Giants

The four of them surrounded Hagrid as he kept waving his hands. "I'm fine."

But judging by how cautiously he moved even when waving them, how could he possibly be fine?

For a half-Giant to be hurt this badly, Hagrid must have suffered quite a lot.

"What exactly happened to you, Hagrid?" Ron Weasley kept pressing him.

Hagrid gripped the arm of the sofa and slowly slid down against its back. Only after he had fully sat down did he seem to relax slightly. Then he took a gleaming green piece of meat from a bucket beside him.

"Is that... dragon meat? Good heavens!" Ron Weasley squinted at it as Hagrid pressed the stuff against the wound on his face.

Hagrid's millstone-sized face was covered in bruises, blue and purple patches everywhere. One eye was swollen so badly that only a narrow slit remained, and there were plenty of other cuts as well.

"That's poisonous!" Ron Weasley cried, but Hagrid ignored him. He pressed the dragon meat to his face and let out a relieved expression.

"This stuff helps dull the pain," Hagrid said.

"You were hurt by Giants, weren't you?" Hermione Granger's words made Hagrid freeze. His tiny eyes widened round.

"How did you know... I mean, I'm fine!" Hagrid stammered, growing flustered.

"Dumbledore told me. You went with Madame Maxime to persuade the Giants, didn't you?" Eli said.

Hagrid stared blankly for a moment. "Oh... I didn't think he'd tell you... Well, yes. Olympe and I went to find the Giants."

Hermione Granger turned to look at Eli, her expression becoming worried. "Did Professor Dumbledore give you another task?"

Everyone in the room looked at Eli, and Hagrid regarded him curiously as well.

Eli squeezed Hermione Granger's hand. "You know that if the Giants join Voldemort, we'll pay