discontinued, re-write titled "Mind Over Matter".
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❞𝐘𝐨𝐮❜𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞. . .❞
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Liliana Granger never sought out the adventures of life, she'd grown comfortable in what she knew and applied...
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"Close your eyes!"
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Liliana had always known that Hagrid had an unfortunate liking for large and monstrous creatures. During their first year at Hogwarts he had tried to raise a dragon in his little wooden house, and it would be a long time before they forgot the giant, three-headed dog he'd christened "Fluffy".
And if, as a boy, Hagrid had heard that a monster was hidden somewhere in the castle, Liliana was sure he'd have gone to any lengths for a glimpse of it. He'd probably thought it deserved the chance to stretch its many legs. Liliana could just imagine thirteen-year-old Hagrid trying to fit a leash and collar on it. But she was equally certain that Hagrid would never have meant to kill anybody.
Harry half wished he and Liliana hadn't found out how to work Riddle's diary. Again and again Ron and Hermione made him and Liliana recount what they'd seen, until both were heartily sick of telling them and sick of the long circular conversation that followed.
"Riddle might have got the wrong person," said Hermione. "Maybe it was some other monster that was attacking people. . . ."
"How many monsters d'you think this place can hold?" Ron asked dully.
"We always knew Hagrid had been expelled," said Liliana miserably.
"And the attacks must've stopped after Hagrid was kicked out. Otherwise, Riddle wouldn't have got his award," said Harry bleakly.
Ron tried a different tack.
"Riddle does sound like Percy 一 who asked him to squeal on Hagrid, anyways?"
"But the monster had killed someone, Ron," said Hermione.
"And Riddle was going to go back to some Muggle orphanage if they closed Hogwarts," said Harry. "I don't blame him for wanting to stay here. . . ."
"You met Hagrid down Knockturn Alley, didnt you, Harry?"
"He was buying a Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent," said Harry quickly.
The four of them fell silent. After a long pause, Hermione voiced the knottiest question of all in a hesitant voice.
"Do you think we should go and ask Hagrid about it all?"
"That'd be a cheerful visit," said Ron. "Hello, Hagrid. Tell us, have you been setting anything mad and hairy loose in the castle lately?"
In the end, they decided that they would not say anything to Hagrid unless there was another attack, and as more and more days went by with no whisper from the disembodied voice, they became hopeful that they would never need to talk to him about why he had been expelled.
It was now nearly four months since Justin and Nearly Headless Nick had been Petrified, and nearly everybody seemed to think that the attacker, whoever, it was, had retired for good. Peeves had finally got bored of his "Oh, Potter, you rotter" song.
