Chapter 131: The Debate on Giants
In early January, with the end of the Christmas holidays, Hogwarts students were forced to pull themselves out of the excitement of the ball and refocus their attention on their heavy coursework.
On the first day of the new school term, the grounds were covered with a thick layer of snow. A weary Draco Malfoy hurried along with a listless Crabbe and Goyle, trudging through the snow towards Hagrid's cabin.
"Merlin, please bless that professor with the peculiar taste in protecting magical creatures, please don't create anything terrible again! My heart, already weakened from staying up all night, can't take any more stimulation!" Draco said sternly, his face dark with anger. "And you two, there won't be a next time! If you don't do your homework ahead of time, I won't help you anymore!"
Crabbe and Gore nodded obsequiously, not daring to say anything more.
Fortunately, instead of Hagrid, who often "surprises" the students, Professor Grapple, a temporary substitute teacher with gray hair and a prominent chin, appeared before them, which eased Draco's irritability.
This serious teacher always knew what he was doing and what the syllabus was all about. At least, today's lesson wouldn't face any unforeseen dangers.
Come to think of it, Hagrid also disappeared for a while in his previous life. What was the reason? What exaggerated report did Rita Skit write about him? He rubbed his temples, thinking wearily.
He stayed up all night in the common room helping Crabbe and Goyle finish their homework, only getting two hours of sleep. He woke up a little late in the morning and hadn't had time to read the Daily Prophet yet.
For most students, the lesson was not only safe but also interesting. Following Professor Glapland's guidance, they went to the edge of the Forbidden Forest to observe a beautiful, large unicorn.
It was dazzlingly white, and it was anxiously pawing at the mud with its golden hooves, its horned head raised. Its pure and innocent appearance drew exclamations of admiration from the girls.
"Boys, step back!" Professor Glapland led the girls closer. She called out sternly, "Unicorns love to be touched by women. Girls, stand in front, approach it carefully, come here, relax..."
Draco remained by the stable fence, like the other boys. He stood beside the massive Beauxbatons, watching Hermione. He saw her curiously reach out, wanting to try and stroke the unicorn's mane… her eyes reflected the snow, and a simple, childlike smile played on her lips… His mood instantly improved, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
"Draco, come with me," Harry tugged at him, pulling him to a corner by the stables, and whispered, "You said Professor Snape was a Death Eater?"
Draco's expression changed, and he casually cast a few anti-interference spells to isolate their conversation space from the outside world.
"You really need to be careful about what others are hearing, Harry." Draco glanced around warily.
"Where are the ears? You mean these huddled, shivering horses?" Harry asked impatiently.
"Of course, it's not just these horses," Draco said casually to Harry. "As for Professor Snape, it's no secret. Go ask Sirius; he probably knows about it too."
"He never told me that," Harry said heavily.
"Professor Snape was indeed a Death Eater, but he was saved by Professor Dumbledore. I think a wizard as great as Dumbledore probably wouldn't have misjudged him," Draco reassured him.
Although he said that, Draco was inwardly apprehensive.
In his previous life, Snape killed Dumbledore, a mystery that has always lingered in Draco's mind. Now, four years into his rebirth, Draco has never given up secretly observing Professor Snape, yet he still cannot fathom the reason behind his actions.
Professor Snape even secretly protected Harry because he deeply loved Harry's mother. Although Professor Dumbledore sometimes acted erratically, he was by no means a gullible person—Barty Crouch Jr.'s fate proved this—not everyone could gain his protection and pity.
However, why did Dumbledore give Snape such great trust and a stable, respectable job?
How did Snape convince Dumbledore to dispel his doubts about him? And why did he ultimately betray Dumbledore—was it simply because the Dark Lord had returned?
Is it reasonable for him to rejoin the Dark Lord and actively assist him in dealing with and even killing Harry—the boy he had been secretly protecting—without hesitation?
If Professor Snape wasn't schizophrenic, then there must have been some clue he missed...
Draco frowned, letting the thoughts roll through his mind like marbles, but still no suitable marble went into the right hole.
"But Voldemort is getting stronger—" Harry said with deep doubt.
"Don't say that name! Harry, you know it's dangerous!" Draco corrected him patiently, trying to sound nonchalant. "In short, there's nothing we can do until we find him. I believe Professor Dumbledore has his own plans."
He hadn't seen Dumbledore and Sirius Black at the faculty table for several days since the Christmas ball. They might have gone to Gaunt's old house to gather clues—hopefully, their luck would be better this time.
Draco suppressed his inner unease and said to Harry, "Don't worry too much about this. Do you know what you should be worried about right now? You should focus your energy on the clues to the golden egg, Hogwarts champion! The second project is starting in a little over a month, and your rivals probably already know everything about it! You need to prepare well."
