Chapter 106: Hagrid's Past
Chapter 106: Hagrid's Past
The next morning during the break, Harry told Liam and the others that Dobby had visited him again the previous night. Dobby still insisted on saving him but wouldn't explain why.
It seemed that the unfortunate Harry would have to continue dealing with Dobby. Liam made a helpless expression.
After lunch, Liam headed to the edge of the Forbidden Forest with a new book his father had sent. Wolf was already waiting for him, and in addition to the book from last time, he had a tightly sealed wooden box on his back.
"What's this?" Liam asked curiously.
"Thank you for the book. This is a mature wild Mandrake I collected. I'm giving it to you as a gift. This box was made by Bettie. As long as it remains closed, the Mandrake will stay asleep and live for a year", Wolf said, his wolfish face breaking into a pure smile.
Seeing that smile, Liam knew he couldn't refuse the gift. However, it was too precious to accept without reciprocating, and he felt guilty about taking it.
Liam rummaged through his Spatial Bag and pulled out a small pendant, which he handed to Wolf. The pendant was something Liam had made while practicing the Maoshan Daoist Scriptures.
"What is this? I can feel the power of magic", Wolf asked, taking the pendant with his paw.
"It's a gift for you, to thank you for helping me send things and messages to Bettie and the others." Liam and Bettie's exchanges of supplies had been facilitated by Wolf, as Liam's current level wasn't sufficient to send physical items through the Emerald Dream.
Wolf's face showed approval, and Liam continued, "I made this amulet using the Poison Fang and venom of a Giant Octo-Eyed Spider. It can create a green fog within a ten-meter radius around you, which most magic cannot detect. The fog can be used three times a day, and it lasts for one minute each time."
"That sounds useful. It could save my life. Thank you. I'll ask the Centaur to make a chain so I can wear it around my neck", Wolf said, thanking Liam before heading back into the Forbidden Forest with the new book and amulet.
After saying goodbye to Wolf, Liam was walking back when he noticed Harry and Ron standing outside Hagrid's hut.
"What are you guys doing here?" Liam asked curiously.
"We heard from some older students that there have been crying sounds coming from the hut for the past few days. We're a bit worried about Hagrid, so we came to check on him", Harry explained.
What could make a 60-year-old man like Hagrid cry for days? Liam was curious. "I'll come and see him too. He's a good person."
Harry walked up the steps and knocked on the door. It opened, and Hagrid stood inside, his eyes red and a hint of alcohol on his breath. "What are you little rascals doing here?"
"We heard you've been feeling down, so we came to check on you", Harry said.
"Alright, come in. I think a cup of tea might do us all good." Hagrid invited the three of them inside. On the table was a half-empty bottle of Firewhisky, which he put away in a cabinet before bringing out a plate of biscuits and a pot of tea from the fireplace.
"What's been going on? Maybe we can help", Liam asked, taking the tea Hagrid offered.
Hagrid's eyes welled up again at Liam's question. "My Aragog died."
Liam froze at the words, but fortunately, no one noticed. "Aragog? Who's that? Why have I never heard you mention him?" Harry asked.
"He's a Giant Octo-Eyed Spider, but I've never wanted anyone to know about his existence, so I never told you."
"Why didn't you want us to know about him?" Liam asked curiously.
"Because the Giant Octo-Eyed Spider is a creature native to Southeast Asia, and its favorite food is humans. Although it can speak, it can't communicate properly. It’s always been considered a dangerous Dark Magic creature", Ron added from the side.
"How do you know so much about it?" Harry turned to Ron and asked.
"I hate spiders, so I remember all the magical creatures related to them", Ron said, his face looking a bit pale.
"What happened, then?" Liam asked, curious. After all, Bettie had taken care of all the Giant Octo-Eyed Spider corpses, so how did Hagrid know Aragog was dead?
"I visit Aragog every now and then. But when I went to see him yesterday, there wasn't a single giant spider left. In the end, I found burn marks in their nesting cave and this—half of Aragog's head. It's likely a Wizard killed him", Hagrid said, wiping away a tear and pointing to a charred piece on the mantelpiece.
Ron quietly moved back, while Liam and Harry stepped forward to examine the charred piece. It took them a while to realize it was indeed half of an insect's head, burned black. Liam thought it might have been a part that was blown away during the explosion and not found by Bettie, which is why it was left at the scene.
"Why did you keep such a dangerous species?" Ron asked Hagrid as Liam and Harry examined the charred piece.
"No, he wasn't dangerous. I even found him a mate, and they lived and reproduced in the Forbidden Forest. When I brought him to Hogwarts, he was only as big as a teacup and posed no threat. Later, someone accused him of being involved in a girl's death, so I had to let him escape to the Forbidden Forest. Because of that, I was expelled from school, but thanks to Dumbledore's help, I was allowed to stay", Hagrid said, his words flowing more freely after a few drinks.
"Was the girl who died Moaning Myrtle?" Liam suddenly asked.
"How did you know?" Hagrid asked, surprised.
"Because I attended Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington's Deathday Party, and there was only one ghost wearing a Hogwarts uniform. I was curious and asked her a lot of questions."
"I didn't kill her, I really didn't", Hagrid said, waving his hands agitatedly. Harry and Ron also chimed in to vouch for Hagrid, insisting he was a good person and wouldn't harm anyone.
"I didn't say you were the killer", Liam said, a bit exasperated. "Myrtle said she was killed by a pair of large yellow eyes. The Giant Octo-Eyed Spider is highly venomous and good at attacking, but it definitely can't kill with its eyes. Besides, the Giant Octo-Eyed Spider has four large eyes, and Myrtle only saw two."
"So", Liam turned to Hagrid, "I think you kept Aragog's existence a secret to protect him, which led to a lack of evidence and you being wrongly accused for decades. Now that Aragog is gone, you can tell Professor Dumbledore the whole story and clear your name. At least then you can use magic openly."
(End of Chapter)
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