Rolling in the Snow

When Kyle and Sirius returned to Hogwarts through the fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron, Dumbledore and the others were no longer in the Headmaster's Office.

Fawkes, perched on a branch, lazily raised its head and glanced at them before burying its head back into its wing.

Phoenix did offer a perfunctory greeting, but Sirius ignored him completely, which infuriated him so much that he unleashed a torrent of curses in the portrait.

However, by then, Kyle and Sirius had already left the office and hadn't heard a word he said.

As he entered the Entrance Hall, Sirius noticed a group of students locked in a tense standoff, and as a professor, he had to stay and deal with the situation.

Kyle nodded in understanding, then walked out of the castle gate alone.

The snow outside the castle had not yet melted, and the ground was covered in white snow with several long footprints, probably left by students of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang.

Kyle followed the path to Hagrid's Hut at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

Hagrid would usually have the area in front of his door clean by this time, but now the snow was almost up to the stone steps, and there was a trail of messy footprints on it.

Clearly, someone has already been here.

"Listen to me, Hagrid ..." came a voice from inside the room; it was Hermione's.

"You don't need to be so sensitive about your Half-blood- Giant identity. I've always thought it's a prejudice, like people's attitudes towards Werewolf... It's just a preconceived notion. The reality isn't like what the reports say, is it?"

"Hermione is right, Hagrid." Then came Ron's voice.

"Don't listen to those Slytherin rubbish. Everyone knows you're not cruel at all, and many people like you."

"Don't try to comfort me," Hagrid said, his voice trembling with tears. "Last year, Professor Lupin had to leave Hogwarts because he was Werewolf, and I think it's my turn this year... I know nobody will like me."

"No way!" Harry exclaimed. "We like you, and Angelina too. She just had a huge argument with Slytherin because they said bad things about you, just now, in the Entrance Hall."

Hearing this, Kyle seemed to know who the person he had been confronting in the Entrance Hall was.

However, with Sirius around, Angelina shouldn't be at a disadvantage.

He reached out and knocked on the door.

"It must be Dumbledore, he must have come to make me leave Hogwarts..."

Then, the door was opened.

Hagrid looked disheveled; he appeared to have just been crying, his eyes were red and swollen, and his hair was a messy tangle, making him look like a tumbleweed stuck on his head.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you," Kyle said. "The headmaster is with Karkaroff and Olympe Maxime, so he probably won't have time to come here."

"Kyle, you..."

"Can I go in first? It's too cold outside."

As they were talking, Kyle had already squeezed past Hagrid into the house.

Harry, Ron, Hermione looked over nervously, but breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Kyle.

"Kyle, did you come here after reading that article too?" Hermione asked.

"Hmm." Kyle nodded. "I guessed Hagrid might be in trouble, so I came to see if I could help."

"It's all because of Rita Skeeter," Harry said angrily. "That wretched girl is always stirring up trouble."

"You know her?" Kyle asked.

I met him once when the First Task ended.

Harry sounded somewhat annoyed. "She asked me a few questions, which I thought were just routine inquiries. However, a few days later, she published in the newspaper that I harbored resentment for not becoming Champion and even falsely accused me of calling Professor Dumbledore an old idiot."

"But I never said that. I could never insult Professor Dumbledore, and I never thought of becoming Champion."

"Let's see what the First Task is like: Kneazle, Dragon... I must be crazy to want to be a warrior... Oh, sorry Kyle, that's not what I meant."

"I know." Kyle shook his head, not paying any attention.

"Speaking of which," Hermione asked, "Hagrid, how did that woman know you were Half-blood- Giant?"

"I don't know," Hagrid said. "I haven't told anyone except Madame Maxime ..."

"Madame Maxime?" Ron said. "Isn't she Half-blood- Giant too?"

"At first I thought so too, but she got angry with me and said she was just big-boned." Hagrid seemed to remember something, covered his face with his hands, and let out a sob.

"She must be too scared to admit it," Harry said angrily. "She's got a big frame...who is she trying to fool?"

"But it's very useful, isn't it? Don't forget that only Hagrid's name is on the newspaper."

Kyle chimed in at the opportune moment, "Half-blood- Giant aren't Werewolf, and they can't transform. If they don't admit it, they're just big-boned... There are many amazing things in the Wizarding World; it's normal to have one or two wizards with unusual physiques."

"Wait, the newspaper?" Hermione said. "Kyle, do you think Rita Skeeter heard this last night? But outsiders aren't allowed in Hogwarts. Hagrid, did you see her?"

"I don't remember," Hagrid said, "... but probably not."

"Rita Skeeter isn't incapable of magic," Kyle shrugged, reminding him, "It's too easy for her to hide herself."

Everyone suddenly realized.

This explains why Rita Skeeter was so certain that Hagrid was Half-blood- Giant; it was because he himself said it.

"I've got it! It's the Disillusionment Charm," Hermione. "She must have used the Disillusionment Charm to eavesdrop that day."

"Perhaps it's Invisibility Cloak," Ron said.

"Animagus is also possible," Harry said. "Like Peter Pettigrew, turning into some kind of tiny animal. After all, nobody cares about a mouse or a squirrel, right?"

"No way," Hermione frowned. "I've looked at the Animagus registers from this century, and Rita Skeeter's name isn't on it."

"Not everyone will register," Harry said. "Don't forget... Peter Pettigrew's name isn't on the list either."

He had originally intended to say Sirius, but then, remembering Hagrid's experiences, he quickly changed his mind.

The three of them were having a heated discussion about how Rita Skeeter had discovered Hagrid's identity, but Hagrid himself wasn't very interested.

He just sat there, staring blankly at the teapot on the stove, large plumes of white smoke billowing from its spout, without making a single move.

"Could I have a cup of hot tea?" Kyle said. "Someone just suddenly decided to treat me to ice cream on this freezing day, so I need some hot tea to warm myself up."

"Oh, okay..." Hagrid finally responded. He picked up the teapot and poured Kyle a steaming cup of pine nut tea.

Harry glanced at the thick snow outside and shivered involuntarily. "Honestly, even if someone offered me ice cream, I wouldn't eat it."

Although he likes ice cream, he definitely wouldn't choose this kind of weather; it's too cold.

"There's nothing we can do about it; he's incredibly resistant to the cold. He could roll around in the snow without breaking a sweat."

Kyle took the teacup from Hagrid. "I don't really want to eat it either, but since I've already bought it, I can't just let it go to waste..."