"For the next week, Hagrid remained elusive. He was conspicuously absent from the staff table during meals, neglected his duties as gatekeeper on the grounds, and despite Harry's attempts to seek him out, Hagrid remained reclusive inside his hut, tightly drawn curtains concealing him.
When the new semester commenced, even his role was temporarily assumed by a substitute professor, Professor Grapeland. Professor Grapeland was an elderly witch with short, gray hair and a prominent chin. Compared to Hagrid, her teaching prowess was remarkable, and she demonstrated adeptness in selecting magical creatures.
In the first two classes of the semester, she introduced the third and fourth-year students to unicorns, which captivated them far more than tailed snails ever had. Professor Grapeland shared an abundance of unicorn knowledge, some of which even surprised Evan.
Notably, the female students were thrilled to have the opportunity to interact with a unicorn. Overall, Professor Grapeland's exceptional performance left a lasting impression on the young wizards.
She demonstrated that studying magical creatures could be enjoyable, without the continuous smearing of Malfoy and the Slytherin group. Consequently, sympathy for Hagrid among the students quickly waned, and they all hoped that Professor Grapeland would stay.
"This is what I call a magical creatures class, focused on noble creatures like unicorns, not monsters!" Lavender remarked during dinner. "I hope she stays."
"What about Hagrid?" Harry inquired, his irritation evident.
Lavender had just praised Professor Grapeland's teaching, which agitated him.
"He can still tend to his groundskeeping duties!" Lavender retorted.
Observing Harry's expression, Ron gave Lavender's shirt a discreet tug, signaling her to cease speaking further.
After the Yule Ball, Ron and Lavender's relationship didn't end as Evan, Harry, and Hermione had anticipated. Instead, it grew stronger. Ron even tried to integrate Lavender into their small circle, but it proved challenging.
They were fundamentally different individuals with contrasting personalities and viewpoints. Evan, Harry, Hermione, Colin, Ginny, Gabrielle, and Lavender couldn't comfortably converse together.
"No, we must find Hagrid!" Harry declared, setting down his utensils. "Right now. We need to let him know we want him back. Do you want him back?!"
He asked Hermione, who had just praised Professor Grapeland for her class.
"I won't lie. It's refreshing to have a proper magical creatures class for a change, but I do want Hagrid back, of course!" Hermione added hastily, wary of Harry's intense glare.
Harry nodded firmly. "Then it's settled. We'll all go and ensure he comes out to speak with us."
"I'm not going!" Lavender interjected, oblivious to Harry's expression. "I don't understand why we should insist on keeping Hagrid. Professor Grapeland is far more qualified for the Protecting Magical Creatures class."
Harry abruptly left, ignoring Lavender's remarks, but undoubtedly furious. Evan and Hermione hurried after him, while Ron hesitated, staying behind to comfort Lavender.
She appeared equally aggrieved, believing she hadn't said anything wrong. In reality, she was merely expressing her honest opinion, without any strong friendship with Hagrid to consider.
The field remained blanketed in thick snow and ice. After leaving the castle, Harry strode quickly, nearly running to Hagrid's cabin. Evan and Hermione summoned enough energy to catch up.
The last time Harry had been this angry was when he confronted Peter Pettigrew and learned the truth about his parents' deaths. In his heart, Hagrid held a significant place.
Lavender's words, coupled with Ron's absence, had deeply affected him. Now, he wasn't receptive to Evan and Hermione's attempts to persuade him. He only wanted to see Hagrid, to tell him that his half-giant heritage didn't matter.
Five minutes later, they reached Hagrid's cabin, still shrouded in drawn curtains. Evan knocked on the door, hearing Fang's subdued barks from inside.
"Hagrid, it's us!" Harry called out, pounding on the door. "Open up!"
Hagrid remained silent; they could hear Fang scratching at the door and whimpering, but the door remained shut. They knocked persistently for over ten minutes, yet received no response.
Evan peered inside through a gap in the curtains. Hagrid was undoubtedly there, but he was deliberately avoiding them, much as he had done previously.
However, Harry was determined. He shouted for a while and saw Ron rushing from the castle, looking breathless. Ron had managed to convince Lavender to join them, and he approached Harry apologetically, explaining Lavender's earlier remarks.
Ron's presence eased Harry's frustration, and he wasn't as upset as before. As for Lavender's comments, he didn't take them to heart at all.
Harry continued pounding on the door, while Ron knocked on a window. Still, there was no response.
"Why is he avoiding us?" Hermione wondered aloud. "Does he believe we care about his half-giant heritage?"
"It seems that way!"
"Enough, Hagrid, we know you're inside!" Harry shouted, raising his wand. "Come out, Hagrid! Nobody cares that your mother was a giant! We can't let that nasty Skeeter woman get away with this!"
A red light emitted from Harry's wand, and the door to Hagrid's cabin burst open with a resounding bang!
Hagrid, seated by the extinguished fireplace with two bottles of wine in front of him, looked surprised as the group entered. Empty bottles littered the floor, and the air was heavy with the scent of alcohol.
Hagrid appeared disheveled, with a blotchy face, swollen red eyes, and his once-messy hair now tangled and unruly. He was still wearing the same shaggy brown suit he had worn to the Yule Ball.
"Hello, Hagrid!" Harry greeted as he walked in.
"Hello!" Hagrid responded, his voice hoarse and raspy, looking up in astonishment.