"Well, what you're saying is exactly what Hermione says. She reminds me about this almost every day and always looks at me with a suspicious expression..." Harry said dismissively.
"Hermione's relentless urging for your research on the golden egg isn't because she doubts your abilities, but because she's very worried about you," Draco said. "By the way, have you studied the golden egg yet?"
"Of course, I will look into it, but it won't be that quick..." Harry muttered, seemingly unwilling to delve into the topic.
Draco gave him a cryptic look. Judging from Harry's unsettled appearance, he probably hadn't figured anything out.
Can this youngest and most controversial warrior do something to bring honor to Hogwarts?
Since Sirius became a substitute teacher at Hogwarts, he could no longer openly instruct Harry. While representing a part of Hogwarts, he had to maintain a distance from the school's champions, a practice known as avoiding any appearance of impropriety.
To ensure the fairness of the Triwizard Tournament, "avoiding favoritism" has become a common attitude among all Hogwarts teachers. Of course, Draco believes that the headmasters of the other two schools may not be so noble.
This means that Harry's pool of potential beneficiaries has become much smaller.
"Harry, for Merlin's sake, try Diggory's method, however much it sounds like a joke," Draco said. "Even though I don't like him much—"
Harry showed an expression of agreement.
Although reluctant, Draco changed the subject, "But you helped him before, didn't you? Maybe he really wants to repay you."
"If he really wanted to repay me, he should have been more explicit, instead of giving me advice that sounded worthless," Harry said, annoyed.
"He's being cautious. You know, as heroes in the public eye, anyone could find a way to eavesdrop on you. You weren't caught last time just because you were lucky; looking back, it was a very flawed tactic," Draco said thoughtfully. "There are plenty of invisibility cloaks in the world besides the one you have. If someone else were wearing an invisibility cloak and following you, would you notice? If someone could transform into an Animagus to confuse you, would you be able to detect them?"
Harry fell silent.
"Also, you need to learn to ask us for help," Draco reminded him. "I bet the principals of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons will do everything in their power, within the rules, to help their warriors. There's nothing shameful about that. The Triwizard Tournament isn't just a battle between warriors; it's also a contest of honor between schools."
"But--"
"I know what you're thinking. Harry Potter, who upholds the principles of fairness and justice, believes he should do things himself and that seeking help from friends is shameful. I suggest you stop carrying so much psychological burden on yourself." Draco ruthlessly punctured the facade Harry had painstakingly constructed in his mind. "This whole thing is inherently unfair. You weren't even on the same starting line as your opponents. They're older than you, they know more spells than you, and they have more experience casting spells than you—that's an undeniable fact."
Harry's face darkened.
Seeing his gloomy face, Draco softened his tone and forced a smile at him. "Harry, haven't you learned your lesson from the dragon incident? Your opponents knew the details beforehand. Guess how they found out—by themselves? Can you imagine what you would have faced if you hadn't known all this beforehand with Sirius's help?"
"Yes, but I don't think it's the right thing to do. I shouldn't have talked so much about the golden eggs with you—" Harry insisted.
"Then let's not talk about the golden egg. Just tell us what you need. What problem do you want solved? What spell do you want to practice? Just ask us. I bet Hermione's always ready to lend a hand, just say the word—" Draco glanced absently at the smiling girl stroking the unicorn for a moment, then turned back to speak seriously, "Harry, you need to understand one thing: we'll all do everything we can to help you. No one will laugh at you. We're willing to do anything for you, just ask."
Harry looked at him in surprise—he hadn't expected to receive Draco's support instead of blame—and smiled at the boy.
"Okay. I'll think about it. I'll probably give that method a try." His expression suddenly relaxed. "Thank you, Draco."
Just then, a commotion erupted from the stable fence where the boys were gathered, interrupting their conversation. They exchanged a glance, quietly went back, and found Ron holding a newspaper, quietly reading its contents with a shocked expression.
Draco immediately spotted the photo of Hagrid on the cover, which looked furtive in the photo taken by Rita Skeeter's photographer.
"Hagrid was a large, menacing man who abused his newly acquired power by bringing in a series of terrifying animals to frighten the students under his care..."
In an interview with the Daily Prophet last month, he admitted to breeding an animal he named "Blasttail," a creature somewhere between a lion-headed beast and a live crab, and one that was extremely dangerous. Soon after, serious accidents occurred involving the animal, and the school's Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Alastor Moody, was even admitted to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries to treat the severe injuries caused by the Blasttail…
Unlike his usual disguise, Hagrid is not a pure-blood wizard... We can exclusively reveal that his mother is the giant Friedwafar, whose current whereabouts are unknown..."
Ron didn't read any further. The boys around him immediately fell silent.
