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up if I wanted a word。 Not any more。'
He sighed deeply。
'Firenze said they're angry because he went to work for Dumbledore；' Harry said； tripping on a protruding root because he was busy watching Hagrid's profile。
'Yeah；' said Hagrid heavily。 'Well； angry doesn' cover it。 Ruddy livid。 If I hadn' stepped in； I reckon they'd've kicked Firenze ter death …'
'They attacked him？' said Hermione； sounding shocked。
'Yep；' said Hagrid gruffly； forcing his way through several low…hanging branches。 'He had half the herd on to him。'
'And you stopped it？' said Harry； amazed and impressed。 'By yourself？'
'Course I did； couldn't stand by an' watch 'em kill 'im； could I？' said Hagrid。 'Lucky I was passin'； really： an' I'd've thought Firenze mighta remembered tha' before he started sendin' me stupid warnin's！' he added hotly and unexpectedly。
Harry and Hermione looked at each other； startled； but Hagrid； scowling； did not elaborate。；
'Anyway；' he said； breathing a little more heavily than …usual； 'since then the other centaurs've bin livid with me； an' the trouble is they've got a lot of influence in the Forest： cleverest creatures in here。'
'Is that why we're here； Hagrid？' asked Hermione。 'The centaurs？'
'Ah； no；' said Hagrid； shaking his head dismissively； 'no； it's not them。 Well； o' course； they could plicate the problem； yeah： but yeh'll see what I mean in a bit。'
On this inprehensible note he fell silent and forged a little ahead； taking one stride for every three of theirs； so that they had great trouble keeping up with him。
The path was being increasingly overgrown and the trees grew so closely together as they walked further and further into the Forest that it was as dark as dusk。 They were soon a long way past the clearing where Hagrid had shown them the Thestrals； but Harry felt no sense of unease until Hagrid stepped unexpectedly off the path and began wending his way in and out of trees towards the dark heart of the Forest。
'Hagrid！' said Harry； fighting his way through thickly knotted brambles； over which Hagrid had stepped with ease； and remembering very vividly what had happened to him on the other occasion he had stepped off the Forest path。 'Where are we going？'
'Bit further；' said Hagrid over his shoulder。 'C'mon； Harry： we need ter keep together now。'
It was a great struggle to keep up with Hagrid； what with branches and thickets of thorn through which Hagrid marched as easily as if they were cobwebs； but which snagged Harry and Hermione's robes； frequently entangling them so severely that they had to stop for minutes at a time to free themselves。 Harry's arms and legs were soon covered in small cuts and scratches。 They were so deep in the Forest now that sometimes all Harry could see of Hagrid in the gloom was a massive dark shape ahead of him。 Any sound seemed threatening in the muffled silence。 The breaking of a twig echoed loudly and the tiniest rustle of movement； even though it might have been made by an innocent sparrow； caused Harry to peer through the gloom for a culprit。 It occurred to him that he had never managed to get this far into the Forest without meeting some kind of creature； their absence struck him as rather ominous。
'Hagrid； would it be all right if we lit our wands？' said Hermione quietly。
'Er： all righ'；' Hagrid whispered back。 'In fact …'
He stopped suddenly and turned around； Hermione walked right into him and was knocked over backwards。 Harry caught her just before she hit the Forest floor。
'Maybe we bes' jus' stop fer a momen'； so I can： fill yeh in；' said Hagrid。 'Before we ge' there； like。'
'Good！' said Hermione； as Harry set her back on her feet。 They both murmured 'Lumos！' and their wand…tips ignited。 Hagrid's face swam through the gloom by the light of the two wavering beams and Harry saw again that he looked nervous and sad。
'Righ'；' said Hagrid。 'Well： see： the thing is：'
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。