagrid rarely tried to lie. Instead, he said somewhat weakly,
"Follow me. I'll take you into the Forbidden Forest… I hope you can help me teach him some English after I'm expelled…"
"English? Is that a person?"
Hermione asked in confusion as she followed Hagrid.
Darren shook his head helplessly and said with an almost resigned sigh,
"Can't you guess? Hagrid brought back a giant. The wounds on his face are obviously from a giant's beating."
"But… but…"
Hermione and Harry stared at Darren in horror. Darren sighed again.
"I suspected it the first day Hagrid came back.
He dismissed my doubts at the time, but as the injuries kept appearing day after day, the suspicion came back… until today."
Darren covered his face.
Harry and Hermione slowly turned their terrified gazes toward Hagrid. Hagrid looked even more guilty.
He pretended not to notice their expressions and led them deeper into the Forbidden Forest.
There was a crossbow in his hand, and he looked far more vigilant than usual.
Hermione had been wanting to ask what danger existed in the Forbidden Forest that made Hagrid bring a crossbow with him.
After all, when Hagrid had first returned, he hadn't carried a crossbow into the forest at all.
Darren answered her question quietly.
"Obviously, the creatures of the Forbidden Forest don't agree with Hagrid bringing a giant back. They must have caused trouble."
"So Firenze asked me to warn Hagrid not to make any more pointless efforts… that giant?"
Harry said weakly.
Both Darren and Hagrid nodded.
But Hagrid said stubbornly,
"The Forbidden Forest belongs to them, but it doesn't belong only to them. If they can live here, others can live here too!"
"But your giant…"
Darren pointed helplessly at the hill-like figure ahead.
"He's clearly destroyed the ecological balance here."
"Grawp! His name is Grawp!"
Hagrid said happily, pointing at the giant.
He looked at Darren and the others with teary eyes and said anxiously,
"He's my younger brother. He's too small, my mother didn't like him. He was always bullied. I had no choice but to bring him back…"
Hermione and Harry almost couldn't breathe.
Hermione clutched her clothes and said with a strange, strained tone,
"Small? Yes… very small."
Harry couldn't even force a laugh.
He said tremblingly,
"You brought him back—then why don't you take care of him yourself?"
Let them take care of a giant?
That giant could trample them to death with a single step.
"Someone threw a Stink Pellet in Umbridge's office. She thinks I did it and wants to get rid of me!"
Hagrid said sadly.
"Now, as long as anything happens involving magical creatures, she thinks it's my fault!"
Darren's expression darkened.
"On what grounds?" he said angrily.
"I'll go find her. She can't just frame you like this!"
"Don't go, Darren, don't go," Hagrid hurriedly said.
"It's not the end of the world. If she drives me away, I can go help the Order of the Phoenix. I can help Dumbledore too. You don't need to worry about me."
"I'm just afraid that if I'm not here, Grawp won't have anyone to take care of him…"
Harry and Hermione fell silent at the same time.
Only Darren spoke again, helplessly,
"And how exactly are we supposed to take care of him? Feed him? Bathe him? Or play with him?"
Harry and Hermione glanced at the thick ropes binding Grawp and swallowed hard.
With a creature like this, wouldn't one wrong move be fatal?
"No, no," Hagrid said quickly.
"You just need to talk to him, let him know we like him!"
As he said this, Grawp suddenly rolled over.
A huge tree was knocked down instantly.
Darren immediately pulled Harry and Hermione several steps back.
He almost laughed in anger as he said,
"Hagrid, what if Hermione and Harry were crushed by him while they were 'talking' to him?"
"You're always like this. In second year, you sent Harry and Ron into the Forbidden Forest to find spiders. If I hadn't been there, they would've died."
"And now it's the same. You're trying to push this onto others for your brother's sake."
"You know they can't do it, yet you keep leading them into agreeing bit by bit along the way."
"Hagrid, tell me—do you actually consider us friends? Or are we just tools for Headmaster Dumbledore?"
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding...]
Hagrid looked at Darren uneasily.
He was completely speechless, staring at Darren with tear-filled eyes.
"But I really don't know… what he'll do after I leave…"
Darren smiled bitterly.
He finally said,
"Then just leave this to me. Don't drag my brother and Hermione into it."
"Did you want them to die?"
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding...]
Darren walked toward Grawp.
He looked up at the enormous giant and let out a long sigh.
"I just hope Hagrid can hold on a little longer. Even I'm honestly scared."
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding...]
They left the Forbidden Forest in silence.
After Hagrid left, Hermione finally exploded.
"What was he thinking?" she hissed angrily.
"What was he thinking?! He actually wanted us to talk to a giant!"
"Why can't he just be a bit more mature?"
"He's so big, yet every time it's us kids who are expected to deal with it!"
"The three headed dog in first year. Spiders in second year. And now Grawp!"
"Why does he always pile things on that could land him in Azkaban?!"
Darren gently hugged her.
"Alright, Hermione. Nothing's happened yet."
"If something really does happen to Hagrid, I'll go stay with Grawp."
"At the very least, surviving won't be a problem. Don't be afraid."
Hermione nodded, tears still in her eyes.
But she said weakly,
"Why can't he just be honest…"
Harry said nothing. He stared blankly at the Quidditch pitch in the distance.
Then, faintly, they heard a crowd chanting in unison:
"Weasley is our king!"
All three of them fell silent.
Finally, Darren sighed.
"Let's go back first. Ron probably needs our comfort more right now."