HARRY POTTER Book 4: Chapter 24
Chapter 24
RITA SKEETER’S INVESTIGATION
Everybody gets up late on the day after the big ball. The Gryffindor common room is quiet. People yawn. They sit by the fire and talk in low voices. Hermione’s hair is bushy again. Crookshanks purrs in her lap.
“I used Sleekeazy’s Hair Potion for the ball,” Hermione says. “It looked good,” Harry says. “Yes, but it’s too much work to make it straight every day,” Hermione says. Ron and Hermione do not talk about their argument. They are friendly, but they sound formal.
Harry and Ron tell Hermione about the conversation they overheard between Hagrid and Madame Maxime. “I knew he couldn’t be completely giant,” Hermione says. “Giants are about twenty feet tall. But honestly, all this hysteria about giants… It’s prejudice, isn’t it?” Ron looks as if he wants to argue, but he says nothing.
Soon they think about homework. Christmas is over. Most students feel tired and bored. Harry feels nervous. February twenty-fourth is coming closer. He still does not understand the clue inside the golden egg. He takes the egg from his trunk every time he goes to the dormitory. He opens it. The terrible wailing fills the room.
“It sounds awful,” Ron says, covering his ears. Harry listens carefully. He tries to understand. He shakes the egg. He asks it questions. Nothing changes. The terrible sound is always the same. Then he remembers Cedric’s hint.
“Take a bath with the egg,” Cedric told Harry. Harry feels annoyed. He appreciates Cedric’s help. But Harry doesn’t think Cedric has been very clear about what to do. After all, Harry told Cedric very clearly about the first task: you will go against a dragon.
The first day of classes begins. Snow still covers the ground. The greenhouse windows are full of water. It is hard to see outside. They walk to Care of Magical Creatures. When they reach Hagrid’s cabin, they see an elderly witch with short gray hair.
“Hurry up, now, the bell rang five minutes ago,” she says. “Who’re you?” Ron says. “Where’s Hagrid?” “My name is Professor Grubbly-Plank,” she says. “I am your temporary teacher.” “Where’s Hagrid?” Harry says again. “He couldn’t come to class today,” she says shortly.
Malfoy and the Slytherins arrive. They look pleased. Professor Grubbly-Plank leads the class toward the forest. A beautiful white unicorn stands near a tree. “Oh, it’s so beautiful!” Hermione says. “Boys keep back! Stay away!” Professor Grubbly-Plank says. “They prefer a woman’s touch.” The girls move forward. The boys stay near the fence.
“What do you think is wrong with Hagrid?” Harry says quietly. “Oh, he hasn’t been attacked, Potter,” Malfoy says softly. “He’s just too ashamed to show his big, ugly face.” “What do you mean?” Harry says sharply. Malfoy takes a folded newspaper page from his pocket. “There you go. Read this,” Malfoy says. “I’m sorry about your friend.” Harry grabs the page and reads. Ron and the others look over his shoulder. The headline says:
Albus Dumbledore, headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry often chooses strange teachers for the school. This year he hired Mad-Eye Moody, a dangerous ex-Auror. Moody was hired to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. But Moody seems calm compared to Rubeus Hagrid.
Hagrid, who was expelled from Hogwarts as a student, works as gamekeeper. Dumbledore gave him the job. Last year, Dumbledore promoted him. Dumbledore also made him Care of Magical Creatures teacher.
Hagrid is large and frightening. He terrifies students with dangerous creatures and has injured several pupils.
“I was attacked by a hippogriff, and my friend Vincent Crabbe got a bite from a flobberworm,” says Draco Malfoy. “We all hate Hagrid, but we’re too scared to say anything.”
Hagrid takes care of illegal creatures called Blast-Ended Skrewts. They are dangerous crosses between manticores and fire-crabs. Hagrid ignores Ministry rules and acts above the law…