"So what? So what if he's a half-giant?" Harry suddenly became furious—he was surprised by everyone's avoidance of him. "He's still our Protecting Magical Creatures teacher, he doesn't have an extra eye or a missing ear, does he?"
"Harry, why do you think he didn't show up today? Is it because he's sick?" Draco said meaningfully, gazing at the small wooden cabin with its curtains tightly drawn in the distance. "Just watch, once his bloodline is questioned, the students' parents won't stand for it. I bet tonight Dumbledore's desk will be overflowing with owls sent by worried parents."
Harry was furious. He snatched the newspaper from Ron's hand and stared at every word of the article, trying to find something different. Ron, on the other hand, stared blankly with his mouth agape, saying nothing more.
Before the afternoon arithmetic and divination class, Draco was resting with his chin in his hand, eyes closed in his "special seat"; Hermione suddenly blew into the seat next to him like a gust of wind.
"Rita Skeeter is really going too far!" she slammed the newspaper on the table and said indignantly to Draco.
Draco lazily opened his eyes, raised an eyebrow, and glanced at the newspaper—the same one Ron had read that morning.
"Although I don't like Rita Skeeter either, she didn't spread rumors in this particular report," he said casually.
"No lies?" Hermione puffed out her cheeks angrily, like a guinea pig. "She said he was huge and had a fierce appearance, and that he brought a bunch of scary animals to frighten the students he was in charge of! And what do you mean by abusing his newfound power… and his strange behavior in the Magical Creatures Protection class?"
"Personally, I think his teaching ability has always been pretty poor. Think back to Hagrid as a teacher of Protecting Magical Creatures; has he actually imparted much knowledge to his students? Why not compare him to Professor Grappleland, the substitute teacher this morning?" Draco reminded her.
"That class was very good. I didn't know half of what Professor Glapland told us about unicorns…" Hermione gradually regained her composure.
"Yet in Hagrid's class, you even help him mentor others, right? When has he ever systematically taught students pure knowledge? And how much time has he spent indulging his own personal interests?" Draco said to Hermione with a bit of patience. "Think about those Blasttails he cultivated. Do you really think they helped your personal knowledge growth?"
"Okay, Draco, I don't want to lie, the Blasttail really isn't very useful." She stared at his arm, her voice trembling with anxiety. "Has that scar on your arm healed? The one that was hurt by the Blasttail?"
"There's nothing seriously wrong," he said calmly.
"That's good. Ah, it's nice to have Professor Grappleland's Protecting Magical Creatures class once in a while, a change of pace." Hermione wrinkled her nose in annoyance, continuing to point at the Daily Prophet. "But I still think this paper goes too far. Look at this sentence: Giants are inherently cruel and bloodthirsty… Hagrid has always been friendly to us—"
"Oh? Don't you think Hagrid's fondness for certain brutal creatures is a bit too much?"
"I still can't understand his obsession with certain animals. But you have to admit, he hasn't hurt anyone else!" she argued.
"I'm not saying he's malicious. However, sometimes the harm isn't immediately apparent. I think he's irresponsible and careless, and not suited for a job like teaching that requires a sense of responsibility and rigor," he said bluntly.
"How could you say that?" Hermione frowned.
"Do you remember when he took it upon himself to raise a dragon when you were in first grade? You were just starting out in the wizarding world then, and perhaps you didn't understand what a grown dragon really meant. But now you do, right? You still vividly remember Harry's first project, don't you? Do I need to elaborate on how dangerous dragons are? Could an ordinary wizard afford to raise one?"
Draco paused for a moment, and seeing Hermione nod reluctantly, he continued, "However, he disregarded the danger of hurting himself and others by raising it without proper care, which is irresponsible towards the dragon itself; what's worse, he actually made you first-year students clean up his mess, causing you to lose 50 points, be depressed for a while, and be ostracized by your fellow students in the house, have you forgotten all that?"
"Oh, Draco, let's not talk about the past!" Hermione said uneasily, unwilling to admit that Draco's words made some sense. "We were the ones who offered to help! Hagrid didn't ask us to do anything."
"That's what's so terrible about him. He messes things up and then just cries, waiting for someone else to solve his problems, and then he drags down someone as responsible and kind as you." Draco said bluntly. "Personally, I sincerely hope he resigns. To be honest, he's better suited to just be the gamekeeper at Hogwarts."
"Draco, have some compassion!" Hermione said, somewhat annoyed. "I've always felt that you have a deep prejudice against Hagrid."
"This isn't prejudice, it's the truth," he said coldly. "The truth is, he's good to you, but he's not a qualified teacher, nor can he shoulder the responsibilities of a Hogwarts teacher. He's consistently turned what should be an interesting course into a farce, and if you hadn't been there to stop him, he probably would have gone even further! Think of how many teaching suggestions you've given him since he took office—"
"Okay, maybe you're right," Hermione quickly interrupted him. "However, what angers me isn't just her evaluation of Hagrid's teaching methods, but also her attack on his giant status!"
