Last Will and Testament-Prologue
The jubilant mood around Hogwarts was dampened for all but a few. For those few, there was no jubilant mood to be dampened. Nearly every wizard family in England had suffered losses during what would become known as the Great War in the History of Magic classes. The unrelenting battles had managed to stay out of the muggle press, but had nearly destroyed everything magical outside of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. But it was over and most people could look forward to building again.
The few that were devastated were the friends of Rubeus Hagrid the beloved and highly misunderstood game and groundskeeper at Hogwarts. Those few were now actually only two, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Hagrid still lay in his massive bed in the hut he had called home for so many years. In Harry Potter's third year, Hagrid had been named the Care of Magical Creatures teacher and took the job to new heights of excitement and fear for the students of Hogwarts. He liked every living creature that wasn't a Death Eater or a Slytherin. In fact, he loved those creatures if they had fangs or a stinger.
Hagrid had been the very first magical person Harry Potter had the occasion to meet. He had appeared to him on an island in the middle of nowhere to fulfill his obligation to bring Harry to Hogwarts. Harry had taken to Hagrid immediately when he'd given his evil Aunt, Uncle and cousin their comeuppance on his eleventh birthday. Since that day, Harry had felt an affinity for Hagrid that continued to this day.
It was springtime nearing the end of Harry's final year at Hogwarts. There would be no final exams this year as there were funerals to attend for almost every student. Many of them were held right on the grounds of Hogwarts where a special resting place had been built near the grave of Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore, besides Harry, was the greatest symbol of the Great War.
Harry was sadder than he'd ever remembered that Saturday afternoon. It was possible that he would lose two more of his wonderful friends to injuries sustained in fighting for the life of the magical world that had become his home. Harry sat bandaged and unable to stand with his friend Hermione Granger at the foot of Ron Weasley's bed as Nurse Pomfrey comforted Ron.
Harry's heart ached at the sight of his friend. He'd seen so much devastation and bloodshed that he wanted to go to sleep and never wake up. His arm and left leg had been crushed in the collapse of a wall in the final battle. It was nearly impossible to kill a wizard in a common accident or fall, but often grievous injury left wounds for years to come. Ron would not die from his wounds. But his mind was ebbing away slowly as the days passed. He was barely able to recognize Hermione the love of his short fully-functioning life. He hadn't been able to recognize Harry for two days now. The power of love between the three of them had kept Ron with them a fair bit longer than anyone could have hoped. Harry didn't know how he'd make it through the day. He knew this was it. The last time he would see his friend smile at Hermione.
"Ron, we love you. Harry's here. Remember? He's my friend who brings you the candy," said Hermione.
"Oh, hi, Barry. Barry Carter, right?" he said. "I'm sorry. Were you talking to me, Helen?"
Harry hung his head. That's the way it had started when he had awakened from the potion-induced coma they had used to soothe his mind from the Cruciatus Curse. They'd thought that he was going to be a similar miracle to Harry. Harry had survived the Killing Curse as a baby. No one had ever done that. Ron had survived for the longest they'd ever seen anyone live under the Cruciatus Curse. Many brave and good wizards had lost their minds instantly to that curse, but Ron had fought. For a week after awakening he seemed to be fine, but now he would probably not respond to his own name by the end of the day. The dementia from the psychological damage was progressing too fast to stop.
"You're very pretty, Helen. Do we know each other?" Ron asked. "Would you go out with me sometime? Helen, is it?"
"Hermione, come please. It's killing me to see him and you like this," said Harry. He took her hand as she kissed her fingers and touched Ron's forehead. "It's not him anymore, Hermione."
Snape was dead. Malfoy was dead. Voldemort as Tom Riddle breathed soullessly at the far end of the room. There was no one for Harry to kill as revenge for his friend. Harry had not killed, but his heart was filled with rage that he would never celebrate this victory with his best mate, his surrogate brother Ron.
"Harry, I don't know if I can go see Hagrid. I hear it's terrible," said Hermione. She had cried for the last two days for Harry's loss. He knew that she could see how it would devastate him and rather than feel the pain for herself, she felt it for Harry.
Harry hadn't seen Hagrid, but he'd fought alongside his half-brother Grawp in the war. They had teamed with a group of half-giant humans to rid the giant population of those poisoning it with racial violence against humans. No one would say what had happened to Hagrid except that he now lay in his bed covered to the neck with one eye patched.
Grawp stood watch over the hut as his brother lay dying. Harry saw the huge tears forming in Grawp's eyes as Hermione pushed Harry done the hill toward the hut in his wheelchair. "Harry come save Hagrid?" asked Grawp.
