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He took a great breath。
'Well； there's a good chance I'm goin' ter be gettin' the sack any day now；' he said。
Harry and Hermione looked at each other； then back at him。
'But you've lasted this long …' Hermione said tentatively。 'What makes you think …'
'Umbridge reckons it was me that put tha' Niffler in her office。'
'And was it？' said Harry； before he could stop himself。
'No； it ruddy well wasn'！' said Hagrid indignantly。 'On'y any…thin' ter do with magical creatures an' she thinks it's got somethin' ter do with me。 Yeh know she's bin lookin' fer a chance ter get rid of me ever since I got back。 I don' wan' ter go； o' course； but if it wasn' fer： well： the special circumstances I'm abou' ter explain to yeh； I'd leave righ' now； before she's go' the chance ter do it in front o' the whole school； like she did with Trelawney。'
Harry and Hermione both made noises of protest； but Hagrid overrode them with a wave of one of his enormous hands。
'It's not the end o' the world； I'll be able ter help Dumbledore once I'm outta here； I can be useful ter the Order。 An' you lot'll have Grubbly…Plank； yeh'll … yeh'll get through yer exams fine：〃
His voice trembled and broke。
'Don' worry abou' me；' he said hastily； as Hermione made to pat his arm。 He pulled his enormous spotted handkerchief from the pocket of his waistcoat and mopped his eyes with it。 'Look； I wouldn' be tellin' yer this at all if I didn' have ter。 See； if I go： well； I can' leave withou'： withou' tellin' someone： because I'll … I'll need yeh two ter help me。 An' Ron； if he's willin'。'
'Of course we'll help you；' said Harry at once。 'What do you want us to do？'
Hagrid gave a great sniff and patted Harry wordlessly on the shoulder with such force Harry was knocked sideways into a tree。
'I knew yeh'd say yes；' said Hagrid into his handkerchief； 'but I won'： never： forget： well： c'mon： jus' a little bit further through here： watch yerselves； now； there's nettles：'
They walked on in silence for another fifteen minutes； Harry had opened his mouth to ask how much further they had to go when Hagrid threw out his right arm to signal that they should stop。
'Really easy' he said softly。 'Very quiet； now：'
They crept forwards and Harry saw that they were facing a large； smooth mound of earth nearly as tall as Hagrid that he thought； with a jolt of dread； was sure to be the lair of some enormous animal。 Trees had been ripped up at the roots all around the mound； so that it stood on a bare patch of ground surrounded by heaps of trunks and boughs that formed a kind of fence or barricade； behind which Harry； Hermione and Hagrid now stood。
'Sleepin'；' breathed Hagrid。
Sure enough； Harry could hear a distant； rhythmic rumbling that sounded like a pair of enormous lungs at work。 He glanced sideways at Hermione； who was gazing at the mound with her mouth slightly open。 She looked utterly terrified。
'Hagrid；' she said in a whisper barely audible over the sound of the sleeping creature； 'who is he？'
Harry found this an odd question： 'What is it？' was the one he had been planning on asking。
'Hagrid； you told us …' said Hermione； her wand now shaking in her hand； 'you told us none of them wanted to e！'
Harry looked from her to Hagrid and then； as realisation hit him； he looked back at the mound with a small gasp of horror。
The great mound of earth； on which he； Hermione and Hagrid could easily have stood； was moving slowly up and down in time with the deep； grunting breathing。 It was not a mound at all。 It was the curved back of what was clearly …
'Well … no … he didn' want ter e；' said Hagrid； sounding desperate。 'But I had ter bring him； Hermione； I had ter！'
'But why？' asked Hermione； who sounded as though she wanted to cry。 'Why … what … oh； Hagridr
'I knew if I jus' got him back；' said Hagrid； sounding close to tears himself； 'an' … an' taught him a few manners … I'd be able ter take him outside an' show ev'ryone he's harmless！'
'Harmless！' said Hermione shrilly； and Hagrid made frantic hushing noises with his hands as the enormous creature before them grunted loudly and shifted in its sleep。 'He's been hurting you all this time； hasn't he？ That's why you've had all these injuries！'
'He don' know his own strength！' said Hagrid earnestly。 'An' he's gettin' better； he's not fightin' so much any more …'
'So； this is why it took you two months to get home！' said Hermione distractedly。 'Oh； Hagrid； why did you bring him back if he didn't want to e？ Wouldn't he have been happier with his own people？'
They were all bullyin' him； Hermione； 'cause he's so small！' said Hagrid。
'Small？' said Hermione。 'Small？'
'Hermione； I couldn' leave him；' said Hagrid； tears now trickling down his bruised face into his beard。 'See … he's my brother！'
Hermione simply stared at him； her mouth open。
'Hagrid； when you say 〃brother〃；' said Harry slowly； 'do you mean …？'
'Well … half…brother；' amended Hagrid。 Turns put me mother took up with another giant when she left me dad； an' she went an' had Grawp here …'
'Grawp？' said Harry。
'Yeah： well； tha's what it sounds like when he says his name；' said Hagrid anxiously。 'He don' speak a lot of English： I've bin tryin' ter teach him： anyway； she don' seem ter have liked him much more'n she liked me。 See； with giantesses； what counts is producin' good big kids； and he's always been a bit on the runty side fer a giant … on'y sixteen foot …'
'Oh； yes； tiny！' said Hermione； with a kind of hysterical sarcasm。 'Absolutely minuscule！'
'He was bein' kicked aroun' by all o' them … I jus' couldn' leave him …'
'Did Madame Maxime want to bring him back？' asked Harry。
'She … well； she could see it was right importan' ter me；' said Hagrid； twisting his enormous hands。 'Bu' … bu' she got a bit tired o' him after a while； I must admit： so we split up on the journey home： she promised not ter tell anyone； though：〃
'How on earth did you get him back without anyone noticing？' said Harry。
'Well； tha's why it took so long； see；' said Hagrid。 'Could on'y travel by nigh' an' through wild country an' stuff。 Course； he covers the ground pretty well when he wants ter； but he kep' wantin' ter go back。'
'Oh； Hagrid； why on earth didn't you let him！' said Hermione； flopping down on to a ripped up tree and burying her face in her hands。 'What do you think you're going to do with a violent giant who doesn't even want to be here！'
'Well； now … 〃violent〃 … tha's a bit harsh；' said Hagrid； still twisting his hands agitatedly。 I'll admit he mighta taken a couple o' swings at me when he's bin in a bad mood； but he's gettin' better； loads better； settlin' down well。'
'What are those ropes for； then？' Harry asked。
He had just noticed ropes thick as saplings stretching from around the trunks of the largest nearby trees towards the place where Grawp lay curled on the ground with his back to them。
'You have to keep him tied up？' said Hermione faintly。
'Well： yeah：' said Hagrid； looking