Following Harry, Evan, Ron, and Hermione entered the hut. Fluffy greeted them with enthusiastic barking and snarling, attempting to lick Evan's ear. Evan deftly avoided Fluffy's affectionate advance and surveyed the interior. It was hard to believe that this was Hagrid's familiar cabin, only a few days since his absence. The scene inside had undergone a drastic transformation, leaving Ron and Hermione equally astonished.
Ignoring the litter of empty bottles and spoiled food scattered across the floor, Harry strode directly to Hagrid.
"Hagrid, snap out of it!" he exclaimed. "How can you let something like this get you down?"
Hagrid remained unresponsive, gazing vacantly at Harry. The weight of his half-blood giant heritage had plagued his mind for decades, eroding his confidence. Mrs. Maxim's scathing article had dealt a severe blow to his already fragile self-esteem.
Hagrid was acutely aware of what being a half-blood giant symbolized and feared that others would shun him upon discovering this fact. He had only sought refuge in solitude and never expected Harry, Evan, Ron, and Hermione to visit.
His greatest concern was whether they would still want to be friends with him once they learned he was a half-blood giant.
"Harry's right, Hagrid; don't pay attention to what that woman wrote!" Hermione chimed in. "You shouldn't let her words affect you. She's spreading baseless rumors, and nobody cares about her writings."
"She's not spreading baseless rumors; I am a half-blood giant!" Hagrid choked out, tears streaming from his dark eyes and trickling into his tangled beard. "My mother..."
"We don't care; even if you're a half-blood giant, there's nothing unusual about you in our eyes."
"You don't understand, Harry," Hagrid said, tears continuing to flow down his cheeks and into his disheveled beard.
Harry was about to say more when a voice came from the front of Hagrid's cabin.
"I apologize for interrupting, but I believe that, in this case, Harry sees things more clearly than you do, Hagrid. The fact that these four have come here shows that they still want to be your friends, and that's what truly matters."
Everyone turned their heads in surprise to see Dumbledore standing in the doorway.
"Hello!" he greeted cheerfully, smiling at everyone.
"Professor!"
"I'm pleased to see all of you here. I've come to discuss Hagrid's recent resignation with him. We can't linger like this; let's sit down and have some tea while we talk."
Dumbledore waved his wand gracefully, conjuring a spinning tea tray and a plate of cake in mid-air. Using his magic, he guided the tea tray to land on the table, and everyone took their seats.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione appeared rather formal. After a brief silence, Dumbledore encouraged everyone to help themselves to a cup of tea.
The conversation continued, and with Dumbledore's presence, everyone felt reassured. Evan sat on the edge of the bed, holding a cup of tea, his gaze absentmindedly fixed on the steaming cup, while his eyes wandered to the snow-covered window.
"Hagrid, in the days following the publication of that article, I received numerous letters, all related to you. I've brought them for you to read," Dumbledore explained. He waved his wand, and a large, heavy package landed on the floor. "These are letters from parents of past students who attended Hogwarts and were deeply impressed by you. They emphatically told me they would not stop supporting you, even if I expelled you. You should give them a read!"
Rita Skeeter, on behalf of parents, had called for Hagrid's expulsion from Hogwarts in her newspaper article. After seeing this report, many witches and wizards had spontaneously written to Dumbledore to express their opinions.
People didn't like being represented by others, and their spontaneous letters had inadvertently turned into expressions of support.
Hagrid's popularity wasn't as tarnished as he had believed. Many people were willing to speak up for him.
Following this, Harry, Evan, Ron, and Hermione began opening the letters and reading aloud the words of support for Hagrid. Hearing these heartfelt messages, Hagrid couldn't hold back his tears.
"Not everyone!" he hoarsely said. "Not everyone wants me to stay."
"Truthfully, Hagrid, you might have to stay in this hut for a very long time if you wait for the entire world to support you," Dumbledore remarked, his eyes peering earnestly from behind his half-moon glasses. "Since I've become the Headmaster of this school, I receive at least one owl per week with letters criticizing how I run the school. What do you think I should do? Lock myself away in my study and refuse to speak to anyone?"
"But, but you're not a half-blood giant!" Hagrid protested.
"Hagrid, just look at my relatives," Harry retorted angrily. "Take a look at the Dursleys!"
"Excellent point!" Professor Dumbledore chuckled. "My brother, Albus Fawkes, was once prosecuted for casting a hex on a goat, and it made headlines. But did Albus Fawkes hide away? Not at all! He held his head high and did as he pleased! Though, I'm not entirely sure if he can read, so perhaps he isn't as bold as he seems."
Evan couldn't help but feel intrigued by the mention of Dumbledore's brother, Alfred, and his apparent history of hexing goats. Investigating the reports of that year, he recalled the complex relationship between Alfred and the goat, a mystery that remained unexplained.
"Come back to teaching, Hagrid," Hermione whispered. "Please come back. We really miss you."
Hagrid fought back his emotions but couldn't prevent the tears from falling.
"Harry, Evan, Ron, Hermione's presence here and these letters speak for themselves," Dumbledore declared as he stood up. "I do not accept your resignation, Hagrid. However, you may take one more week off; I expect you back in the classroom next Monday. Join me in the Great Hall for breakfast at eight-thirty, no exceptions."
With that, Dumbledore headed toward the door, pausing to scratch behind Tooth's ear before exiting the cottage.
Once the door had closed behind him, Hagrid buried his face in his massive hand, which was the size of a garbage can lid, and wept bitterly. Hermione continued patting his arm, and finally, Hagrid raised his head, his red eyes filled with gratitude.
"What a remarkable man, Dumbledore. Truly remarkable."