Harry Potter’s Defense Professor

"I knew you'd agree," said Hagrid, covering his face in his handkerchief. "I'll never... never... forget... well... come on... walk a little from here... now , watch out for your feet, there are nettles here."

They continued on for ten minutes in silence, and when Lockhart opened his mouth to ask how far he would go, Hagrid gestured for them to stop with his right arm.

"Take your time," he said softly. "Now, quietly."

They tiptoed and saw on the opposite side a huge, smooth mound, almost as high as Hagrid. This must be the giant's lair. The children were shivering nearby, and the trees around the mound were uprooted, so the mound was in a clearing, surrounded by a circle of tree trunks and branches, like a fence. They are standing outside this fence now.

Lockhart was not nervous, a single giant was really easy to deal with, not to mention that he teamed up with other Aurors to deal with an almost nine-meter-high Death Eater giant not long ago.

"Asleep," Hagrid said quietly.

Indeed, they could reach a distant, rhythmic rumble, as if a pair of giant lungs were at work. Lockhart turned to look at Hermione next to her, who was staring at the mound, her mouth slightly open, looking thoroughly terrified.

"Hagrid," her voice was barely audible above the animal's snoring, "who is he?"

Harry asked, "What is that?" That was the question he wanted to ask.

"Hagrid, you told us—" said Hermione, wand beginning to tremble in her hand, "you told us none of them wanted to come!"

Lockhart patted Hermione on the shoulder reassuringly, and Harry and Ron understood, and they turned to look back at the mound, gasping for breath in horror.

The massive mound, big enough for the five of them to stand on with ease, was slowly moving up and down with deep, snoring breaths. It wasn't a mound at all, it was a crooked back that no doubt belonged to--

"Well—no—he doesn't really want to come," said Hagrid, sounding desperate, "but I have to bring him back, Hermione, I have to!"

"But why?" Hermione asked, sounding like she was about to cry. "Why—what—oh, Hagrid!"

"I know if I bring him back," Hagrid said, sounding like he was about to cry, "and then—and teach him manners—I can take him outside and tell everyone he's actually safe. !"

"Giants are ferocious creatures. I'm sorry, Hagrid. I didn't mean to target you." Lockhart looked at Hagrid apologetically. "I went to France to see giants not long ago."

"Look at what Professor Lockhart said!" Hermione screamed. "No wonder you keep getting hurt!"

"He just doesn't know how strong he is!" said Hagrid earnestly, "and he's getting better, he's not fighting so much anymore--"

"So, that's why it took you two months to get home!" said Hermione absently. "Oh, Hagrid, why did you bring him back if he didn't want to come? With his own company he Wouldn't it be happier?"

"They bullied him, Hermione, because he's so small!" said Hagrid.

"Little?" said Hermione. "Little?"

"Hermione, I can't leave him," said Hagrid, tears rolling down his scarred face and into his beard. "Look—he's my brother!"

The three children stared at him with their mouths open.

"Hagrid, you said 'brother,'" Harry said slowly, "you mean—"

"Well, half-brother," explained Hagrid, "after my mother left my father, she met another giant, and they had Goobo together—"

"Gubo?" Harry said.

"Yeah... um,

That's the sound he makes when he says my name," said Hagrid eagerly, "he doesn't speak much English, and I've been teaching him... Anyway, she doesn't seem to like him more than me. You know, it's very important for a giantess to have a big baby, but he's always a little shorter than the other giants -- only five and a half meters high --"

"Oh, yes, very small!" said Hermione, sarcastically, "what a small one!"

"Hagrid, what an inexplicable sympathy of yours..." Lockhart said helplessly.

"He's always being kicked and pushed around by all of them--how could I have thrown him in a place like that--"

"Well, that's why it took us so long, you see," said Hagrid, "we just had to drive at night, picking woods and moors or something. Of course he could go pretty fast if he wanted to, It's a pity he always wants to go back."

"So, what do you want us to do?" Hermione asked uneasily.

"Take care of him," Hagrid said hoarsely. "Take care of him after I'm gone."

Hermione glanced at Lockhart's face, as if seeking consolation, or perhaps expecting some good idea from Lockhart.

"What kind of care?" Lockhart asked.

"No need to bring him food or anything!" said Hagrid eagerly. "He can find his own food, no problem at all. He can catch birds and deer and all, don't worry. All he needs is someone to accompany him, I I just want someone to keep helping him, keep teaching him, you know."

No one responded to Hagrid, everyone just turned to look at the huge body lying on the ground in front of them. He's different from Hagrid, who looks like a very big human, with Goobo's body oddly shaped. To the left of the mound, a huge moss-covered stone is now recognizable as Goobo's head. The head was much larger than a human head in proportion to its body, and was almost ball-shaped, covered with fine curls of bracken-colored hair. A large, fleshy ear could be seen overhead, and he had a broad back covered in a filthy brown garment that appeared to have been roughly sewn together from several animal hides. The rough seams of his clothes tightened as he breathed in his sleep. His legs were tucked under him, his huge, dirty, bare feet, like two big sleds, folded together on the forest floor.

"You want us to teach him..." Harry said, his voice hollow, then turned to look at Lockhart. "Professor, I think you can teach him something, don't you."

Lockhart was sweating profusely, teaching a giant to speak English... He admitted that he didn't have the ability, even if he had, what's the point of it, this giant couldn't possibly be the fighting force of the Order of the Phoenix. With this time, he might as well make a few more Aurors.

"Gildrow—you can just talk to him," said Hagrid, looking at Lockhart hopefully, "because I think if he could talk to people, he'd know better that we all like him. Yes, they want him to stay here."

"Chat with a giant..." said Ron dully. "I'd rather chat with Lavender!"

"So, will you do it?" said Hagrid, seemingly unaware of what Ron was saying.

"Professor..." Harry said, looking at Lockhart hesitantly. "We should help Hagrid, at least try, right?"

"Harry, I knew I could count on you," Hagrid said, with a tearful smile, and he went to wipe his face with his handkerchief, "I don't want to waste too much of your time, that . . . I know You guys have exams... as long as you can come here with your invisibility cloak once a week and chat with him. Then I'll wake him up--introduce you--"

"What—don't!" said Hermione, jumping up. "Hagrid, don't, don't wake him up, really, we don't need—"

"Don't be afraid, Hermione, I'm here," Lockhart comforted her.

Hagrid had stepped over the huge tree trunk in front of them and made his way to Goobo. He walked to a place about three meters away, picked up a long branch from the ground, turned to look at them and smiled comfortingly, and then poked Gubo's back with the end of the branch.

The little giant let out a loud roar that echoed in the silent woods, and above their heads, the birds perched on the top of the trees fluttered away. At the same time, the giant Goobo in front of Harry and Hermione climbed up, and when he knelt on the ground with his hands, the ground trembled under his hands, and he turned to see who had woken him up.

"How are you, Gubo?" Hagrid said in a pretentious voice, holding the long branch and pushing back a few steps, ready to poke him again. "Did you sleep well?"