Hagrid's scream echoed through the Forbidden Forest, a cry filled with misery and despair, yet infused with an eerie malevolence. It was the kind of sound that made one's skin crawl.
However, when Hagrid, the centaur, and Aragog—these powerful beings—followed the sound to its source, the scream vanished, and there was no sign of anyone.
Though there were signs of combat, there was no visible destruction at the scene, leaving them unable to determine what had happened. Who had made such a terrible scream?
Hagrid reported the incident to Dumbledore, who responded calmly. As a result, Hagrid was sent on his way.
Of course, Hagrid continued to trust Dumbledore, just as Dumbledore trusted him deeply.
Their relationship was somewhat unique, perhaps partly because of Hagrid's innate kindness.
"Good morning, Professor Callister. Are you heading to the Great Hall for breakfast?" Hagrid greeted, laughing as he saw Callister approaching from the side.
As a giant, Hagrid's imposing stature made Callister look diminutive by comparison.
"Yes, Hagrid!" Callister smiled and responded.
"Did you hear that terrible scream from the Forbidden Forest last night?" Hagrid asked, his voice lowered slightly in a mysterious tone, his eyes scanning the area as if to keep the conversation private.
Callister's little cottage was the closest to the Forbidden Forest, aside from Hagrid's own small hut, so Hagrid assumed Callister must have heard the sound too.
Callister chuckled, replying, "I did hear it, but that place is so tempting to me, I don't really know what exactly happened in there."
Hagrid smiled and said, "I'm not sure either. I went in to take a look, but I found nothing."
Callister smiled faintly and then looked at Hagrid. "Hagrid, would you like to become even stronger?"
"Only with great strength can one protect what they care about and earn the respect of others. Perhaps this is an opportunity to help you gain the love of a woman!"
Callister had always been friendly toward Hagrid. Despite Hagrid's rough upbringing, having dedicated his life to magical creatures and living alongside them, Callister saw his inherent goodness.
Hagrid was quite the pet enthusiast, with creatures such as the three-headed dog "Fluffy" from hell, the hunting dog "Fang" he kept with him, the giant spider "Aragog" from the Forbidden Forest, and even a Norwegian Ridgeback dragon, "Norberta," that he was about to adopt.
He was undoubtedly a genius at raising magical creatures, though he didn't quite have the means to properly care for them.
Additionally, Hagrid's father was a wizard, and his mother was a giant. Don't ask how they made a child together—this was a worldwide mystery. At least, Callister swore he hadn't researched it.
If he were to study it, though, he would likely bring Hagrid along.
Callister vaguely remembered from the "Harry Potter" lore that while giants weren't considered humans, they were regarded as "close kin" to humanity. Thus, human-giant marriages were possible. However, this usually involved a male giant and a female human, as it was physically difficult for a human woman to carry a child with giant blood, let alone conceive.
Imagine how big a giant's baby would be! It would likely be bigger than its mother.
This wasn't just a matter of difficult childbirth—it was the issue of the mother literally bursting.
As for male giants marrying human women, Callister shuddered at the thought...
Once, Callister had stumbled upon a website filled with fan discussions about "Harry Potter" topics, and one of the most heated debates was about human-giant unions. The arguments went on for pages, over ten thousand, all with great enthusiasm.
It was certainly an imaginative and interesting topic.
But back to the main subject.
Hagrid, the half-giant gamekeeper at Hogwarts, was a towering figure. Yet half-giants had long been shunned by the wizarding world, much like werewolves, and often labeled as evil "monsters."
Yet, during the two wars instigated by Voldemort, these so-called "monsters" were courted by both sides as "magical allies."
Giants possessed immense size and strength, making them natural warriors. Despite their slow reactions, they had few weaknesses on the battlefield and were born to fight.
Callister believed this also meant Hagrid could store vast amounts of magic within his body.
Imagine a giant warrior with magic, capable of unleashing powerful spells. It was a terrifying thought.
Hagrid grinned awkwardly, looking slightly bashful as he said, "Professor Callister, you've given me quite the challenge."
"I'm not sure how to answer you!"
"You might not know, but I'm forbidden from using magic, or I'll be expelled from school."
"As for finding a woman for me... well, that's a bit tricky. Giants like me are rare."
Hagrid was quite open about his situation. He had a clear understanding of his own background. Perhaps this was why he had never married and had children.
"Come on, Hagrid, you need to change your mindset."
"Did Dumbledore really forbid you from using magic?"
"When you've helped Dumbledore, did you truly refrain from using magic?"
"You should understand Dumbledore's leniency by now. And besides, the truth will eventually come out."
"Now is the time for you to learn magic, to become stronger. After the truth is revealed, you can stand before everyone as a powerful figure and show them how strong you've become."
"You should take the trust Dumbledore has given you, make the most of it, and never betray his trust. When he's in danger, you need to protect him bravely."
Hagrid fell into silence after hearing Callister's words.
Years ago, he had been the suspect in a grave incident. Had it not been for Dumbledore's support and intervention, he would have had his magic stripped away and been sent to Azkaban for the rest of his life.
So, Hagrid knew exactly who had given him a second chance at life.
After a long pause, Hagrid finally looked at Callister and said, "Thank you, Professor Callister."
"You're right. I need to become stronger."
"So, would you be willing to teach me elemental magic?"
"My intuition tells me that you've shared this with me because you have the power to help me grow stronger."
Callister smiled gently. "Hagrid, you may look rough on the outside, but you're actually quite sensitive inside."
"However, I have an appointment with Snape this morning to teach the students, so if possible, I'll come to find you in the afternoon."
Hagrid grinned widely. "That sounds great! I'm really looking forward to it."
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