Harry hated the fact that it took Grawp days and weeks still to understand things. The horrible truth would take a long time to sink in. The legend of Harry Potter was forming because of the chaos and desire of people to have someone to believe saved them from themselves. He was becoming the greatest mystic of their time. According to legend he'd saved Lord Voldemort and returned him to a life as Tom Riddle. He had resurrected his friends in the collapse of the Ministry. And, he'd managed to kill a hundred Death Eaters in the process. The only truth was that he had torn the portion of Tom's soul out of his scar and returned it to Lord Voldemort destroying the evil that had pervaded all living magical things for the past sixteen years. In the process, Lord Voldemort had managed to call a dementor to destroy Tom. Harry had been lying under the rubble unable to call his patronus to save Tom.
The many people who had been trapped said that Harry, grievously injured as he was, had saved them as well. Harry knew that he'd done an incredible deed in destroying the evil that was Lord Voldemort, but the rest was rubbish. It had taken every able-bodied wizard with the strength left to fight that day to do everything from keep the destruction of a muggle city block quiet and save those lives. He hadn't been responsible for one-tenth of what he'd been credited with. Yet here he was, the supposed savior for his friend Hagrid and the magical world.
"Grawp, I'm not sure I can help Hagrid," said Harry.
A strained voice came from inside. "Grawpy, my boy, I told you that Harry would do his best. But if it's me time ter go, it's me time ter go. Don't make Harry feel worse."
Harry and Hermione spent the afternoon with Hagrid. It was clear that he would either die or need to be moved to St. Mungo's soon. Either way, Hagrid was going to be a mere shadow of the man he'd been before.
"Harry, I have to ask yer to do me a favor. It's not going to be easy. But I know yer can do it, but if yer think it's too much I understand. Mrs. Grubblyplank will be taking over me classes and me duties when I'm gone, but she's planning on retiring in three years. I was wonderin' if you'd consider taking the job when she leaves?" he asked.
Harry looked at Hermione like he'd just been stunned by a rogue Bludger, "Hagrid, why me?"
"Well, Grawp loves ya Harry. Even if the infections and things clear up, I'm never gonna be able ter take care of him or all me pets. Yer could start learning from Mrs. Grubblyplank now and be ready for it when she leaves. I heard this did in yer ideas fer being an Auror," said Hagrid.
"No, I'm not going to be an Auror, Hagrid. At least not for a very long time anyway," said Harry wincing with pain from his left leg. "But I don't know about Care of Magical Creatures?" He looked at Hermione making a face.
"I know Harry, but I really appreciate it if you'd lie to me now and say yer'd do it. Yer kind of like me son, you know. I never said that ter ya before, but it's true," said Hagrid with a tear in his unpatched eye.
"I'll do my best Hagrid," said Harry hoping that he was up to it. He knew that even if he had to stop doing it, he owed it to Hagrid to give it a try. "I can't promise I'll last long, but I'll try."
"Harry, that's all I can ask. I'm not gonna die terday. Those rumors are false, but I will be leaving here soon ter get treatment. Grawpy can't come. So I need someone to help me with that," said Hagrid.
Harry had heard the horrible rumors that Hagrid was dying. But it seemed that Harry's promise might give him the will to live. "Can I send you owls and ask your advice?" asked Harry.
"Well, you sure can. And, you'll have help with Mrs. Grubblyplank fer quite sometime. I jist don't think I'm gonna ever be able ter do it me self. I may not have any arms anymore Harry. And, it's possible that I'll only have one leg. And, I'm sure yer can think of a lot a jokes about a one-eyed, one-legged, no armed half-giant takin' care of blast-ended skrewts," said Hagrid trying to laugh.
Nurse Pomfrey came through the door with six large men who seemed to be there to help move Hagrid. They were going to put him on a board that they would then move by magic. Harry didn't know what they would do from there, but he knew that he and Hermione were at their wits end. The emotional rollercoaster was about to crash if they had to deal with one more thing today.
"Hagrid, we have to leave. Keep in touch. Will you?" asked Harry.
"Sure enough, Harry." Hagrid groaned as they moved him.
Something in Harry said that Hagrid had lied. He felt sure that his dear friend had not wanted him or Hermione to walk away sad today. Harry smiled inside knowing that there were enough days to be sad and today, he had to give Hagrid the satisfaction of thinking he'd succeeded. "Hagrid, old buddy, you take care of yourself. I'll go find you a monocle for your good eye," joked Harry.
Hagrid laughed and coughed. "Thas' a good one `arry. You know yer a good man fer doin' this fer me…."
Harry could see it coming. And he let it come naturally.
"I love you too, Hagrid, you old pain in the you-know-what," said Harry. He knew Hagrid wanted to go out with the joy of laughter and jokes in his ears.
Hermione's eyes glistened as Harry turned to her with tears running down his face.
"See ya `arry," said the gruff old voice.
"Yeah, see ya," said Harry. "On the other side my friend." He whispered to himself.
Harry knew they were probably taking him up to the castle to care for him in his last hours. It was closer from there to bury him too. Hermione pushed him with tears in her eyes as he sobbed like a baby at the loss of the world's gentlest giant.
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