Draco sighed.
"Hermione, giants are very ferocious. It's in their nature to kill. That's common knowledge in the wizarding world. All pure-blood wizards talk about giants as if they've encountered a monstrous flood. You must understand that they are different from us," he said seriously.
Something seemed to have stung the girl—Hermione suddenly let out a cold laugh.
"Pure-blood wizards don't just see giants as monsters. They view everything with prejudice, knowing nothing and unwilling to engage. Don't you see the kind heart beneath Hagrid's rugged exterior before arrogantly condemning him to a spiritual death sentence and categorizing him into social classes..." She revealed a mocking expression, her face tense. "You've always maintained a respectful distance from werewolves. When Professor Lupin resigned, didn't you secretly approve? And about house-elves, you were always sarcastic and never supported me! Perhaps you think the same way about other groups in private... To be honest, your attitude isn't anything new, but it's a pity I only see it now... Always thinking you're superior, isn't that right?"
"Werewolves are indeed dangerous, you have to understand that… wait, what are you thinking?" Draco suddenly realized, looking at her icy face, somewhat amused and exasperated. "Are we still discussing the giants?"
"We've never just been talking about giants," Hermione said coldly, looking at the blackboard in front of her rather than the boy beside her.
"Hermione, don't do that—" he said, annoyed. "You're misinterpreting me."
But she seemed determined to stay angry. In the following classes, she kept a straight face and didn't say another word to him.
Hermione felt that her recent emotions were very inexplicable.
She couldn't help but lash out at Draco because of Hagrid's problems, even though she knew that Hagrid's current situation was not his fault.
Her irritability and anger towards Draco may stem from the fact that Draco's way of thinking is somewhat unreasonable.
That Slytherin-style calm analysis, while correct, is absolutely cold-blooded.
Hagrid—he had always been kind to her. Before, when she cried because of Draco, it was Hagrid who clumsily comforted her and cheered her up. He was like family to her, a warm and caring friend, not some cruel and bloodthirsty half-giant.
Draco neither understands Hagrid nor wants to understand him.
She had tried to persuade him to go to Hagrid's hut for tea with Harry and the others, but he never went. He always slipped away like an eel, as if the hut were some kind of prison that bound his soul.
He was prejudiced against Hagrid from the very beginning!
That's it! He's incredibly prejudiced! He's no different from those pure-blood Slytherin supporters; he looks down on the underdogs—giants, werewolves, house-elves, and maybe even Muggle-born wizards! Hermione thought bitterly.
She was determined to prove Draco wrong and that good Titans did exist! She made up her mind and diligently searched for information about Titans in a corner of the library.
However, after spending a week and consulting about 30 books, she still couldn't find a single good word to describe a giant.
She even went to discuss this with other children from wizarding families who should have been "open-minded," such as Ron.
Surprisingly, Ron also became paranoid about the "giants," adopting an attitude of avoiding them at all costs, not much better than Draco's.
"Well… those who know Hagrid think it's fine because they know he's not dangerous," Ron said earnestly. "But giants are very vicious. It's in their nature. Hermione, they're born to kill, everyone knows that."
It was then that Hermione truly realized something. Despite the vast differences in their parents' ideologies, children from wizarding families were remarkably united on certain issues. They had far more in common than children of Muggle origin.
Those prejudices, misunderstandings, and dismissive attitudes toward giants—whether they are Malfoy or Weasley—are all the same.
This is disappointing.
Afterward, Hermione abandoned her plan to enlist the help of her friends and instead sought assistance from the library. Through extensive reading, more horrific truths about the giants were gradually revealed, turning Hermione's disappointment into despair.
All information related to Titans was sending her this signal:
They were inherently brutal and bloodthirsty, nearly extinct in the last century due to infighting. The remaining dozen or so joined the forces of the Mystic, and during his reign of terror, they perpetrated some of the most horrific Muggle massacres. Many giants who served the Mystic died at the hands of Aurors fighting against the Dark Lords…
Hermione put down the last large book in her hand and sighed as she looked at the towering mountain of books on the table.
Draco was largely right about the giants; they were indeed exceptionally dangerous.
But Hagrid is an exception—Hermione still cannot forgive Draco's harsh judgment of Hagrid.
At the same time, the contemptuous look that the Slytherin boy inadvertently revealed, characteristic of pure-blood wizards, stung her heart.
This stinging sensation only intensified as her affection for him grew—because she couldn't accept that Draco could be a cold-blooded, arrogant, and prejudiced person.
What she found even more unacceptable was that Draco might one day, for similar reasons, give her a cold look or even say the same hurtful things.